Band:	Die Apokalyptischen Reiter
Album:	Have A Nice Trip
Style:	Heavy metal
Release date:	March 17, 2003
Guest review by:	White Winter Sun

01. Vier Reiter Stehen Bereit
02. Warum?
03. Sehnsucht
04. Terra Nola
05. We Will Never Die
06. Baila Conmígo
07. Ride On
08. Du Kleiner Wicht
09. Komm
10. Das Paradies
11. Fatima
12. Wo Die Geister Ganz Still Sterben
13. Seid Willkommen
14. Master Of The Wind [Manowar cover]

Die Apokalyptischen Reiter is probably the craziest metal formation in Germany and even beyond. For the people who do not know this band yet, Die Apokalyptischen Reiter plays an adventurous mix of Thrash, Black, Death, Heavy and Folk metal. "Have A Nice Trip" is the fourth full length studio album from the band. It was released on March 2003 through Nuclear Blast Records (The band is currently on this label).

Compared to their previous releases, the Death and Black influences have been minimised on Have A Nice Trip. But the combination of soft and stronger parts is still present in their music. Another main difference occurs in the language used. The band uses lyrics in both English and German with a shift from mainly English songs to more German ones. This observation is more visible since their previous work "All You Need Is Love" (this switch will be pursued on the next albums after Have A Nice Trip).

Have A Nice Trip is probably the most schizophrenic album from Die Apokalyptischen Reiter. It contains classical 'Reiter songs like the first song, entitled "Veir Reiter Stehen Bereit", mixing strong voiced singing, blast beats and aggressive guitar sounds. Aggressiveness is also mixed to melodies and succeeds on veritable hymns, like on the song "Have A Nice Trip" or like on the cult song "We Will Never Die". Those melodies are present musically, but also vocally, with more clean vocals like on the "Das Paradise" ballad or on the "Seid Willkommen" choruses. Folk elements are also used on this album, like on "Sehnsucht", which is a good representative song for Die Apokalyptischen Reiter's folk side. The album reaches an originality climax with the two songs "Baila Conmígo" and "Fatima". The first one brings interesting "Mexican tones" strengthened by the singing in Spanish. The second one mixes blast beats with "Arabizing tones": an attractive risk-taking and mark of originality.

On the whole, Have A Nice Trip hosts no forgettable tracks or boring moments. Even if this album is a bit different, how strange the songs may be, they all breath the same 'Reiter style. The production is really good and the energy is there. This album transgresses all categories, and it remains really difficult to put it in a particular category. If you're not frightened off by a little bit of craziness and a lot of originality, this album is for you. With Have A Nice Trip, Die Apokalyptischen Reiter has done a world tour geographically and musically. This album could be compared to a plane flying over different countries. If you want to travel, take this album, put it on your player, and I would say to you "Have A Nice Trip on Die Apokalyptischen Reiter's airlines", as I have had one. And if you have fear of planes, take your apocalypse's horse and ride alongside of them through different countries, with Have A Nice Trip in your ears.

Highlights: "Vier Reiter Stehen Bereit", "Sehnsucht", "We Will Never Die", "Baila Conmígo", "Fatima".