Review by Jophelerx on April 1, 2025.

Grave Digger's classic 90s-early 2000s period, following the band's dissolution after their first three basic heavy metal albums in the 80s and subsequent stints under the names Digger and then Hawaii, is a run of albums that's often underrated, with many picking out specific albums as being uniquely worthwhile, while in my opinion, everything from The Reaper to Rheingold is a certified classic at this point (and The Last Supper is still pretty good). Of course, some are still better than others, and everyone will have favorites, with The Reaper likely to appeal more to the speed metal fan, while Heart of Darkness or The Grave Digger would probably be up your alley if you like things a bit darker. Rheingold is my personal favorite, but 1999's Excalibur is probably second. I admit I'm a sucker for Arthurian themes so that certainly contributes to my enjoyment of it, but its thematic and tonal variety put it a step above some of their other releases for me, with the album running the gamut of killer speed metal ("Excalibur"); epic, sing-a-longy power metal ("Tristan's Fate"); tender ballad ("Emerald Eyes"); and ominous brooder ("Avalon"). Alongside Tunes of War and the aforementioned Rheingold, I think this showcases Grave Digger's understated versatility, with many writing the band off as overly predictable, too simple, or writing Boltendahl off as too raspy compared to other Europower vocalists and the band as not melodic enough when I think none of those criticisms really fully do justice to the band's unique songwriting prowess and ability to mash multiple styles up into something accessible enough to feel catchy and easily digestible while still hiding enough under the surface as to be much more than they might initially appear.

Of course, calling Grave Digger something like "thinking man's metal" might be a bit of a stretch, but their breadth of lyrical themes covering various aspects of European mythos and history and their varied musical influences, ranging from classic Accept-style heavy metal to epic orchestral arrangements to ripping, Painkiller-esque speed metal gives them a level of musical sophistication I think few acts to come out of the European power metal scene ever really achieved, with other well-known acts like Blind Guardian, Helloween, and perhaps Rage being the only ones to really come to mind. As much as I respect a band like Kamelot, Sonata Arctica, or Statovarius, those acts never really incorporated the gravitas of classic heavy metal into their sounds, opting to stay solely in a more melodic, often neoclassical territory. This is fine, and deserves its spot within the scene, but there's something to be said for the 80s bands that were steeped in that classic 80s sound and evolved into something greater as heavy metal expanded - it's difficult to imitate or fake, and a band like Grave Digger's natural inclusion of newer and more diverse power metal influences as time wore on created something truly great and unparalleled for the most part.

Okay, so we've talked about the band's sound in this era - what about this album specifically? It starts off with the atmospheric keyboard intro "The Secrets of Merlin" which sets the stage for the album nicely with a slow build of medieval grandeur, leading into the ripping speed metal number "Pendragon," whose layered guitars make things immediately feel epic and larger than life while still paying homage to the band's hard 'n' heavy side, while the catchy vocal lines of the pre-chorus build perfectly into the big, dumb, multi-layered gang shouts of "PENDRAGON! PENDRAGON! STAR SPLITS THE SKY!" is a fantastic payoff and brings all these elements together in a succinct and visceral way. The solo here is also a standout for its blistering speed and intensity, while it's bookended by more low-key, wistful sections that encapsulate the multiple moods at play in this album perfectly in just one track. These shifts never feel jarring or unnatural though, with the band's often layered melodies bringing different styles together all at the same time in many cases, and the highs and lows are woven together in the overall thematic concepts at play here. Pendragon is a tragic character whose life was surrounded by love, hate, triumph, defeat, and mystery, and Grave Digger explores all of that without ever getting too into the weeds about specific story points but rather using the major beats of the concept as ways to express different emotions and styles across the album's duration.

The title track, for example, is perhaps the most straight-ahead speed metal number on the album (though even it has the sublimely loose and rockin' solo), which is appropriate given it's about Arthur's triumph of pulling the sword from the stone and the violence such a powerful weapon could represent. The one thing I would say is pretty consistent across each song is Grave Digger's trademark big, dumb choruses that usually just repeat the album's title along with one other short phrase, but I don't think this is the weakness some might think it is. Choruses are a central part of rock music, and the band makes sure they're the catchiest part of the song to keep the listener engaged while dealing with more complex thematic and musical ideas elsewhere in the songs. The choruses are never boring or overly simple; they're always chock full of the huge hooks and larger-than-life exuberance that European power metal is so beloved for, while still keeping things focused on a foundation built by heavy metal riffs and solos throughout. Sure, there are times when this can fall a bit flat, such as with the plodding, slightly repetitive "The Round Table," but for the most part, this formula works beautifully, keeping a good flow to the tracks and providing a way to keep the album's variety from feeling disconnected or too tonally jarring.

Thankfully, "Morgane le Fay" is another strong point for the album, with a slow, mysterious intro and some fantastic clean vocals from Boltendahl leading into a savage speed metal riff and some brutal, raspy growls that switch again to a melodic, understated chorus that plays well against the intensity of the verses. The dangerous yet playful pan pipes during the solo help keep the song from becoming too predictable, while the whispered "Listen, listen....to what I say..." line after the solo from Boltendahl brings a sense of humanity and fallibility to the idea of Morgane le Fay's character, helping to keep her portrayal from feeling too one-dimensional without devolving into long, spoken-word intros between songs or delving too far from the central focus of catchy, accessible power metal. "The Spell" is even softer and more human, with the protagonist of the song (I admit I'm not so familiar with Arthurian mythos that I recognize the exact story being presented here without any names - I *think* it's Arthur and Morgan le Fay but I'm not sure) expressing the wonders and pitfalls of love in a surprisingly relatable way without ever becoming sappy or trite, with the heavier and darker sections of the song devoted to the pitfalls of falling victim to blind lust, and the dangers of magic providing a metaphor for the "spell" love can cast over a person in real life. With a track like this, Grave Digger shows how myth and fantasy can provide relatable lessons and feelings for people even today, and show a deeper understanding of such themes than many bands who simply sing about specific tales or stories over a generic heavy or power metal style.

"Tristan's Fate" is another strong number, this one going all in on the big, epic chorus, which is probably my favorite on the album. Seriously, try not to sing along to MAGIC POTION CRYSTAL CLEAR, IT'S TOO LATE in the intro or anywhere else in the song. This one is a succinct power metal number that has a bit less variety than some of the other tracks but certainly doesn't suffer from it, presenting strong ideas for three-and-a-half minutes before moving on to the mid-paced heavy metal number "Lancelot." This one does feel a bit rehashed at times, echoing a track like "The Dark of the Sun" from Tunes of War or "Hate" from Heart of Darkness; they have a track like this on nearly all of their albums and I'd say this one really only stands out in the chorus, which is quite enjoyable. It's far from a bad song, but is one of the few here to fall victim to the accusations of being overly predictable and reusing the same ideas, which the band is known for. "Mordred's Song" gets things back on track with a fantastic galloping main riff, keeping things in an epic-speed metal territory stylistically similar to the title track but no less potent or headbangable. I actually would have expected this one to be a bit slower or darker given Mordred's tragic nature in the mythos, but either way, I'll gladly take this absolute banger any day of the week.

"The Final War" gives us a bigger, more measured atmosphere that's almost Manowar-ish, doing a great job of evoking battle with big, galloping riffs that never stray too far into speed metal territory, keeping the riffs at a deliberate gallop similar to that often seen in epic heavy metal to give the feeling of a broader narrative scope while still keeping the focus on the guitar work. This is a more than competent piece that also keeps its tone relatively consistent without ever becoming dull. "Emerald Eyes" gives us another ballad, though this one inexplicably sees Boltendahl mostly stick to his standard gruff delivery rather than the softer clean vocals he's obviously capable of, making for an odd juxtaposition where Boltendahl ends up sounding a bit like a muppet yowling out "YOU ARE MY QUEEEEN..." over tender, romantic keyboards. It's rather amusing but the songwriting is still quite solid so the song still works moderately well overall, just with Boltendahl feeling a bit out of place in an admittedly still enjoyable way. "Avalon" follows up with a dark, mysterious, and searching atmosphere I quite enjoy, the lyrics wondering if such a mystical location even exists. The chorus, despite being particularly understated, hits way harder than you might expect it to, with Boltendahl's earnestly introspective delivery achieving a level of enchantment and legitimate self-discovery that it wouldn't feel out of place on a progressive power metal album like Awaken the Guardian (to be clear, this is where the similarity between the two albums ends, as despite my talking the band up as more intelligent than they appear, it certainly wouldn't be fair to compare them to Fates Warning in general).

I feel like "Camelot" actually would have been a perfect closer to this album, but instead, we finish with "Parcival," a competent speed metal number that manages to actually feel quite tense and anxious, using dissonance to make the track feel unique in a sea of mostly open chords and major keys from the band (I'm not literate in musical theory so I don't know if that's exactly what the difference is here, but it definitely has a sense of conflict and musical discord I don't usually hear in a Grave Digger track). It's a pretty strong song as well, but at 13 tracks and a run time of almost an hour, the album does overstay its welcome just a bit for me. I just realized as I was writing this that it's actually a bonus track and doesn't appear on the original version of the album, which makes sense - I'd actually recommend listening to the version without "Parcival" for the best overall pace and thematic structure, though it is a good Grave Digger song that's worth hearing, so ultimately it's up to you how to listen to Excalibur. While not without some flaws, 1999's Excalibur is an excellent power metal gem from the band's discography that holds up remarkably well and is a good showcase for Chris "Parcival" Boltendahl (that's how he's credited on this album, with the other musicians getting similar characters in their names) and company's talents, and like the band's other releases from this era, should be a staple for the diet of any power metal fan who wants something beyond the overly saccharine fare seen from many bands in the genre.

Rating: 9.1 out of 10

Review by Felix on January 6, 2021.

Shit, it’s already 21 years ago that Grave Digger published Excalibur. Honestly speaking, I thought it is less than ten years, but I get older every day and I just cannot trust my brain any longer. Regardless of this miserable situation, my misjudgement is maybe a good omen, because I believe I have just listened to this full-length for a pretty long time. The reason for this is easy, I like this work.

Excalibur sounds crispy and belligerent to a certain extent. The guitars like to attack within the given traditional frame and the riffs do not sound stale, lame or tiring. Of course, the band does not put the focus on profound heaviness exclusively. There are also semi-ballads which add a slightly different flavour. 'The Spell' surprises with discreet erotic allusions (“there in the woods she taught me how to touch a girl” and we are too noble to ask for the exact female body parts) and 'Avalon' would also convince on an album of In Extremo. (That’s probably only logical when considering the bagpipes and the involvement of a guy of the equally “medieval sounding” Subway to Sally.) Furthermore, we have the pretty pompous, slightly kitschy piece called 'Emerald Eyes' or songs that offer a mix of prototypical metal parts and softer elements. This does not work very well in the title track, because the almost dreamy solo is the weak point of an actual strong composition. By contrast, the fragile motif of 'Morgane Le Fay' illustrates that the Germans are generally able to combine differently harsh sections in an intriguing manner. And I should not forget to say that this track is among the highlights of the album due to its tension-developing pattern with the emotional beginning and the relatively harsh transformation into a melodic yet double-bass driven metal attack.

Remarkable is that Excalibur differs from almost any other Grave Digger work. Usually they begin in a strong manner, but as the longer the albums last the more the quality of the songs decreases. It was always more or less predictable that the songs on position seven, eight or nine will fall short of legitimate expectations. The work from 1999 does not suffer from this scheme. Indeed, the 13 tracks are able to keep the quality high and the fleet-footed 'Mordred’s Song' is the best, but not the only good track of the album’s second half. It is based on a catchy and smooth melody which is not at the expense of speed or pressure. Especially this feature gives the full-length its character: the almost flawless integration of sleek melodies into the metallic frame. They never gain the upper hand, because the guitarists seem to be motivated and the drummer fights behind the kit like his favourite football team at the (once) famous Bieberer Berg on a Friday evening. This joy of playing is the basic ingredient for cool headbangers like 'Pendragon' or 'Tristan’s Fate'.

The cover drawing is okay and I am willing to ignore the ridiculous back cover painting. Instead, I enjoy the full, warm and reasonably muscular sound that fits speedy numbers like 'The Final War' (great bridge) as well as the less hard hitting tracks. Of course, even a good sound cannot fully make up for the deficiencies when it comes to the combination of Boltendahl's voice / emotional sections. But he sounds much better than in the ballads of the first period of the band. Thus, Excalibur does not deliver moments of pain, but almost an hour of vibrant traditional metal. So raise your sword, call yourself Sir Whatever-You-Want or buy yourself a book with the most important sagas, but don’t miss this full-length, one of the best of Grave Digger.

Rating: 8 out of 10