My peers, Grave Digger, are celebrating their 45th birthday at “45th Anniversary Tour” supported by Victory, Rigorious (from January 16th to January 26th) and WarWolf (from January 30th to February 8th).
Third time charm, some might say. First time I saw Grave Digger was in 2007 in Belgrade, Serbia. Fifteen years later, in 2023 in Hanover, Germany. Third time, at the same place just two years later. If I were to compare Serbian and German concerts, I am afraid I could write a book, so I will just compare those two shows in Germany. Compared to the show in 2023, this one in 2025 was much better. Why? Sound in the first place. In 2023, we were struggling to recognize songs and understand Mr. Chris Boltendahl. This time, the sound was much better, although there were some problems here and there. Emotionally, both the audience and the band were more involved in the show. Boltendahl’s mood was on the higher level, communication with fans and sense of humor came to the fore. But let’s start from the beginning. But why did I say third time charm? Because in collaboration with colleagues from Neckbreaker magazine, I did an interview with Chris Boltendahl. You can read it on our pages: https://www.abaddon-magazine.com/interviews/interview-chris-boltendahl-grave-digger/
As the support band, surprisingly (or not), WarWolf opened the show. German heavy metal quintet who released “The Final Battle” on January 31st, 2025 had a great opportunity to promote their third album, produced, mixed and mastered by Chris Boltendahl at “Graveyard Studio”. From what we have seen and heard, this is not and can not be their final battle, because those guys have a lot to offer. If you haven’t heard the band yet, the music they are playing is something that will remind you of Iron Maiden. And they will not deny that they are influenced by NWOBHM legends. Andreas von Lipinski’s physical appearance may remind you of Niklas Isfeldt (Dream Evil), but vocally he is pure Bruce Dickinson’s clone. His wit and outstanding personality are a great contribution to overall performance. The band supports him in all his craziness, so it is a win-win combination. When the band sounds better live than on albums, it is a signal, at least for me, that they deserve of attention.
The next band who came on to the stage was Victory. Although the band is originally from Hanover, today we can say it is an international band. The only one who remained loyal to the band is, I can freely say, Herman Frank. “Circle of Life”, their last full lenght was released on September 13th, 2024 (AFM Records). They surely rocked the neighbors with their energy. Not only the fresh blood (the band members have internships between 3 and 5 years) but also the one with rich experience in the world of rock and metal, legendary Herman Frank, showed why and how he did deserve that epithet.
Victory throughout 13 songs warmed up the atmosphere and prepared the fans for the Grave Digger. Mike Pesin (guitars) and Malte Burkert (bass) are very well connected, their energies are compatible and it seems that the guys have a lot of fun. Add communication and interaction with fans, and you have a winning combination. If they are not worth of attention, I am sure Herr Frank would not hire them on both metal fields: Victory and Iron Allies. Gianni Pontillo (vocals) might trick you, because under the stage lights he might remind you of Ronnie Romero. The guys simply have the same energy, same attitude, they feel at home on stage, not to say like a fish in the water. And singing… Simply, there’s nothing to say except… Outstanding! The Hanoverians were visibly satisfied and proud of their band. After Victory’s performance, it was questionable how the audience would behave for the rest of the evening, as they seemed to have exhausted all their energy singing along with the band. But, metalheads are definitely a special category of people, so it only took about twenty minutes for them to recharge their batteries and fiercely return the fire of emotions as Grave Digger hit the stage.
“Bone Collector” was released on January 17th, but judged by the fans, they had enough time to learn the lyrics so from the first till the last song they were singing with the band, if not the whole songs than at least choruses. With 45 years and 23 albums, it is hard to satisfy each fan with a setlist, something is always missing for someone, but the trademarks like “Heavy Metal Breakdown” or “Scotland United” are must to play songs. Grave Digger served 17 songs. “Kingdom of Skulls”, the first single from “Bone Collector”, opened the show. At least each fan could follow the band singing the chorus, and from this point till the end of the show, the atmosphere was at the highest level. Although the fans played a role of choir, you could say which songs are the favorites. “Excalibur”, “Rebellion” and “Heavy Metal Breakdown” set the atmosphere ablaze.
As I mentioned, compared to their last show here in Hanover, the band was more involved emotionally, their mood was better and Chris showed the side of the entertainer, making fun of the band and of course himself which is a sign of intelligence as I learnt in psychology a long time ago. And not just Chris, but Marcus Kniep was also in the special mood mode. Definitely the magician when it comes to drumming, but this time his outfit followed his performance. A slightly more modern version of the magician, in sweatpants with a hat on his head and a card stuck in it, he could not go unnoticed. Either he revealed a new talent or new profession, fans were satisfied with his little show at the end of the set when he pulled out a few bunnies out of his hat (plush, not real). Chris’s mood rose when he was given a paper with the score of the game in which his team had obviously won. And this time it was proven, the fans notice everything and especially appreciate the sincere emotion and interaction, which was abundant this time.
All in all, a night to remember; metal invasion, metal dominion… We shook our hands and legs as fast as we could…
