German metal band Die Apokalyptischen Reiter formed in mid-1995 around the talents of frontman Fuchs, guitarist Pitrone, bassist Volk-Man, keyboardist Dr. Pest, and drummer Sir G.. The band signed with the Hammerheart label in 1997 to release an expanded edition of their demo titled Soft and Stronger. They eventually shifted away from the melodic death metal of previous efforts to a more epic and atmospheric approach for their 2003 Nuclear Blast label debut, Have a Nice Trip, further refining the formula, and emphasizing more structured melodies and rhythms on subsequent albums like Samurai and Riders on the Storm. ~ Jason Ankeny