Following in the footsteps of Northern Ireland's the Priests and France's Les Prêtres, Germany's Die Priester are a trio of Roman Catholic churchmen who found fame performing modernized versions of religious-themed songs. Formed by Abbot Primate Notker Wolf and Austrian chaplain Karl Wallner, the latter of whom was responsible for the similar Cistercian Monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz, the lineup consists of Father Vianney Meister, diocesan priest Andreas Schatzkle, and Abbot Rhabanus Petri. Featuring reworkings of classical pieces by Beethoven, Bach, and Handel alongside renditions of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and Xavier Naidoo's "Dieser Weg," their debut album, Spiritus Dei, reached number eight in the German charts in 2011. ~ Jon O'Brien