Special report by Mark Gromen

It’s been almost four years since Chris Boltendahl and GRAVE DIGGER first stepped foot on an American stage, their triumphant show at the second BW&BK; 6-Pack Weekend (2004). Having run into the guys at several European fests since, their recent club date at BB King’s, just off Times Square, in Manhattan marks the long-running Germans’ lone return to North America. “As you know, we are not that popular in the States,” states the frontman, “but we’re hearing good things (in reviews for the latest album). This (gig) is a trial, to make (the next) step in this market. BB Kings wanted to do it. They offered a good fee, so it made sense to come over. Since Liberty & Death, we’ve been signed to Locomotive, who have a US office in New York. That’s why we play here. We can invite Warner-Ryko, our distribution company…it just makes sense.”

OK, but why this late into a career did Grave Digger (2010 will mark their 30th anniversary! Boltendahl claims plans are already underway for something “really big,” which only two people know about. Nobody in the band knows!) decided to opt for a second guitarist? “Last year, I sat together with Manni (Schmidt, guitar) and we decided to bring some changes to the band, after all these years. We felt something. Not a big stagnation, but if you feel something like that, you have to act! We weren’t going to wait. If you feel something is wrong, you have to make a change. I asked him, ‘What do you think about a second guitar player?’ He said, ‘Cool, but Chris you never wanted it.’ I said, ‘But I want it now!’ So the question was what kind of guitar player and which person? I said, ‘I like Thilo (Herrmann), ex-Running Wild.’ Manni said, ‘Yes, but we haven’t hear anything from him for the last six or seven years.’ We got his e-mail address. I contacted him, then telephoned him and within two days, he decided to join us.

Adds the newest member, “I have a little studio at home and I was working on my own songs. I had offers to join other bands, but it wasn’t the right time and I didn’t want to play in a small project. When Chris called, I thought it was great, but I had to rehearse, to get back into, as we say in Germany, the Bundesliga (top professional soccer league, ie. ‘The Big Time’).”

Live, the sound is fuller and the Schmidt-Herrmann tandem trade lead riffs, like at the start of ‘Rheingold’. Should bode well for new material. With Liberty & Death a year old, when might we hear the follow-up? It’s already announced as the conclusion to the trio of historically based concepts started with Tunes Of War and Knights Of The Cross. “We have a little studio in the Netherlands. We drive there, bring all our compositions together, working on the computer. We’re in the process of writing and we enter the studio (to record) the 15th of August, for a January 2009 release.”

Photos from the NYC show can be seen here.