Die Apokalyptischen Reiter – Tief. Tiefer.

This year, German metallers, Die Apokalyptischen Reiter (translated as The Apocalyptic Riders), present us with Tief. Tiefer, their ninth and mega-20 track studio album. 

For those of you who have yet to get your hands on one of their albums, then I would broadly describe Die Apokalyptischen Reiter as having a similar style to fellow German rockers, Rammstein, (which, I think, is evident in the song “Wir”) but less industrial with more black and death metal influence.

Tief Tiefer,seemsfar more melodic and a little less heavy in comparison to their previous albums – but far from detracting or undermining the band, I think this new album works really well for them and showcases their clever musicianship and adaptable skills.

The album gets a really good kick-off with the opening track, “Freiheit, Gleichheit, Brüderlichkeit”. Guitarist, Ady, produces solid, heavy riffs which, combined with banging drums by Sir G, and dirty groove bass work by Volk-Man, makes the song complete. It’s an incredibly catchy track that instantly hooks new and old fans and strongly persuades them to continue listening to the rest of the album. The raucous vocals from Fuchs adapt and change, displaying a heavy side before switching to a softer choral melody. The album rolls into the second track, “Wir” – another headbanging masterpiece! Fuchs’ vocals are again heavier, seemingly influenced by death metal whereas the keyboards and symphonies are shaped more by the symphonic black metal genre. The song is structured and well-accompanied by catchy guitar riffs, whilst the drums follow a more rock styled beat which, when added to the different style given through the vocals, creates another great song.

“Wo Es Dich Gibt” is quite possibly one of my favourite tracks off the album. It leads with a beautiful introduction performed by Dr Pest, his soft vocal style accompanied by a strong, catchy riff-laden guitar, which leave you banging your head to this groove-ridden song. Similarly “Ein Leichtes Mädchen” and “Es Wird Nacht” take softer approaches in regards to vocals; however it displays the bands rock influence which is then overlaid with melodies from keyboards and guitar.

Similar to “Dr Pest”, (a track on their previous release, Moral & Wahnsinn), “Ein Vöglein” offers us a softer side of Die Apokalyptischen Reiter. Accompanied only by the piano, Fachs’ incredible heartfelt vocals reveal his true capabilities and talent. On the other hand, tracks such as “Was Bleibt Bin Ich” and “Die Wahrheit” are the diverse and polar opposites, drawing straight from rock influences, with vocals ranging from hardcore edge, being rather distorted and then cleanly sung. The guitar sounds more technical throughout these songs and dispenses deep grooves and fast up-beat riffs. However the use of keyboards during “2 Teuful”, to create a small melody section, adds further diversity to their style and this album shows how combining a number of genres can really work well together.

“Die Welt Ist Tief” is an interesting track and offers brilliant riffs where you can head-bang to your heart’s content – or if you’re more inclined, to generally just go nuts inside the moshpit. As far as guitars go, they’re technical, fast and up-beat and the tune produces a feeling that makes you want to do one of those crazy Russian Cossack dances!. Then again, the melodies and riffs created by the guitar sound are not dissimilar to System of a Down.

Overall, Tief Tiefer, offers us plenty on the spectrum of musical styles, ranging from classical to rock, to symphonic black and death metal, and that, combined with powerful vocals and catchy riffs make this album seem somewhat “anthemic”.

On a personal note – I would have preferred a more varied line up in the CD track list with upbeat, heavy melodies breaking the unintentional repetitiveness caused by (in some instances) back-to-back ‘soft’ and ‘emotional’ tracks. Although saying that, this album is still a great addition to the bands discography as well as the fans collection.

Release date: 30^th March 2014 via Nuclear Blast

Track list:

CD 1

1. Frieheit, Gleichheit, Brüderlichkeit

2. Wir

3. Wo Es Dich Gibt

4. Was Bleibt Bin Ich

5. Ein Leichtes Mädchen

6. Ein Vöglein

7. Es Wird Nacht

8. Die Wahrheit

9. 2 Teufel

10. Die Welt Ist Tief

11. So Fern

CD 2:

1. Die Zeit

2. Der Weg

3. Friede Sei Mit Dir

4. Flieg, Mein Herz

5. Das Paradies

6. Die Leidenschaft

7. Auf Die Liebe

8. Der Wahnsinn

9. Terra Nola

Line up:

Fuchs – vocals

Dr Pest – keyboards, synthesizer

Volk-Man – bass, synthesizer

Sir G. – drums, synthesizer

Ady – guitars