GRAVE DIGGER guitarist Manni Schmidt checks in with the following update:

"But let’s take one at a time… Right during our photo session our co-producer Vince Sorg and studio assistant Marco started setting up our whole guitar equipment inside the small studio pavilion. To get the best out of the sound we wanted to check all possibilities. After the photo session Thilo and I tested every imaginable amp and speaker constellations and got good findings soon after. The optimum for me turned out to be the Fame Bulldozer combined witz a Mesa Boogie 4x12 speaker and a 1x12 speaker developed by Vince with an old Celestion GT75. Using the Bulldozer with his mixture of tradition and modernity produces just that sound which I love so much! Rough at the top and a good pound at the low – AWESOME!

Thilo uses the same speaker setup but backs it up with an old Marshall JMP 100 Watt including master volume. While Thilo drives the amp with his old Tubescreamer I slot a Boss Super Overdrive and a Boss Noisegate in ahead, the Overdrive running on minimal gain, though. Using this combination we both have our favoured sounds which complement themselves perfectly. In terms of recording we are taking a big step “Back to the Roots” this time!

Each of us records one rhythm track per song which are spread panoramically to the left and the right. So, if you listen to the CD you can hear me on the right side and Thilo on the left – just like we sound on the stage. There will be some overdubs with additional effect guitars here and there, of course, as well as guitar soli. Our goal is to get as many of the dynamic of a live show as possible onto the disc. Listening to the stuff we already recorded gives us the confirmation that we’re on the right track, even though this is not conforming to our usual listening habits. Well, back to work now! In the following news I’ll concentrate more on the guitars being used during the recordings sessions.

‘Til then – Metal On!

Manni."

As previously reported, Napalm Records has announced that Grave Digger has joined their ranks. The band, who has been releasing cult classics since the early eighties, signed a worldwide record deal with the Austrian label.

Currently, the band and charismatic frontman Chris Boltendahl are working on their new studio album Ballads Of A Hangman, which will hit the streets on January 9th, 2009. A yet untitled MCD will be released as a preview on November 28th 2008. More details cannot be revealed at this point in time, but the band promises that the new recordings will consist of "120% Metal". Headbangers can expect a celebration of true classic Heavy Metal.

Chris Boltendahl: "Grave Digger look forward to working together with their new label Napalm Records. We have observed the excellent work of the label in the past few years."

"Napalm did see the writings on the wall and is one of the leading companies for example in Online Promotion and Marketing. They elevated older bands like Atrocity to new heights and established newcomers like Alestorm. Thus, we are convinced that Napalm will bring out the best in us, and in return we will deliver a masterpiece of German True Metal. A storm is coming, the sea is rough, the coxswains are the veterans, only the ship is new and manned by an excellent crew who know their craft."