The Reaper is fifth studio album

Studio album

A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

 by the German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 Power metal

Power metal

Power metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...

/Speed metal

Speed metal

Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from NWOBHM and hardcore punk roots. It is described by Allmusic as "extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding" music....

 band Grave Digger

Grave Digger (band)

Grave Digger are a German heavy metal/power metal band formed in 1980. They were part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene to emerge in the early to mid 1980s.-Band history:...

. It was released on 2 November 1993 for the label GUN Records

GUN Records

GUN Records was a record label located in Bochum, Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany and was founded 1992 by Bogdan Kopec and Wolfgang Funk....

. This was the band's return after a long hiatus, released seven years after their previous album War Games.

About the album

A new line-up was formed except for the band leader, Chris Boltendahl and guitar player Uwe Lulis. The latter had convinced Boltendahl to release a new album in the first place, which was why he later on tried to get the name Grave Digger when he parted from the rest of the band (after the release of Excalibur). In this album there was a change towards darker lyrics and faster songs, as well as the start of the trend of featuring the Grim Reaper on the cover. The album cover image itself is a "Dance of Death" woodcut by 19th century German artist Alfred Rethel

Alfred Rethel

Alfred Rethel was a German history painter.-Early life and education:Rethel was born in Aachen in 1816. He showed an interest in art in his early life, and at the age of thirteen he executed a drawing which procured his admission to the academy of Düsseldorf...

.

Track listing

All songs written & arranged by Grave Digger, except track 1 by Piet Sielck

Piet Sielck

Piet Sielck is a power metal guitarist and vocalist. He is member of the power/speed metal bands Iron Savior and Savage Circus, as well as owner of the studio Powerhouse in Hamburg.-Early years:...

.

1. "Tribute to Death" - 1:28
2. "The Reaper" - 4:16
3. "Ride On" - 3:33
4. "Shadows of a Moonless Night" - 3:55
5. "Play Your Game (And Kill)" - 3:25
6. "Wedding Day" - 3:54
7. "Spy of Mas'on" - 3:59
8. "Under My Flag" - 4:47
9. "Fight the Fight" - 2:46
10. "Legions of the Lost (Pt.2)" - 6:18
11. "And the Devil Plays Piano" - 4:02
12. "Ruler Mr.H" - 3:38
13. "The Madness Continues" - 1:33

Personnel

• Chris Boltendahl - Vocals
• Uwe Lulis
  Uwe Lulis
  Uwe Lulis is a German guitarist and the key member and producer of the heavy metal band Rebellion since 2000.He also played guitar in Grave Digger for about 13 years, and was co-writer of many songs during his time in the band...
  
   - Guitars
• Tomi Göttlich - Bass
• Jörg Michael
  Jörg Michael
  Jörg Michael is a German drummer. He is well-known for his time in the Finnish power metal band Stratovarius and several other bands....
  
  - Drums