Artist: Die Apokalyptischen Reiter
Title: Moral & Wahnsinn
Genre: Darkwave, Gothic, Metal
Release Date: 25th February 2011
Label: Nuclear Blast
Album Review
DIE APOCALYPTISCHEN REITER always offer great and diverse albums, so with interest I reviewed this one which was far and away beyond my expectations. Kicking off with insane drumming and ripping riffs 'Die Boten' really gets the album off to a great start as it falls to melancholy meanderings and killer incisive black vocals, alternately gentle and then powering along like a runaway train. The second track 'Gib Dich Hin' is cheery and threatening all at the same time, with a whistled refrain and deep guttural vocals delivered impeccably by Fuchs. The bluesy tinged 'Hammer Oder Amboß' is nothing short of a complete and beautifully unexpected departure from their usual style. It's a killer track and for me the best on the album.
Track four 'Dir Gehört Nichts' with it's crazy Mexican sounding trumpets is another hell of a track, again totally different to anything you'd expect, but oh so good. 'Dr Pest' comes next with a Darkwave twist to it, single note electronic melodies running against super strong almost spoken lyrics before strings sway us towards something more classically inclined heralding the full on metal ending. Very nice. 'Moral and Wahnsinn' is all double peddling and sinister vocals, and good though it is it's not got the sophistication of some of the previous tracks, but it is hard as hell. 'Erwache' continues in similar style and it's well executed but I find myself longing for the complexity of tracks like 'Dr Pest' and 'Hammer Oder Amboß' because they're just so damned well put together.
'Heimkehr' comes next and it's utterly beautiful, almost Celtic sounding. I find myself transfixed at the diversity of these guys suddenly springing this glorious instrumental on us. Wonderful. Well and truly back with the sophisticated edge 'Wir Reiten' comes next demonstrating yet more extreme musical influences in it's storytelling style, making it a very strong track indeed. Big old drumming fests are never a bad thing on any sort of metal album and 'Hört Auf' certainly is one of those. The drumming is an insane backdrop against which driving riffs and deviously calculated vocals are overlaid making a wicked mural of sound and texture.
The last track on any album has to be good- it's what you really remember when you stop listening and 'Ein Liebes Lied' is perfect. It's not a heavy weight masterpiece but it is a masterpiece, gentle and passionate, with screaming guitars and yearning vocals bringing this very impressive album to a worthy conclusion. Bringing together so may extreme and diverse influences is a hard trick to pull off but DIE REITER have managed it with ‘Moral & Wahnsinn’ meaning this album should be in anyone's record collection. Totally recommended.
Tracklist
01. Die Boten
02. Gib Dich Hin
03. Hammer Oder Amboß
04. Dir Gehört Nichts
05. Dr. Pest
06. Moral & Wahnsinn
07. Erwache
08. Heimkehr
09. Wir Reiten
10. Hört Auf
11. Ein Liebes Lied
Line-up
Fuchs – Vocals
Volk-Man – Bass
Dr. Pest – Keyboards
Sir G. – Drums
Ady – Guitar
Website
http://www.reitermania.de/ / http://www.myspace.com/reitermania
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 9
Sound: 9
Extras: -
Total: 9 / 10
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