Grave Digger
My Heart Belongs To Music Of 80s

05.01.2016

In the realm of heavy metal, not many bands dare to stick to the same topic for many years. But here we have one of them. Since the beginning of their career, this band has been addressing different (usually violent) ways to die and the (not so nice) events that follow. I need only to add that more often than not all this happens in Scotland and you will immediately get the idea - that’s Grave Digger. The grim looking Germans, bold enough to have the Reaper himself playing keyboards for them, made their latest visit to Russia in 2014 to play at the Moscow Metal Meeting festival. This January they are coming again, this time to play two shows in St. Petersburg and Moscow. We got in contact with their mastermind Chris Boltendahl to discuss the latest and upcoming shows, past and future concept albums and, believe it or not, Grapefruit Moon.

We're very happy to talk to you, even more so because you've been quite busy recently.

Yeah, I arrived from the USA last Tuesday. The tour was really great, it was a great success, much fun. It wasn't a long tour, it was 5 weeks and 24 shows but it was a great experience for us.

You were touring with Blind Guardian. So how did American fans like this bunch of very European bands?

They were really excited. I think this package was really awesome for them. We did a good job and also did Blind Guardian and the people were really excited. There were between 500 and 2000 people at every show so it was really great.

What are your next plans now?

We're playing some 80s shows. That means that most of the songs we'll play we composed in the 80s. I think we'll play about 13 songs from the 80s and then 6 or 7 classic songs at each show . It will take place between Christmas and New Year Eve. All in all, 6 shows in Germany. And then, 3 weeks later we'll come to St. Petersburg and Moscow again.

Cool. We're very much looking forward to meet you here. What kind of shows are you going to play here? Also from the 80s or just the classical ones?

It won't be a special 80s show in Moscow. I think, we'll play some more songs from the 80s than we did before but it won't be shows like we'll do in Germany. It will be a good mixture between really old songs and classical ones. I think, people will like it.

Last time you visited Moscow in 2004 for the “Moscow Metal Meeting” festival. Please, share your impressions.

First of all, it was a big pleasure and a big honor to play in the historical Gorky Park. It was a great open air stage. The only thing missing was the sun. When we were on stage it was raining and it was very windy, with showers almost all the day... But the people were really great and also the promoter and everything was really, really fine.

You know, open air festivals are something really new for Russia, we are just doing our first steps compared to Europe. So what do you think about the organization and everything?

Oh, it was really great. And it was the reason why we are working now with the same promoter, he's a great guy, and great people are working for him. So yeah, we are really looking forward for the shows in January.

These shows will be really different, because now you'll play in clubs, not at an open air festival. So what kind of shows do you prefer?

I like both of them. On one hand, at a club show you have a better connection with the audience; you are closer to the fans. At this big open air stage in Gorky Park the first row was 20 meters away from us. (laughs) On the other hand you can reach more people at an open air show, but at a club show the atmosphere is more intimate. I like it also a lot. I like both; I don't prefer an open air or a club show.

That's a good choice! Back to your German shows. You're going to play a lot of really old songs that you haven’t played for quite a long time. Is it a challenge for you? Will it be more interesting or maybe even more difficult to play them?

Yeah, we'll have to learn them again. (laughs) On the other side, in the USA we played 3 classical songs in our set list. We played “Headbanging Man”, “Witch Hunter” and “Heavy Metal Breakdown” and I liked that a lot because with this line­up it makes a lot of fun to play the old songs and I believe the other old songs that we have to learn now again, I think it will also be fun. And I think for the next year the setlist and for the festivals we'll choose again a couple of our old songs.

Are these the songs from your “Exhumation” album (2015)?

Yes, definitely. For the Christmas shows we'll play 12 old songs from the “Exhumation” album and 6 or 7 classical songs like “Knights of the Cross” or something from “Return of the Reaper” (2014). But for the first hour there will be only the old songs in the set. And I think most of them will be from “Exhumation” because we chose the classical songs for this CD and it makes sense to play them, not some other songs.

Talking about “Exhumation”. What is the first reaction for the album? Is it what you were hoping for?

Yeah, the reaction was really good. Because people can listen to the old stuff now. Especially the new fans, they can't buy the old stuff, they can only listen to that on the internet or somewhere else. Now they can listen to the old songs and the new line­up and I think the sound now is amazing... I think now they can actually choose between the old songs and the new old songs, you know. Normally you have also some critics asking why you have to re­record this old stuff and blah­blah­blah, but on the other side... I think it's a good choice to re­record some 30 years old stuff for the new people and... Yes, I like it a lot.

And the songs do sound very different. I mean, it's not just the production, but you added some great choruses and whatnot…

Sure, we added new guitar solos because Axel Ritt is a different guitar player than Peter Masson was. Also my vocals over the years got deeper. But if you replay the songs with a new line­up after 30 years, it's normal that they sound different. I can't sing like I did 30 years ago. Now I have a different voice, the basic character of the voice is the same but now it is fuller and warmer than in the 80s when I was going like “E­e­e­h” (screaming) And I like my voice much more than I did in the 80s.

And what about the new songs? I mean, the one called “My Private Morning Hell”. It's about having a very severe hangover, isn't it? Meanwhile you don't drink for 15 years already. So what's that? Is that your memories from the past?

Yes. “My Private Morning Hell”, I had a lot of that before I stopped drinking. So it was time to do something about that. It's a very personal song about my private experiences before I stopped drinking 16 years ago.

There is also one song that you changed the most. I mean, Stand Up and Rock. Why did you decide to add it to your compilation album?

The Digger album (“Stronger Than Ever”, 1986) was also written and released in the 80s and for me it was very important to take one song from there. We tired with different songs but in the end we said, "Ok, let’s call for ‘Stand Up and Rock’. Let's make a double bass like ‘Excalibur’..." And yeah, I think the result is great. It sounds like a typical Grave Digger song. We will play it live definitely, in Russia, too. I promise. So I think it made sense to make these changes to the song to make it a typical Grave Digger song.

Yeah, that's good news. I mean, almost every band has such an album in their career that was not accepted as they had been hoping for. Usually musicians try to pretend it didn't happen at all, they never play songs from those albums. I think, it takes a lot of bravery to admit that this is a part of your history, too.

Yes, what I can say is that we were young and the record company told us, "Hey, if you wanna make some money, some bigger money, you have to change the name. We must go to the USA and blah­blah­blah". As I said, we were young and we believed and that was the reason why we made that album. If you listen to the pre­production, it was all "Agggrrh" (in a very low harsh voice)… I did it with Uwe Lulis (ex­guitar player – ed.) together at that time. There were really strong Grave Digger songs. and then the producer came up and said, "Ah, we'll change this, we'll change that. You have to sing clean..." We believed him and said, "Hey, we want to get some money and chicks", blah­blah­blah. (laughs) Yeah, we changed it and as a result it was not Digger, it was not Grave Digger, it was something in between. And fans couldn't handle it. That was the reason why we broke up after that album.

Ok, let's talk about the future. I heard, you are going to start writing songs for a new album in February.

Yeah, I hope we can start in February. We have lots of ideas at the moment; we know what the cover should be and also the title for the album. I think, it will also be a strong album like “Return of the Reaper”. I can say it won't be a concept album and it will be in the same mood and direction with “Return of the Reaper”.

Are you completely done with concept albums or is it just that the time hasn't come for another one?

It's just not the time for that. We made so many concept albums during the history of Grave Digger, and I just wanna make heavy metal stuff like we did in the 80s, I wanna sing about any topic I have in my head and not to follow any concept. I love “Return of the Reaper”, it is one of the best Grave Digger albums after “Heavy Metal Breakdown” (1984) and I just wanna go in this direction. I wanna be free in what kind of lyrics I choose and what kind of songs I write.

So it's not that you'll never make a concept album anymore?

Yeah, it could happen sometime in the future. But it will not definitely be the next one. The funny thing is that the idea for the new album title appeared during this open air festival in Russia.

Really? Can you tell me the whole story?

No, no, no. I'll tell the story when I do the promotion for the next album. But it's really funny. The title did appear before the show in Moscow. It was a good conversation with my tour manager and then he came up with this title and I said, "Hey, it's the next album title".

So that's whom I have to ask questions... (both laughing) Ok, I'll ask other questions. Nowadays a lot of bands decide to go back to their roots, to turn back to the kind of music they made in the beginning of their career. Now you told me you also want to play the music of the 80s. Why? Is it some sort of nostalgia? Or does it mean that nothing new can be invented in the music?

No, it has nothing to do with that. My roots are more in the 70s and the 80s and I'm following them. So I will make a combination of my older ideas, the atmosphere of the 80s and the newer stuff. I think what we did on “Return of the Reaper” was a really good combination of the music of the 80s and modern production, you know. We can use some modern techniques to recreate the atmosphere of the 80s. Every time it's a good challenge to work this way.

But why do you want to recreate that atmosphere at all?

Because that's the music I love. It has nothing to do with that I wanna be back in the 80s or whatever. The only thing is this is the music I love; to this kind of music my heart belongs so I wanna do this music, nothing else.

And for all these years you've been writing songs about death and everything like that. I looks like you've developed your own attitude to that topic.

The thing is that Grave Digger created its own music style anyway and the lyrics I write, they are typical for Grave Digger. Yes, we're dealing with death and with criminals and blah­blah­blah, but all these lyrics have an ironic side, you know. I'm not a Satanist or something like that, but I like ghost stories and I'm working with this kind of clichés.

So, that's just horror stories?

Yeah, it's something like a movie. I don't want to put anything into the heads of the fans. I don't try to teach them what's good and what's bad, I'm only a storyteller and I'm an entertainer and a heavy metal musician and that's all.

Right. Also this year you are celebrating the 35th anniversary of the band. How do you keep it all fresh during all these years?

My energy comes from my love to this kind of music, that's it. I like to write this music, I like to perform this music. It's my life and I hope we can do it for many more years. I can promise you that nobody will be disappointed by the new record of Grave Digger.

Sure! And what about the fans? When you were of the same age with them it wasn't that difficult to find the way to their hearts, but now a lot of them could be your children. Can you still understand them?

Yes, for sure. I can touch the hearts of people if they are my age but I can also touch the hearts of younger people. I could be their father, so call me The Heavy Metal Father. (both laughing)

Ok, we'll do. And how do you feel when people call you the mastermind behind the band?

It's an honor. I am. (laughs) I am the mastermind because I'm the founder of the band, and the band is something like my baby, I'm the father of the band.

How do you make all the decisions? Do you believe in democracy?

Yes, for sure. I ask the people in my band what we should do in this or in that case, they can influence my opinion but in the end I'm making the final decision by myself.

Can you see a reason for not staying around for, let's say, 10 years more?

Well, the reason could be if someone gets ill or if I lose my voice, for example. But if everything keeps going as it is now, I will do it for the next 10 years. Actually, we extended our contract for three more records. So I think, in the next six or seven years we'll have something to do.

What about your photographing and painting? How is it going?

It's a little bit on hold at the moment because I have so much to do with Grave Digger. And I have another musical project that I'm doing with H.P. Katzenburg together. He is a former keyboard player of Grave Digger. It's a combination of music and theater and we're doing Tom Waits (an American singer-songwriter and actor ­ ed.) covers there. The name of the project is Grapefruit Moon.

Have you already done any shows?

Yeah, before we went to America we made the premiere show in Germany, it was sold out. There will be another show in February, and... Yeah, let's see what the future brings with it.

So your main occupation is music still, isn't it?

Yes, I love music. When I have time I'll start painting again but in the moment I have so much music in my head, and that comes first.

How do you deal with the Internet and all these modern media things? Do you use any social networks?

Yes, for sure. On my private side I'm not so busy in the social media but for the band we use it as a tool, definitely. It's normally Axel or me who is answering the fans on the Internet.

I heard you not only have your own wine now, but also your own whisky...

Oh, we have everything. We have a shampoo, we have whisky, we have olive oil, we have wine. We're some kind of buy-all shop, you know.

Well, I can understand wine and whisky, but why olive oil?

(laughs) Because Axel and me, we are vegetarians. And somebody came to us and said, "Hey, I have good olive oil from Crete, from Greece". And we said we can sell it under the name of Grave Digger. We call it heavy oil and it's featured by Grave Digger. So it's a joke, but it's very good olive oil, definitely.

I knew it should come from Greece, if you have something to do with it.

(laughs) Yes, I love Greece, so it was the first choice to bring it from there.

Do you think there are a lot of vegetarians among heavy metal fans?

Yeah, we sold a lot of that. Also, a lot of whisky and wine, and shampoo. We couldn't believe it before we started but we sold a lot.

Are you still into politics?

I watch politics like everybody does but I'm not so deep into it.

And with all this political situation around Russia, does it affect your attitude to the upcoming shows somehow?

No, because politics has nothing to do with music. I love my fans in Russia as much as in any country all over the world. When I come to Russia I don't come to play for Putin, you know. I play for my fans.

Thank you. Actually I am out of the questions, so if you have anything to add feel free to do it.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to the shows in January in St. Petersburg and Moscow. We'll play some older songs that we have never played in Russia before, that is for sure. I hope everybody will come to the shows and we'll make a good celebration in these two days.

Grave Digger on the Internet: http://www.grave-digger.de

Special thanks to Alexei Kuzovlev for arranging this interview

Interview by Ekaterina Akopova
Photos by Natalia “Snakeheart” Patrashova
December 3, 2015
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