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Have you ever wanted to start something and just didn’t know how? That’s how I felt with this article. I thought I’d write something really in-depth about the new year and the challenges that come with it, and garnish the whole thing with a few sentimental words about the year 2023. As is so often the case, imagination and reality are two different things, so you’ll just have to imagine it for a bit!
Nevertheless, I don’t want to miss the opportunity to properly kick off the fifth year of this blog’s existence: On December 30th, DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER and their Schrei!Nachten tour played a sold-out show at the F-Haus in Jena and were supported by EQUILIBRIUM and DOMINUM. Below you can read how I experienced the evening and why everything from zombies and masked drummers to an inflatable boat was there!
The pictures are, as always, from the talented lightinmirror.de! Here’s to many more wonderful years with you, in which you complain to me after a concert that the pictures didn’t turn out well, only to then deliver the coolest things ever!
DOMINUM
The evening was opened by the newcomers from DOMINUM. When I saw them on stage for the first time, I was immediately reminded of the Shakespeare quote „All the world’s a stage!“. Visually, it was definitely an eye-catcher, as singer Dr. Death had brought his “ Metal Zombies“ on stage with him. The appearance of the zombies can certainly be best described as „SLIPKNOT meets The Walking Dead“! Personally, I have no connection to zombie stories of any kind, but it was a damn good eye-catcher!
The band presented a few samples from their debut album Hey Living People, which was released on December 29. DOMINUM play catchy Power Metal that stands out in particular for its professionalism. You can tell that there are people (or zombies) on stage who know what they’re doing! Throughout the entire performance, singer Dr. Death conveyed a mood that made me realize how happy he was to finally be on stage and perform with this band and these songs. The combination of the professional performance, the good songwriting and the joy on stage alone suggests that this band will go very far.
Even though it is objectively completely flawless and I have absolutely nothing to criticize, it didn’t pick me up. And the worst thing is that I can’t even really say exactly what the problem is. I think I just wasn’t part of the target group and maybe my expectations were wrong. I think if the whole thing had been advertised to me as a kind of Power Metal musical, it might have been something else.
But if you’re looking for a catchy, sometimes self-deprecating (I’m just saying „We all taste the same“) power metal style, then DOMINUM is the perfect choice! (Interact with the zombies at your own risk!)
EQUILIBRIUM
The keyword „expectations“ is probably never as relevant for me with any band as it is with EQUILIBRIUM at the moment. Fabian still had a certain „puppy protection“ for me during his first live performance with EQUILIBRIUM in the summer, but I could no longer grant him that. In addition, the single Cerulean Skies had been released in the meantime.
So it was time to see how Fabian had developed, how the new songs would fit into the band’s repertoire and how the older songs would sound live.
If, like me, you’ve been a fan for about 12 years, then you’re bound to develop a feeling for which songs will be played live at some point. I’m telling you, I should have bet beforehand! There were only two songs out of the whole set that I absolutely didn’t expect!
As at Rockharz, the international band opened their set with Shelter, a song that really stood out in my opinion. However, there was already the first problem here, which was the size of the stage. It was just so damn cramped. With a total of five musicians, their instruments, stands on each side and two additional drums, it was simply a case of cuddling up. As a musician, you obviously can’t be claustrophobic.
The drums were used in certain places to add a bit of atmosphere. I thought that was a good idea, especially because the individual drum beats were accompanied by a skillful light show. In general, EQUILIBRIUM had a damn aesthetic light show that really fascinated me! More of that in the future! I also thought the masks that René and Dom wore at the beginning were a really nice idea, as you could make a good connection to the single cover of Shelter. The only disadvantage I see with the masks is in the summer when it’s hot outside again. It’s certainly not good for the performance if you’re already sweating profusely during the first song. Nevertheless, it was a nice detail.
What actually surprised me a little was the fact that a third of all the songs in the set were from Armageddon. I already knew that Born to Be Epic and Rise Again would be there, but I wasn’t prepared for Prey. On top of that, Heimat came straight after and that’s a song I just can’t stand to listen to anymore. I know that a lot of people love it, but I’ve just heard it a few hundred times too many and I think it’s kind of outdated now. I would have preferred to hear more from other releases. Waldschrein or Unbesiegt would have been cool.
Fabian’s moment, however, was Cerulean Skies. I really love the song anyway, because a lot of it fits very well from front to back and it simply demonstrates why Fabian is the right choice for this section of EQUILIBRIUM’s style. The great thing is that the song is just as good live as it is on the recording. The many tempo changes don’t make the song a candidate for jumping around in the mosh pit, but the joy of listening simply comes from the different levels that are presented to the listener.
Whether playing Blut im Auge directly afterwards is such a good decision, I don’t know, because Fabian can also perform this song really well and it’s just nice to see that he also likes doing it because he grew up with the music to a certain extent. Personally, I’d like to see Unbesiegt live again, but judging by the audience’s reactions, Blut im Auge is simply THE favorite, so I don’t hold out much hope…
All in all, I was very happy with the gig and saw my theses from the Rockharz report confirmed. Fabian doesn’t have to hide in any way, quite the opposite! He is able to fit into the band in an outstanding way and perform the repertoire. It was simply fun once again and if the upcoming album can maintain this level, EQUILIBRIUM will have finally worked their way out of the state of stagnation into which, in my opinion, they dug themselves with Renegades!
DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER
If you’re like me, then you also have a certain listening experience in mind when you’re told that you’re about to hear DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER. Accordingly, a band that has been around longer than I have been in the world has to deliver. And guys, what a blatant demolition that was in Jena!
In the combination of a perfectly warmed-up audience with a tour finale and a concert in their Thuringian Homeland, the band simply destroyed and rebuilt the F-House, only to completely tear it apart again!
But let’s start from the top: The anticipation of the evening’s headliner was already enormously heightened in Jena that evening and so it was no wonder that the audience literally went wild when the band around singer Fuchs stormed the stage shortly before 21:30. Opening the set with Friede Sei Mit Dir was definitely the right choice and also one that I was really in the mood for! There’s nothing like the feeling of hearing a favorite right at the beginning of the set!
As strong as they had started, they continued brilliantly and DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER showed with songs like Herz in Flammen, Revolution or Es wird Schlimmer why they rightly hold their place in the German Metal scene.
But it was definitely the enthusiasm of the new guitarist Titus that was particularly impressive! I am convinced that there are no coincidences in life and so it can only have been destiny that Titus found his way into the band. You can just tell that he’s on stage with the band he was always meant to be with. From the very beginning he was on stage as if he had never done anything else in his life. It was simply amazing! You couldn’t have grown a better fit in a laboratory.
The enthusiasm that Titus, as well as his brother Rhogarr on drums, have brought to the band simply means that there is a lot more energy on stage. It’s like a musical fountain of youth for Fuchs and Volk-Man!
Speaking of Rohgarr: The new drummer can also impress with his great joy of playing, which is also characterized by such precise professionalism that can only be found in a few drummers. All in all, it was clear to me after the evening that I just really like this new formation!
Musically, there was something for everyone here, as the set was infused with a wonderful mix of older and newer songs that made it impossible to stand still. Riders on the Storm? Check! Die Sonne Scheint? Of course! Auf und Nieder? Yes, and even with vocal support from Frank from SCHATTENMANN! Frank even received a personalized gift that included a few handkerchiefs, champagne and a very special entertainment magazine. I think he certainly had to shed a tear or two for joy!
Besides all the power and joy of playing, there were also a few sensitive moments, such as Wir reiten or Erhelle meine Seele. It is a special art to take an audience along so that they follow you through all the highs and lows of a set. There is a danger that a more upbeat mood can quickly turn into a kind of after-work feeling. But that wasn’t the case here and so they followed it up with Wilde Kinder.
If that wasn’t enough for you, you could also enjoy a special kind of interlude: true to the motto „Crowdsurfing, but different!“, an inflatable boat was released to the audience. The only occupant that evening? EQUILIBRIUM drummer Hati, who probably wanted to test his own seafaring skills. As you can always rely on Metal fans, he returned safely to the stage in one piece.
I was especially happy that we also got to hear the current single Adler Fliegen! I really like the song and it was great fun live, even if that was the beginning of the end (unfortunately!).
Every fan will know the feeling when you realize that the set will soon be over and you could go on for what feels like hours. And that’s exactly what happened that evening. My only real criticism of DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER’s performance is therefore that there weren’t 20 more songs to listen to. That would have been the least they could have done!
But life is not a concert of wishes and so the last concert (and to a certain extent the year) 2023 ended with the feeling that I was in the right place at exactly the right time. So I can only say thank you again for this evening and hope that next time it will be just as good, if not even better!
As usual, you can also expect an interview here shortly, which I’m personally very much looking forward to. Stay tuned!
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