A rider descends from the sky…

»Der Rote Reiter« (engl. »The Red Rider«) leads his musical heirs into the battle. With this red rider DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER celebrate a rapid return home; it’s been a while since the band sounded this riotous and powerful. Within an apocalyptic soundscape they reach a delicate balancing act between hope and destruction, with the infernal weight and intensity of the songs mixed with pleasure and joy. These are the basics of the tenth REITER studio album, and the record is passionate and intense in every possible respect.

»Der Rote Reiter« represents the sound, for which DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER are loved for.

“DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER are back. Merciless, fresh and brimming with the joy of playing. They overcome the difficult balancing act of marrying restless heaviness and graceful beauty with complete ease!”
Alexander Dietz/HEAVEN SHALL BURN (co-producer, fan)

DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER from Weimar, Germany are one of the most exciting bands of our times. With influences from the very beginnings of extreme metal, combined with heroic melodies and bite, they focus on passionate playing and exude high energy, with their lyrics covering a broad spectrum from love to downfall. The REITER-effect goes far beyond just the musical aspects though. REITER fans can be identified by “Reitermania”, which causes wild and intense live shows. Some fans can even tell the story of floating over hundreds of hands and heads during a REITER concert in a rubber boat. DIE REITER always give 110%, and often even more; they are a wild and unpredictable bunch who always take people by surprise. You cannot prepare for DIE REITER. They suddenly appear before you, and you have to soak up the experience at your own pace.

On »Der Rote Reiter«, the quintet proclaims the approaching end of the world in an immediate and dissolute way, so much so that you even start desiring the encroaching doom. There are clear words full of power and beauty, sometimes quiet, sometimes screamed loudly… until the music and singing unify and the intensity of the songs drift further and further into peaks and troughs. DIE REITER allow themselves and their fans only a few moments of rest before continuing the wild ride. Musically, the band is much more focused than on their more playful predecessors. There’s more bite, more clear edge and it unleashes intense walls of sound, which impose themselves on the listener. DIE REITER steer their ship successfully on the rough seas through the shallows of uncertainty, and they still always honour moments of silence and freedom into their overall sound. They’ve successfully avoided the pit falls of the modern age - the artificially staged climbing of unexpected heights and the sudden fall into the icy darkness. DIE REITER have concentrated all of their experience and the power of the past into this new album.

»Der Rote Reiter« is an exploration of human tragedy, as well as a kind of healing balm. On the tenth album, DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER have fully unleashed and are riding at their absolute wildest. The longest REITER album since the band was founded in 1995; this time around they are as hungry as ever. The icons, who celebrated their 20th anniversary with an unforgettable double concert, together with the release of their biography two years ago, are back; more direct and penetrating than ever before.

The band love touring, and are at their happiest out on the road. They’ve travelled as far as the Caribbean, and also enjoy the romance of an adventurous tour by train through the Ural Mountains in Russia. They have countless shared touring memories, especially in Russia; they’ve already completed five tours of this region! Once upon a time their tour bus crossed the Basque country to Portugal to play an unforgettable concert… but you’ll need to pick up their book to find out more. When DIE REITER start telling stories, they can wind their tales for hours. In their much-respected biography »Wie der Weltuntergang Teil unseres Lebens wurde« (2015), they’ve shared many incredible stories and X-rated anecdotes! Sometimes beggars, sometimes kings: DIE REITER ride and ride and ride.

»Der Rote Reiter« was produced by the band itself and recorded at Chameleon Recording / Chemical Burn Studios in collaboration with Eike Freese and Alexander Dietz (HEAVEN SHALL BURN). The chemistry between band, Eike and Alex was magical from the beginning. After the first demos were previewed during a visit to the band’s rehearsal room in Weimar, Germany, the album began to grow and grow until it was finally recorded in the spring of 2017. The studios made for an enjoyable stay, providing a nice symbiosis of nostalgic old school rock n roll flair. The Chameleon Recording Studios were created in the old rooms of the famous Windrose Studios. In 1980, the studio complex was rebuilt and quickly became a home for many international artists such as TINA TURNER, UDO LINDENBERG, and DEEP PURPLE. The former film studio quickly became one of the top studios in the German music scene and is one of the best-equipped and, above all, best-sounding analogue studios in Germany. Eike Freese and Alexander Dietz have already been able to lead numerous international productions to a great success in these studios with artists such as GAMMA RAY, DEEP PURPLE, SAGA and HEAVEN SHALL BURN. And now DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER has been added to the list.

“This album is a matter of heart for us. DIE REITER are at their very best; unpredictable and brutal, melodious and sensitive.”
Eike Freese