Chris, let´s start with your age, and how long have you been dedicated to heavy metal?
I`m 39 years old and I`m staying now for 20 years in the Metal scene...!!!
How do you feel about your first album "Heavy metal breakdown" being considered a heavy metal clasic around the world?
I feel very comfortabel with this to created an alltime classic metal album. That´s make me proud also that this record influenced a lot of metal bands around the world.
Your first three albums showed GRAVE DIGGER'S music turning softer each time. Why did this happen ?
Oh, we tried to lick at the big money cake and the record company told us if we wanna earn more money we had to change our style so that was the reason why we became softer and softer and it ends with the desaster of the DIGGER recordings. Thios record is a black mark in my history !!!

Why did you decide to break up the band in 1987, when heavy metal music was so popular ? how much did it have to do with the release of your 1986 album "Digger"?
We sold less records with the DIGGER and after we had no success the band splits up. That was the only reason thats the band took the long break.
Great ballads like "Yesterday" and "Love id breaking my heart" were included in your fist releases, were you looking for commercial success, when you did them?
No, the ballad we wrote were not for commercial reason. We like this kind of Metal ballads and on our new record THE GRAVE DIGGER there will be fantastic one. We don`t write them to earn more money, like Scorpions with Wind of Change !!!
During your early days, were you influenced more by bands of the N.W.O.B.H.M. or by some old great acts like SCORPIONS and ACCEPT ?
We are influencend by older bands like Led Zeppen and Black Sabbath, Ozzy, Judas Pries and Saxon. Accept also !!!!
I think Germany has been known for producing the "Hardest" bands in the world scene, be in traditional heavy metal (Grave digger, running wild) or more extreme bands like SODOM, KREATOR or DESTRUCTION. what do you think about known german bands like HELLOWEEN, and their followers being totally melodic nowdays?
I like all the original bands like Helloween, Running Wild Blind Guardian and so on. But now there are so many copies of this bands ..... Unbelievable !!! The most of them are not my case. You know : I like the ORIGINAL !!!

And speaking of HELLOWEEN, they were one of your opening acts in 1985. What do you think of them being so popular today ? do you keep in touch with any of the members ?
We know eachother since the mid of the eighties and we respect and like eachother. That is the most improtant thing for bands like RW, BG or Helloween. we are not fighting against us we are kooperative in any way !!!
The first GRAVE DIGGER albums contained lyrics that were the common stuff that most heavy metal bands where writting about during that time. The new grave digger lyrics have turned towards the epic and historic, why this change? are you trying to get the attention if a younger crowd?
I think that depends from that what we feel and what we think. After all this middleage stories we changed now to more poectic lyrics, more dark, more horror with a little epic touch. we were inspired a lot by mr. Edgar Allan Poe.... So we want to record the same story on each record. And now we feelmore the way of Poe than middelage !!!
What did you do during the five years GRAVE DIGGER was inactive? did you keep in touch with the music scene?
Yes we keeped in touch with the scene and wrote songs. The most of the songs you can liste on the Reaper.
Why din´t you try to get the original line up back together when you decided to bring grave digger back to life?
I don`t konw. It´wasnt the time to work with the old members !!!
At that time, early 90´s heavy metal wasn´t so popular any more, did you miss having a band, and doing all the things that go with it ?
Yes I`ve missed that and that was one reason that we create another life for Grave Digger. I wanted to come back and play music for all the fans of Grave Digger.

During that second power, was GRAVE DIGGER more concerned about the music itself (The pure spirit of heavy metal) and not trying to become famous, or make a lot of money ?
We are more in the music than to earn money with Metal music. Hey man, you can`t become rich with the Metal we play so we play our Metal for the fans !!!!
This time you also have the great Jorg Michael on drums. he is one of the best "mercenaries" in the music bussiness. How does it feel to have this kind of "Hired hand" working for you ? (after all , he is doing it for money)
I was a fantastic experience to work with Jörg. I love him and after all he is also a good friend of mine !!!!
"Tunes of war" was the album that brought great recognition back to grave digger, why did the film "Brave Heart" become such an important influence ?
No, i didn`t see the film first after we wrote all the songs and recorded the record. After all the production I saw the film and saw that
Just out of curiosity, have you ever been to Scotland?
YES, directly after we released the record !!!

Do you think man´s own spirit of quest and will for freedom ((If it- freedom does exist), has somehow lost nowadays? in other words, would it be too difficult to find a William wallace today ?
No, I think that I`m a kind of William Wallace cause I fought and fight a lot for my rights and my freedom, every day and every minute. I think that everybody is a kind of William Wallace !!! You too !!!

Bag pipes gave certain epic air to "Tunes of war". However, they are only only in few songs for a few seconds. what´s your opinion on using folk instruments in heavy metal?
That belongs to other bands like Skyclad. I like guitars heavier then hell and not all this folk instruments !!!
Don´t you think "Excalibur" was too melodic? didn´t it bring grave digger´s intensity down ?
No I think that it was heavy like the other records. But all over the years I`ve started to love this kind of melodies and songs. I like to develope from record to record and if you remember HM Breakdowm, it is one of our most melodic tunes ever.
Speaking of "Excalibur" , what so important about the story of King Arthur and hos court?
I think the story of Excalibur is very important for the human being cause the peolple like to believe in the good and mystic. You know what I mean !!! I think it`s better that people believe in the magic of Excalibur then in the power of this idiots that rule the world today.
What can you tell us about your next album. Is it true it will be called "Grave Digger"? when will you release a live album ?
The new record will call THE GRAVE DIGGER and it`s about the deepest thouhgst of human beeings and the dark side of our lives. It´s about horror and a lot of stories are inspired by Edgar Ala poe. The music is very heavy and we have a lot of epic choruses inside.
Its excalibur the last of GRAVE DIGGER's theme albums? (For now, at least
No, I think if we find another interesting topic we`ll make another concept CD !!!!!
I recently read that frmer band member Uwe Lullis was trying to put a band together under the name GRAVE DIGGER, are you thinking about taking legal action to solve this situation
Everything with this guy is clear now. He tried a lot to fool me and the band but I don`t wanna talk about this anymore cause I take a look in the future and not to the past !!!
When will we see GRAVE DIGGER in south america?
I hope that we could come over after the next record. We are talking with some people !!!
Parting words, any special words for your fans in south america?
We love you and wwe enjoyed our trip in 97 very much. You are great and unbelievable !!! THANX A LOT FOR THE INTERVIEW AND SORRY FOR THE DELAY BUT THE NEWRECORD IS MORE PRIORITY AND ....... HOPE TO SEE YA ONE DAY IN SOUTH AMERICA AGHAIN.