Grave Digger - Heavy Metal Breakdown 12" Vinyl LP Album

- Noise Records Release

  "Heavy Metal Breakdown" is the first official full-length (debut) recording, released by the Germany Heavy Metal band "Grave Digger", this album was originally released in 1984. It is considered a classic in the power metal genre and features fast-paced, heavy guitar riffs and driving drum beats, as well as high-pitched vocal delivery and fantasy-themed lyrics. The album has become a cult classic and is regarded as one of the early pioneers of power metal.

large album front cover photo of: Grave Digger's Heavy Metal Breakdown

Grave Digger's "Heavy Metal Breakdown": A Teutonic Metal Milestone
Album Description:

Released in 1984 on Noise Records, Grave Digger's debut album "Heavy Metal Breakdown" stands as a landmark in the burgeoning German heavy metal scene of the 1980s. It's a raw, energetic, and unapologetic declaration of heavy metal power, laying the groundwork for the band's future success and influencing countless other bands in the genre.

Historical Context and Genre

"Heavy Metal Breakdown" arrived during a pivotal moment in the evolution of heavy metal. While the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) was dominating the scene, a distinct German sound was beginning to emerge. Bands like Accept, Scorpions, and Warlock were paving the way for a new wave of Teutonic metal, characterized by its speed, aggression, and melodic sensibilities.

Grave Digger's debut album embraced this sound, incorporating elements of speed metal, thrash metal, and traditional heavy metal. The album's raw energy, powerful vocals, and galloping rhythms became a blueprint for the emerging German power metal scene.

Musical Exploration

"Heavy Metal Breakdown" showcases Grave Digger's musical diversity and their ability to blend different metal styles. The album features a mix of fast-paced anthems like "Headbanging Man" and "Heavy Metal Breakdown" with more mid-tempo tracks like "Yesterday" and "Legion of the Lost." The band's songwriting is strong, with memorable riffs, catchy choruses, and impressive instrumental passages.

Lyrically, the album explores themes of rebellion, social commentary, and the heavy metal lifestyle. The lyrics are often anthemic and empowering, reflecting the spirit of a generation that sought solace and freedom in heavy metal music.

Production and Recording

The album was recorded at Horus Sound Studio in Hannover, Germany, a renowned recording facility for metal bands. The production team included engineer Harris Johns, who played a crucial role in shaping the sound of the album. His expertise in capturing the raw energy of metal bands helped define the sound of "Heavy Metal Breakdown."

Trivia

The album was originally titled "Born Again," but the band changed it to "Heavy Metal Breakdown" to avoid confusion with Black Sabbath's album of the same name.

The album's original vinyl release had a misprint on the label, listing the track "2000 Light Years from Home" as "20000 Light Years from Home."

The album was re-released in 1990 with a bonus track, "Shoot Her Down," originally recorded during the same sessions.

Music Genre:

German Heavy Power Speed Metal
Album Production Information:

The album: "Heavy Metal Breakdown" was produced by: Karl-Ulrich Walterbach, Grave Digger

Recorded at Music Lab Studio, Berlin

Sound engineer: Harris Johns

Album cover painting: Bernd Gansohr

Back cover photo: Jurgen Muller

Additional Information on the Production Team:

  • Karl-Ulrich Walterbach – Producer Karl-Ulrich Walterbach is the German metal mastermind whose fingerprints are all over the rise of European heavy metal in the 80s. As founder of Noise Records, he pushed raw underground bands into the spotlight, shaping the sound of Helloween, Celtic Frost, and many others. His vision fused DIY grit with fearless ambition, turning chaotic studio sessions into genre-defining releases.
    Walterbach Biography
  • Harris Johns – Producer, sound engineer

    If your record has that gritty Berlin-concrete punch, there's a decent chance Johns was behind the glass.

    Harris Johns is the Berlin-bred producer/engineer who's been putting steel-toed boots on tape since 1978. I first clock him in the late 70s punk grind, then the early 80s when his Music Lab rooms started spitting out Slime (1983) and Daily Terror (1984). Mid-80s through the early 90s he helped define Teutonic thrash for the Noise Records crowd: Grave Digger and Helloween (1984-85), then Sodom, Kreator, Tankard, Voivod and Exumer (1986-88). He kept the soldering iron hot into the 90s-2000s (Sodom again, 1997-2001), later taking on international metal like Enthroned (2004-07). After a decade at his countryside "Spiderhouse," he reopened Music Lab Berlin in 2007 and ran it until 2016 - still producing and teaching the craft.

    Harris Johns Wiki

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    Record Label & Catalognr:

    Noise N 007 ( Silver Colour )

    Media Format:

    12" Vinyl Full-Length Stereo Long-Play  Gramophone Record
    Album weight: 230 gram 
    Country of Origin: 
    1984 Made in Germany
    Band Members and Musicians on: Grave Digger Heavy Metal Breakdown
      Band-members, Musicians and Performers
    • Chris Boltendahl - Vocals
    • Chris Boltendahl – Vocals, bass

      A rasp forged in Ruhr steel, still carrying Grave Digger's banner long after cleaner voices went soft.

      Chris Boltendahl is one of those stubborn German metal voices I have never had to squint at twice. Born in 1962, he helped start Grave Digger in 1980, first on bass and then, very quickly, as the voice that gave the band its iron rasp. After the first run with Grave Digger (1980-1986), he pushed through the short-lived hard rock detour Digger (1986-1987), then Hawaii (1988-1991), before Grave Digger returned in 1991 and kept marching. Later came Hellryder (2020-2023) and Chris Boltendahl's Steelhammer (2023-present). I hear no polish in him, just Ruhr steel, scar tissue, and the kind of Teutonic bark that still sounds better slightly too loud.

      Chris Boltendahl Biography
    • Peter Masson - Guitars
    • Willi Lackman - Bass
    • Albert Eckardt - Drums
    Complete Track Listing of: "Heavy Metal Breakdown"

    The Songs/tracks on "Heavy Metal Breakdown" are

    • Headbanging Man - 3:37
    • Heavy Metal Breakdown - 3:42
    • Back From The War - 5:35
    • Yesterday - 5:07
    • We Wanna Rock You - 4:17
    • Legion Of The Lost - 4:54
    • Tyrant - 3:18
    • 2000 Light Years from Home (Mick Jagger/Keith Richards) - 2:54
    • Heart Attack - 3:17
    Album Cover Photo Gallery of: Grave Digger Heavy Metal Breakdown
    Photo of "Heavy Metal Breakdown" Album's Front Cover 
    High Resolution Photo #1 grave digger heavy metal breakdown  

     Note: The images on this page are photos of the actual album. Slight differences in color may exist due to the use of the camera's flash. Images can be zoomed in/out ( eg pinch with your fingers on a tablet or smartphone ).

    Photo of "Heavy Metal Breakdown" Album's Back Cover  
    High Resolution Photo #2 grave digger heavy metal breakdown  
    Close-up Photo of "Heavy Metal Breakdown" Record Label 
    High Resolution Photo #3 grave digger heavy metal breakdown  
    Index of GRAVE DIGGER Vinyl Album Discography and Album Cover Gallery

    In 1984, Grave Digger did not stroll into the German metal scene; they kicked the door in with "Heavy Metal Breakdown", all Stahl, sweat, and that raw Noise-era bark. A year later, "Witch Hunter" tightened the screws without polishing away the grit. That is the bit worth remembering. Early Teutonic metal was not elegant, and Grave Digger were better for it. I can almost hear these records rattling a cheap bedroom turntable: galloping riffs, hammer-blow drums, and enough old-school Donner und Dreck to make cleaner bands sound far too well-behaved.

    GRAVE DIGGER - Heavy Metal Breakdown

    Thumbnail Of GRAVE DIGGER - Heavy Metal Breakdown album front cover

    Noise N 007 , 1984 , Germany

    Grave Digger's "Heavy Metal Breakdown" (1984) is the raw and energetic debut album that introduced the world to the German heavy metal powerhouse. Released on Noise Records, this NWOBHM-inspired album features tracks like the anthemic "Headbanging Man" and the galloping "Heavy Metal Breakdown"

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    GRAVE DIGGER - Shoot Her Down

    Thumbnail Of GRAVE DIGGER - Shoot Her Down album front cover

    Noise N 0016 , 1984 , Germany

    Grave Digger's "Shoot Her Down" 12" White Label LP, a rare gem on White Noise International Label, encapsulates the band's early heavy metal prowess. The track's anthemic energy and the exclusive white label format make it a coveted collector's item. With a rich history in the making, this vinyl release stands as a testament to Grave Digger's enduring legacy and a cherished piece of heavy metal history.

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    GRAVE DIGGER - Witch Hunter

    Thumbnail Of GRAVE DIGGER - Witch Hunter album front cover

    Noise N0020 , 1985 , Germany

    Grave Digger's "Witch Hunter" (1985) is a landmark album in German heavy metal, marking a shift towards a more melodic and atmospheric sound. Released on Noise Records, this album features the epic title track, the anthemic "Night Drifter," and the powerful "Love is a Game," showcasing the band's evolution

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