DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER really are a crazy bunch. Honestly, hasn't just everyone of us laughed at them in earlier days, one time or the other? What the hell are they doing anyway? And did you see what they look like? Are they allowed to do that? It seems to be impossible to pigeonhole this East-German quartet. A lot of things have happened since the founding of the band in 1995. Back then, the band played live in living-rooms and backyards, today they can be seen on main stages at big festivals. But the recipe remains the same: a wild and unbridled desire and love for their own music, as well as devotion to the fans. Since the release of 'All You Need Is Love' at the latest, everybody is talking about DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER, everywhere the band is being received enthusiastically. Now the time is right for new stuff. The album title is motto as well as invitation at the same time:

HAVE A NICE TRIP

The musical spectrum of 'Have A Nice Trip' is considerably wider and more faceted than it was on 'All You Need Is Love'. The latter showed the band from their darkest and most destructive side. Lyrics on the album were full of despair, anger and frustration, but also filled with hope and strength, with the music written exactly to fit the content of the lyrics. Main songwriter and vocalist Fuchs says, 'I can only reflect and transfer into music what I feel inside'. Already during the first impression of 'Have A Nice Trip' it becomes clear that 'die Reiter' (as the band is also called) meanwhile draw a much brighter and sometimes even positive picture of themselves and the world around them. Is it the light itself that shines through the ugly face of darkness? The band has played almost 100 concerts all over Europe since the release of 'All You Need Is Love'. All band members repeatedly and consciously sought a change to the hectic life that the existence in the industrial hell of today is. They traveled to such different countries as Australia, Mexico, France and Thailand. These travels left lasting impressions, opened new doors and showed new possibilities. Maybe the travels have just changed the perspective of things, who knows? Bass player Volk-Man explains, 'You have to shut down sometimes, shut yourself off completely. Things become clearer and you realize what is really important to you. We feel strong and unrestrained energies inside of us, and for us, it is great fun to shout it out into this world.'

Into this world? This mean monster full of fools? Don't be afraid, guys, 'die Reiter' are not at peace with this world yet. Already the opener 'Und vier Reiter stehen bereit' strikes down like lightning from the sky. What may go on in the minds of the four 'Reiter' when they begin their lyrical journey with the line 'Ich kenne nichts erbärmlicheres als euch Menschen, Schöpfungskrone – zur Produktion verdammt' (I don't know anything more pathetic than mankind, crown of Creation - doomed to production)? But it does not help to be depressed and put on the evil look. Even in the face of downfall a smile can be and must be allowed. Even if it freezes to ice sometimes. Is it due to generous Vodka donations from Finland and Russia that DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER have found their love for furious rock songs? Several of these intense, rhythmic songs ('Ride On', 'Du kleiner Wicht') have found their way onto the album. In contrast, pieces like 'Terra Nola' or 'Das Paradies' seem almost fragile. The band does not make it easy for people who think in limited styles and categories: just listen to 'Fatima'!

But borders and limitations have never played a role for the band. It is useless to try to find the corner within a circle. Why waste your energies with that? The pulse of the band can be felt with your head, your heart and with your ass. Is it the ride on the volcano or even more the fast ride on the roller coaster that our life so often turns out to be? DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER don't plan to slow down or stop: quite the opposite! Over the last seven years, their incomparable charm has enabled them to create their own space in a crowded music scene. Within that space they can do what they want, and they do it. Deadly serious, crazy, weird, unique, grinning diabolically. What has not all been written about these four maniacs? 'Have A Nice Trip' is a musical rejuvenation, food for thought and the soul. It is probably the most important and most courageous album the band has produced so far. It's not the destination, it's the journey. Have a nice trip!