Die Apokalyptischen Reiter
Encyclopedia
Die Apokalyptischen Reiter is a Weimar
, Germany
based heavy metal
band signed to Nuclear Blast
in Europe and The End Records
in North America. Their name translates to The Apocalyptic Horsemen
.
with a bridge
and solo), more constant tempo, longer songs and clean vocals (although not exclusively), resulting in a more polished and accessible sound. They use lyrics
in both English
and German
with a shift from mainly English songs to more German ones on recent albums (Licht
is purely in German).
The release of "Have a Nice Trip" marked somewhat of a turning point for the band. Although they retained the essence of heavy metal, they began experimenting with many other styles of music such as ambient
and jazz
.
Former/past member(s)
Demo:
EP:
DVD:
Weimar
Weimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
, Germany
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...
based heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band signed to Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast
Nuclear Blast is an independent record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The record label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on to releasing albums by melodic...
in Europe and The End Records
The End Records
The End Records is an independent record label, founded in 1998 in San Diego. Founder Andreas Katsambas initially wanted to bring attention to some underground bands he admired. In 2002, The End moved to Salt Lake City, when his wife took a job at the University of Utah. The label moved...
in North America. Their name translates to The Apocalyptic Horsemen
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are described in the last book of the New Testament of the Bible, called the Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ to Saint John the Evangelist at 6:1-8. The chapter tells of a "'book'/'scroll' in God's right hand that is sealed with seven seals"...
.
Style
Their original style (featured on their releases up to and including Allegro Barbaro - and a few songs on All you need is love) consists of death/thrash metal blended with melodic compositions. In later albums, the death metal influence has declined, resulting in less chaotic composition (often centered around a verse and chorusVerse-chorus form
Verse-chorus form is a musical form common in popular music and predominant in rock since the 1960s. In contrast to AABA form, which is focused on the verse , in verse-chorus form the chorus is highlighted...
with a bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
and solo), more constant tempo, longer songs and clean vocals (although not exclusively), resulting in a more polished and accessible sound. They use lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
in both English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
with a shift from mainly English songs to more German ones on recent albums (Licht
Licht (album)
Licht is the seventh studio album by the German Heavy metal band Die Apokalyptischen Reiter, released by Nuclear Blast Records on 29 August 2008. It peaked at #29 in the German Media Control Charts. The U.S...
is purely in German).
The release of "Have a Nice Trip" marked somewhat of a turning point for the band. Although they retained the essence of heavy metal, they began experimenting with many other styles of music such as ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
.
Members
Current line-up- Fuchs (aka Eumel - Daniel Täumel) (until 2000) - Vocals, formerly Guitar (1995-)
- Ady - Guitar (2009-)
- Dr. Pest (Mark Szakul) - Keyboards, synths (1995-)
- Volk-ManVolkmar WeberVolk-Man is a German bassist and vocalist.-Biography:He currently plays for Die Apokalyptischen Reiter and writes for the German Metal magazines Legacy and Rock Hard...
- Bass, Vocals (1995-) - Sir G. (Georg Lenhardt) - Drums (2000-)
Former/past member(s)
- Skelleton - Drums, Vocals (1995–2000)
- Pitrone - Guitar (2002–2008)
- Lady Cat-Man - Guitar (2008–2009)
Discography
Album:- 1997 – Soft & Stronger
- 1999 – Allegro Barbaro
- 2000 – All You Need Is Love
- 2003 – Have a Nice TripHave a Nice Trip (album)Have a Nice Trip is the fourth studio album by the German heavy metal band Die Apokalyptischen Reiter, released by Nuclear Blast Records on 17 March 2003...
- 2004 – SamuraiSamurai (Die Apokalyptischen Reiter album)Samurai is the fifth studio album by Die Apokalyptischen Reiter. The release had two versions, the international version, and the U.S. version which had the band name changed to "The Apocalyptic Riders" and has a slightly different cover with a different track listing as well...
- 2006 – Riders on the StormRiders on the Storm (album)Riders on the Storm is the sixth studio album by the German heavy metal band Die Apokalyptischen Reiter, released by Nuclear Blast Records on 25 August 2006...
- 2008 – LichtLicht (album)Licht is the seventh studio album by the German Heavy metal band Die Apokalyptischen Reiter, released by Nuclear Blast Records on 29 August 2008. It peaked at #29 in the German Media Control Charts. The U.S...
- 2009 – Licht (North American Reissue)Licht (album)Licht is the seventh studio album by the German Heavy metal band Die Apokalyptischen Reiter, released by Nuclear Blast Records on 29 August 2008. It peaked at #29 in the German Media Control Charts. The U.S...
- 2011 – Moral & Wahnsinn
Demo:
- 1996 – Firestorm (Demo)
EP:
- 1998 – Dschinghis Khan (EP)
- 2006 – Friede sei mit Dir (EP)
- 2008 – Der Weg (EP)
DVD:
- 2006 – Friede sei mit Dir (Live-DVD)
- 2008 – Tobsucht (DVD and 2 Live-CDs)
- 2009 - Adrenalin