Review by Jophelerx on July 25, 2024.

I would say it's pretty unusual for a band to release their magnum opus 20+ years into their career, but in Grave Digger's case that's exactly what happened. Honestly, I can't really think of another band where that's the case - plenty of bands have great albums later on into their careers, but one that's widely hailed as their best? Satan's Host comes to mind, I suppose, with the return of Harry Conklin 25 years after their debut, but in that case the band saw a huge stylistic change that felt more like a comeback than anything. Grave Digger, on the other hand, just churned out solid album after solid album until they suddenly released a masterpiece as their tenth full-length effort, revitalizing the genre despite no major stylistic adjustments or member changes. Of course, it's not like the difference between this and other strong albums like Tunes of War or Excalibur is incredibly large, but it's still a remarkable trajectory for a band, so let's take a closer look at what exactly made 2003's Rheingold such a winner for the band.

Firstly, the lyrical themes are more general than the band's usual fare - for example, the two aforementioned albums, Tunes of War and Excalibur, focus on medieval Scottish history and Arthurian legends, respectively, and this was a pretty common tool for the band throughout their string of 90s albums - to base an album around a single concept (a concept album, though in some cases the term fits a bit more loosely than others), but that's pretty much entirely abandoned here. There are some references to Valhalla in both the track of the same name and the closer "Twilight of the Gods," but that's about the extent of it. Now, to be clear, I am a fan of concept albums when they're done well, and Grave Digger do have some good ones, but in this specific case I think the lack of a unifying concept actually works in the band's favor, allowing them to explore various tropes and ideas without being restricted by one mythos. It's clear the band had a lot of ideas rolling around in this era, and it occurs to me that perhaps this was the album they used as a platform for songs they couldn't fit into many of their previous efforts. This is entirely conjecture on my part, but it does some to fit with the unusual depth and variety present on this album.

It's also structured very competently - though this was never really an issue with the band, whose albums tend to consist of mostly speedy tracks with a ballad thrown in somewhere and perhaps one or two longer, more symphonic "epics," in this case I have to say I really couldn't think of a better track listing if I tried, with the title track opening as a speedy but a bit more restrained number, leading into the album's three best tracks, the absolute classic scorcher "Valhalla," the slightly more complex but still roaring and incredibly catchy "Giants," and then my personal favorite track from the band's entire discography, "Maidens of War," which features an incredibly powerful main riff but also an enchanting softer motif, starting with a single acoustic riff reminiscent of something Manilla Road's Mark Shelton might have come up with, and then extended at the end with a multi-tracked chorus of Boltendahl movingly repeating "Why, why, why?" that takes a page from Blind Guardian's handbook. This track really showcases both the intensity and tenderness present within Grave Digger's sound, and shows how allowing the band's versatility to really shine within the context of a single album makes for a truly satisfying listen.

While I feel that the second half of the album is slightly weaker, I have to reiterate that the track listing is perfect; allowing the listener to breathe with a couple of midpaced rockers in "Sword" and "Dragon" works well after turning things up to 11 in the first half. The latter track is probably my least favorite here, as the riffing is pretty bare-bones and the song is really a bit too long to ride entirely on one ultra-simple riff, but it's still fun overall and does feature some tasty soloing here and there. Thankfully, things ramp up again with the thunderous electricity of "Liar," boasting a driving main riff that lesser bands can only dream of, and the track's brevity allows its punch to just keep going and never let up. "Murderer" slows things down again with a dark, ominous intro that eventually features more multi-tracked "chorus" style vocals, and, while this sort of track is something the band has done before on an album like "Heart of Darkness," incorporating it here is a tonal shift on a level we don't normally see from them. While the structure of the song is simple, its alternation of softer and heavier passages creates an interesting juxtaposition we also don't often hear from them, as usually there either a softer intro followed by the rest of the track being metal, or the track is an out-and-out ballad. Again, this works to encapsulate the overall variety of the album, and in fact I believe this is one of the only Grave Digger albums not to feature a full ballad at all.

The album closes with the longer epic "Twilight of the Gods," which is actually a bit more predictable than I'd like, with a fairly generic main riff and a chorus that could be more memorable, though the intro and outro are excellent, the latter featuring some plaintive acoustic guitar reminiscent of the ending of Blind Guardian's "The Bard's Song - The Hobbit," and is quite appropriate to send off the album. All in all, I find Rheingold to be a bit paradoxical - it eschews many of the band's previous traditions, such as a unifying concept, an album ballad, and a shorter overall length, with their previous five albums all in the 52-58 minute range, while Rheingold comes in at a tight 45 (and even then, I think trimming down "Twilight of the Gods" a bit would be to the album's benefit). This is a more accessible, stripped-down experience, a bit like a Grave Digger sample platter. It's like the label wanted to do a best-of compilation and the band was like, "No, fuck you, we're going to make our own best-of with all new tracks!" This album is the quintessential Grave Digger and, whether intentional or not, serves as the perfect entry point for anyone looking to get into the band, or, for that matter, power metal in general. Nearly 20 years later, Rheingold has stood the test of time, and proves that, even well into a band's career, it's never too late to strike gold.

Rating: 9.4 out of 10

Review by Felix on September 2, 2024.

It was not easy to get a physical copy of "Okkult", at least for people like me who are not able to storm Fort Knox in order to get its gold reserves. And I am sorry, but I deny to pay astronomical prices for an album. Anyway, "Okkult" had a certain fascination for me and so I did not rest until I was successful. Was it worthwhile? I think so.

Those of you who have currently listened to Barathrum's comeback "Fanatiko" will not find many parallels between this hellish nightmare and the very controlled approach of the here-reviewed album. "Okkult" is neither extreme nor ugly, it offers mid-paced, quite melodic songs that do not show many typical features of the black genre. The long-player cannot be described as furious, brutal or icy, but it is based on a subliminal malignancy. Due to the relatively lenient degree of aggression and the active support of the keyboard, Barathrum almost sounds like Cradle of Filth minus the complex song structures of the British circus. The Finnish group prefers simple patterns that make it easy for likewise simple minds like me to get access to the album in a matter of minutes. By the way, their clearly structured and unpretentious songs provide evidence that the band members are not interested in narcissism. They don't want to be the most radical or most "dangerous" guys. Their compositions do not break new records in terms of violence, but the musicians do not care about their normalcy. A likable attitude, which is also reflected by the artwork. There is nothing shocking or brutal, no priest is forced to play the cocksucker for Satan or something like that. Nevertheless, this picture indicates the genre very precisely.

I admit that I am not very tolerant. But I understand everybody who says that this output is not very exciting or even boring. I cannot deny that tempo changes, unexpected breaks, or any other form of surprising components do not show up. The material of "Okkult" is definitely not spectacular. It is a polarizing album. Either one finds a black essence in it or one is at risk of wasting a precious lifetime. My decision is clear, "Okkult" emanates a devilish flair. The almost primitive riffing and the eldritch nagging of the lead vocalist constitute the metallic pillars, while the keyboard adds majestic feelings or finely woven melodies (for example at the beginning of "I Am Very Possessed"). Moreover, the keyboard pulls the listener in the songs from time to time. "Bride of Lucifer", one of the highlights, illustrates that this often scorned instrument can add value to a metal album. Both its very melancholic, slow-paced first part and the relatively dense second-half profit from the integration of the keyboard. Maybe the well-balanced, relatively airy production is helpful in this context because the guitars leave room for further instruments. They are neither dominant nor extremely low-tuned. But despite the pretty light mix, the songs reveal a certain depth. "Land of Tears" with its eerie bass intermezzo, for instance, underlines the wistful attitude of the entire material very well.

But I am not sure whether it makes sense to pick out individual tracks because the album shines with its holistic homogeneity. The inconspicuous intro stands in the shadow of the regular tracks, but this well-known symptom does not affect the pretty good overall picture. Having said that, let me end with an additional hint concerning the intro. Its title, "Magic in Atmosphere", is a very fitting motto for the following 35 minutes. "Okkult" possesses a certain magic, at least in my humble opinion. Nevertheless, do not pay any price for this work.

Rating: 8.1 out of 10