Grave Digger - Knights Of The Cross (1998)

I must say, rather to my surprise, I've become quite the Grave Digger fan, more than I ever thought I would be. This album is simply terrific, full of hugely catchy choruses, crunching instrumentation and, yes, Chris Boltendahl's roaring voice, which I now am used to, and personally think is more appealling than Virgin Steele's Dave DeFies' snarls.
It would be nice to say this is a fun record, but 'fun' would not be a very apt word, since it's a concept piece (the second of the band's medieval trilogy) about the Knights Templar and the Crusades. Hence, it is quite grim. As a Christian (although not Roman Catholic), I'm well aware of this dark part of the church's history, and am not proud of it, so it's hard to really follow all this through with a smile on my face.  But I am also one who can accept that what has happened, has happened, and cannot be changed, only learnt from, and see nothing wrong with a band wanting to put this stuff to music. It's catchy and grabbing, sure, but they don't make light of it.
Best songs include "Monks Of War", "The Keeper Of The Holy Grail" (this is where they put in some fiction, singing about the literal blood of Jesus and its supposed healing properties), "The  Curse Of Jacques" and the dynamic closer, "The Battle Of Bannockburn". The English aren't portrayed very well in that last song either, and since I'm also English, I should be doubly offended.
But as someone who is an Englishman who lives in Australia, and has been a Christian for most of my life, I'm used to insults, so this really does nothing to wound me.
And the music really is great.

****1/2