Reaper (band)

Reaper
General information
origin	Kassel , Germany
Genre (s)	Heavy metal , power metal
founding	1984
Founding members
Lead guitar	Robert "Robbi" Kölling (until 1984)
Lead and rhythm guitar	Andreas Maus (until 1996)
bass	Matthias "Mäfju" Kraft (since 1984)
Drums	Peter "Onkel Eff" Fickert (until 1986)
Current occupation
Vocals (since 1996) , lead guitar	Daniel Zimmermann (since 1984)
Rhythm guitar	Benjamin "Benni" Lodewig (since 2010)
bass	Matthias "Mäfju" Kraft (since 1984)
Drums	Jan Breede (since 2000)
former members
singing	Thomas "Benny" Bennecke (1984–1994)
Lead guitar	Robert "Robbi" Kölling (1984)
Lead and rhythm guitar	Andreas Maus (1984–1996)
Rhythm guitar	Heiko Skowranek (1997)
Rhythm guitar	Michael Kauba (1999-2006)
Rhythm guitar	Thomas Buchenau (2006-2010)
Drums	Peter "Uncle Eff" Fickert (1984–1986)
Drums	Standards Schäfer (1986–1989)
Drums	Michael "Miwe" Wengerter (1989–1996)
Drums	Glynn Gandy Chessworth (1997)
Drums	Paul Anthony Dadd (1999-2000)

Reaper is a German heavy metal band from Kassel that was founded in 1984. Stylistically it can be assigned to Teutonic Heavy Metal.

The band around founding member Matthias “Mäfju” Kraft and original member Daniel Zimmermann, whose trademark is also the very distinctive and rough vocals, has existed since 1984 without interruption. Although musically very independent, because sometimes more playful and less straightforward than many other genre representatives, stylistic cross-references etc. a. be drawn to the bands Grave Digger and Paragon , also from Germany . Due to work commitments, Reaper was never able to complete a continuous tour. In the meantime, due to its long existence, the Hessian metal formation enjoys cult status, especially within the German metal scene, and is often referred to as the veteran of German heavy metal.

history

Band founded, first EP and two demos: Reaper , Fairies Return and Metal or What ?? (1984-1989)

The origins of Reaper go back to 1983, although the band was not officially founded until 1984. The basis was laid by the two guitarists Robert “Robbi” Kölling and Andreas Maus with the singer and drummer Ralph Kaëse (pronounced Ka-Ese), who began to make music together in Kassel . Bassist Matthias "Mäfju" Kraft joined this trio soon afterwards, but after only a few months of rehearsing for four, drummer and singer Ralph Kaëse left the rock band, which was still in the making and was still in German-speaking until then, due to musical differences unofficial name fuel. He was replaced by Peter “Uncle Eff” Fickert, who in turn brought up the name Reaper only a short time later. The other members agreed to the proposal and so the founding of Reaper's band can be dated to February 1984. What was still missing, however, was a front man, but this was found only a month later in the person of Thomas "Benny" Bennecke. At the beginning, the Hessian formation put together a program that mainly consisted of metal and hard rock cover versions, but the first original compositions were also integrated into the setlist. Shortly after the band was founded, the first line-up change under the name Reaper had to be carried out during the development phase. Lead guitarist Daniel Zimmermann was brought on board for Robert Kölling in April 1984. And Zimmermann turned out to be a stroke of luck for the band, as he quickly emerged as the main songwriter. So it was especially he who initiated the stylistic orientation towards heavy metal with Teutonic influences. In the line-up of Bennecke, Zimmermann, Maus, Kraft and Fickert, Reaper went to a recording studio for the first time just a year after the band was formed to dare to make the first recordings. The first demo, simply titled Reaper and consisting of a total of six original compositions, was recorded and completed within a few days in the Voice Studio in Kassel using an 8-track recorder . To save costs, the cover artwork of the tape was colored by hand.

But the Hessian formation did not rest on this first step and soon followed suit. In 1986 they went to the REH Sound Studio in Kassel to record the first EP with producer Eckhard "Ecki" Lukarsch. Lukarsch himself was the bassist of the metal band Trademark, which in turn left its only musical sign of life with the single Demon's Gate in 1982 . The in-house production Fairies Return , made up of four songs, was released in the same year and the musicians lend a hand here again: Again in the interests of cost savings, the cover of the 12 "EP was folded, folded and glued by the band members themselves the band was not entirely happy with the release because the drum tracks were programmed with a drum computer on advice.After the release of Fairies Return , there was a second line-up change: Peter “Uncle Eff” Fickert had to leave Reaper for professional reasons Norms Schäfer are won and thus the vacant position on the drums was quickly filled again.

With Thomas Bennecke on the microphone, guitarists Daniel Zimmermann and Andreas Maus, bassist Matthias Kraft and the newly added drummer Norm Schäfer, Reaper played together with Rage , Holy Moses and Monroe at the Hard'n Heavy Festival in Hessisch Lichtenau in November 1987 . Then they went back to work in the Voice Studio in Kassel to record a new demo. And this seven-song tape, which was finally released in 1988 under the title Metal Or What ?? was supposed to represent a first small breakthrough for the band, so to speak, as it paved the way for their first record deal. The Metal Enterprises label , which at that time u. a. Already albums by the American heavy metal bands Hammers Rule and Black Virgin as well as an album by the not undisputed band Böhse Onkelz , which initially flirted with the skinhead scene , became aware of the Kassel metal band and took them under in the summer of 1988 Contract. The fact that the label made use of strange publishing practices and, together with its founder Ingo Nowotny, should turn more and more to right-wing rock over the years, initially remained hidden from the musicians. They were simply happy about their first record deal. In retrospect, Metal or What ?? Compared to Fairies Return, the band members viewed it as more important and better, because the songwriting and sound were more mature.

The first studio album: Beyond All Time (1989–1991)

After the joy about the first signed record deal with Metal Enterprises , which was set to three albums, an unexpected setback had to be overcome in 1989 shortly before the recording of the first studio album: drummer Norm Schäfer left the band and the recordings threatened due to a missing Burst drummer. But Reaper was able to react quickly once again and found a successor in Michael "Miwe" Wengerter within a very short time. However, the drummer initially revealed a not insignificant problem: Wengerter had no double-bass experience at the time of joining Reaper, but the songs on the new album included this playing technique established in heavy metal. As a result, the drummer had to learn the double bass technique in just three weeks. In the end he succeeded and so the formation with the line-up Bennecke, Zimmermann, Maus, Kraft and Wengerter was able to record the debut album Beyond All Time in the three days that were only available for the complete recording. Produced by Ingo Nowotny and recorded in the Tanit Studio in the Altenstadt district of Enzheim , the album was finally released in 1990 and distributed by the major label Bellaphon . Following the publication of the debut, several live performances followed, which further increased the stage experience of the musicians and the level of awareness of the band.

The second studio album: The Years Within (1992-1996)

After a few live appearances, Reaper aimed to record a successor to Beyond All Time in the course of 1991 . With the same line-up - Bennecke, Zimmermann, Maus, Kraft and Wengerter - and with the same producer - Nowotny - the second studio album was tackled again in the Tanit Studio in Enzheim . This time, however, the band had at least five and a half days to record. The second album, entitled The Years Within , including the song "Lucifer's Rising", which is regularly integrated into live sets, was finally distributed via Mausoleum Records . This Belgian record company had already made a name for itself in the heavy metal scene in the 80s, as they u. a. Had released records of Warlock , Killer , Crossfire , Ostrogoth and Living Death . Actually, Reaper had in the meantime gained a respectable level of awareness, especially in Germany with the help of the two studio albums and the regular live appearances, and thus created a good basis for establishing themselves in the metal scene, but the band would initially have to overcome several setbacks as a result.

Disintegration phenomena (1994–1996)

Strictly speaking, three factors stopped the upward trend that Reaper had experienced up to the release of The Years Within : First, the grunge wave , which spilled over from the USA to Europe, ensured that the styles of classic hard rock and heavy metal in the 90s clearly lost popularity, which many traditional rock and metal bands suffered. Second, Reaper still had a valid contract with Metal Enterprises , but Ingo Nowotny has now clearly revealed his orientation towards right-wing rock - easily recognizable from the releases of his label at the time. The band decidedly distanced themselves from this, but the contract remained valid and therefore Reaper was not allowed to sign a contract with any other record company. Thirdly, the line-up that had recorded the first two studio albums gradually fell apart. After frontman Thomas “Benny” Bennecke left the band in 1994 for personal reasons, he was followed in 1996 by drummer Michael “Miwe” Wengerter due to professional obligations and finally guitarist Andreas Maus for personal reasons. Thus, the bassist and at the same time the last remaining founding member Matthias “Mäfju” Kraft and original member Daniel Zimmermann gradually stood there without any colleagues. In addition, the two remaining musicians did not succeed, as in the past, in finding quick and adequate replacements for the three vacant positions. On the contrary, at first Kraft and Zimmermann couldn't win any new comrades-in-arms for Reaper. But that didn't mean the end of the band. The conviction of the two remaining band members in their musical activities should keep the visibly battered and fundamentally incapable of acting formation Reaper alive.

Years of Bridging and the third "studio album": Cardinal Sins (1996–2000)

Although Reaper was unable to tackle new projects due to the decimated line-up and the band slowly but surely lost their level of awareness due to a lack of publications and unrealizable performances, bassist Matthias Kraft and guitarist Daniel Zimmermann did not remain idle. After they had not found a suitable replacement for singer Thomas “Benny” Bennecke despite a lengthy search, Matthias Kraft and Daniel Zimmermann decided without further ado that Zimmermann would take over the vocals in addition to the lead guitar. His voice, which was even more distinctive and rougher than his predecessor Thomas Bennecke, was to become a trademark of the band. With the “Dr. Rhythm “, the two remaining musicians then began to record songs from the time with the former singer, before they composed numerous new pieces and finally put them on tape. Over time, Kraft and Zimmermann accumulated so many demo recordings with this approach that they could have filled three CDs. In the meantime, more precisely in 1997, a new member could be integrated into the line-up with the drummer Glynn Gandy Chessworth from England. Chessworth brought the guitarist Heiko Skowranek, with whom he already played in the Kirchhain band Amana, on board to replace the missing rhythm guitar. However, the collaboration was short-lived as Chessworth moved back to England in late 1997. Then Heiko Skowranek left the band again. Recordings, let alone publications with this drummer and guitarist do not exist.

After three years of composing and recording without public attention, which above all helped Daniel Zimmermann to find his way into his role as lead guitarist and singer without time pressure, the line-up could be completed again. In 1999 Kraft and Zimmermann won guitarists Michael Kauba and Paul Anthony Dadd, another drummer from England, new comrades-in-arms for Reaper and since Zimmermann also took over the vocals, the band had shrunk to a quartet from this point on, but was complete again. From now on, the Hessian metal formation was finally able to perform live again. In addition, the decision was made to combine many of the demos created in the rehearsal room and recorded with an 8-track recorder into a double demo album. This "studio album" was eventually called Cardinal Sins and was released in 2000. The term “published” is actually too high in this case, because Cardinal Sins including a metallic-musical interpretation of the ballad “ Der Erlkönig ” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe as well as the song “The Iron Cross”, which is often integrated in the band's live program then actually only given away as a collector's item to friends in its original form of a double album, before it was later sold as a single CD version at selected concerts. Shortly after the appearance of Cardinal Sins , however, there was the next change in the line-up and the position of drummer had to be filled again. Due to internal differences, Paul Anthony Dadd left the band in 2000 after only a few months. A successor was quickly found in Jan Breede.

A consistent line-up and two EPs: Elements and Victory V (2000-2006)

After Reaper had integrated a new drummer with Jan Breede into the band structure, further live appearances were due. In 2001, an important legal issue was also clarified: Since Ingo Nowotny, the owner of Metal Enterprises , did not accept Daniel Zimmermann as an option for the band's vocals, the band was able to force a termination of the contract that was running up to this point with legal assistance and the contract that severely restricted the band's freedom of action was history. Subsequently, it was decided to publish an EP again on one's own responsibility, in order to be remembered by record companies, print and online magazines and, last but not least, by their own fans. This EP, recorded with the line-up of Zimmermann, Kauba, Kraft and Breede and entitled Elements , was finally recorded in their own rehearsal room and released in 2002. With “ Wuthering Heights ” by Kate Bush , the EP contained the band's first actual cover version in addition to the often performed live song “Fields of Joy”, as “Der Erlkönig” was musically inspired by the Austrian composer Franz Schubert , but arranged by Reaper himself .

After the release of Elements , the Hessian metal band could first be seen on some concert stages. a. in May 2003 at the Bands Battle Festival in Stavenhagen and in July of the same year at the Himmel Open Air in Schauenburg . Again, only a year later was laid to mark the 20th anniversary with the next EP called Victory V for. This sound carrier, recorded in the Krachgarten recording studio in Kassel, was recorded with the same line-up as its predecessor, with Daniel Zimmermann as front man and lead guitarist in one person, Michael Kauba as rhythm guitarist, Matthias “Mäfju” Kraft on bass and Jan Breede on drums. Following Victory V , Reaper again took part in various live performances, including a. at the Masters of Cassel festival taking place in their home country in December 2005. Soon afterwards, however, another line-up had to be compensated: the rhythm guitarist Michael Kauba, who also took on organizational tasks and a. also took care of the contact with the press and public relations in general, had to leave the band in 2006 for professional reasons. In Thomas Buchenau, however, a replacement was quickly found again this time and the quartet was complete again.

The fourth studio album: Gardens of Seth (2006-2011)

With the new rhythm guitarist Thomas Buchenau, Reaper soon made the decision to tackle a new studio album. However, they initially received an inquiry whether they would like to contribute to the sampler Masters of Cassel - 15 Years of Metal . This offer was of course gladly accepted and so Daniel Zimmermann composed the song "Wonders in the Dark" especially for this compilation, which is a regular part of the band's live set to this day. The compilation with Reaper's contribution finally appeared in 2006. Before a new studio album was actually turned on, a few concert offers were taken up and so they played at the Swordbrothers Festival in Andernach in December 2007 , before recording a year later the Masters of Cassel Festival had a home game again.

In the spring of 2009, Reaper suddenly had a unique chance by chance: After being able to establish contact with the Polish heavy metal band Crystal Viper and their manager Bart Gabriel via the performance at the Swordbrothers Festival in 2007, the option arose for a collaboration. The latter was the publisher of the Polish print magazine Hard Rocker and he made the band an offer to include a compilation exclusively with their song material in an upcoming issue. Of course, this couldn't be refused and so drummers Jan Breede and Bart Gabriel put together a selection of songs with material from the years 2000 to 2006. The compilation thus included songs by Cardinal Sins , Elements and Victory V as well as “Wonders in the Dark”, the sampler contribution to Masters of Cassel - 15 Years of Metal . The compilation, which was ultimately entitled Wonders in the Dark , was published in May 2009 as agreed as a supplement to Hard Rocker magazine with an impressive print run of 10,000, but the magazine was only distributed in Poland.

After the very effective advertising release of Wonders in the Dark , the German label STF Records became aware of Reaper and the record company offered the band a recording contract. Since the intention was still to start a new studio work, they agreed. After being seen on the stages of the Power of Metal Festival in Kassel as well as at the Ragnarock Open Air in Wohratal , the recordings began in autumn 2009 with the line-up of Zimmermann, Buchenau, Kraft and Breede. The fourth studio album entitled Gardens of Seth and the song "Leviathan", which is often included in the band's setlist, was created in collaboration with producer Michael "Mu" Murauer at the Musicfactory in Eschwege and was finally released in November 2009 via STF Records. The new release and the 25th anniversary of the band was celebrated with a concert in the fiasco in Kassel. The band also invited some musical guests. The musicians Armin Eichenberg from Mesmerized, Dirk Schneider from Reflector and Florian Bauer from Burden of Grief could be won over for guest appearances, and Maximilian Kraft, Matthias Kraft's then 12-year-old son, took on vocal passages. Another highlight of the show was the performance of "Lucifer's Rising", in which Kraft and Zimmermann asked their former companions Thomas Bennecke, Andreas Maus and Peter Fickert to come on stage and thus the original cast from 1984 was on stage together for a song. In the coming year, the formation, which has now had a certain cult status, was bustling and other concerts were held across Germany. At the end of 2010, however, there was another line-up change. When rhythm guitarist Thomas Buchenau had already canceled a gig in Korbach in December of this year and was replaced by Benjamin Meike for this gig, he unexpectedly left the band shortly afterwards and was finally replaced permanently by “Benni” Meike. He was previously active in the death thrash band Havoc, also from Hesse, and took the surname Lodewig after he was married.

The fifth studio album: An Atheist Monument (2011 to date)

After the release of Gardens of Seth , Reaper wanted to consolidate the regained fame and so Daniel Zimmermann, who was still responsible for vocals and lead guitar, played the new guitarist Benjamin "Benni" Lodewig, bassist and founding member Matthias "Mäfju" Kraft and drummer Jan Breede first of all a few live shows, u. a. in 2011 in the K17 in Berlin and a year later again in the fiasco in Kassel . Also in 2012, Reaper got an unexpected offer from the record label Karthago Records to reissue the first EP Fairies Return . The band agreed and so they took the opportunity to dig a bit in their own archives in order to enrich the EP with bonus material. The debut EP, originally released in 1986, was finally expanded to include nine songs, including four songs from the demo Reaper recorded in 1985 and two songs from the demo Metal or What ?? released in 1988. and three previously unreleased songs from 1991. In 2013, Reaper could be seen again on selected festival stages. In May they performed at the summer edition of the Masters of Cassel Festival before they played on the stage at the Bremen Metal Festival in November.

After these live performances, the focus was put back on the studio work and the Kassel heavy metal veteran - as the band has often been called in the meantime - decided to add another studio album as soon as possible. However, STF Records was not interested in another release and so the option to expand the contract to three albums passed. But the band was lucky and the renowned German label Massacre Records expressed interest in a collaboration. Reaper immediately went back to the Musicfactory in Eschwege and the line-up of Zimmermann, Lodewig, Kraft and Breede began with the recordings of the fifth studio album. The work entitled An Atheist Monument , which in turn was produced by Michael “Mu” Murauer and whose cover artwork is by a renowned artist for the first time since The Years Within and was also paid for by the record company, was finally released in July 2014. For the band An Atheist Monument, including the songs "Of Sheep and Shepherds", "Hail the New Age", "Horse Brigade" and "Voice Within", which have frequently appeared in the live program since then, meant reaching a new level, v. a. in terms of mastering and distribution. As the 30th anniversary of the band had to be honored in addition to the album release in 2014, the band invited friends, companions and fans to the fiasco in Kassel to celebrate the occasion.

After the release of An Atheist Monument , Reaper concentrated again on isolated live performances. So you played z. B. in December 2015 at the Masters of Cassel Festival again, in December 2017 they acted as the headliner of the warm-up show of the aforementioned festival and in March 2018 they played in the opening act of the US metal band Savage Master at K19 in Kassel .

The band is currently preparing to work on a new studio album.

Discography

Studio albums

• 1990: Beyond All Time
• 1992: The Years Within
• 2000: Cardinal Sins (A collection of demo recordings that was not regularly published, but was available through the band itself and at selected concerts.)
• 2009: Gardens of Seth
• 2014: An Atheist Monument

Compilations

• 2009: Wonders in the Dark (supplement to an issue of the Polish print magazine Hard Rocker)

EPs

• 1986: Fairies Return (re-released in 2012 with nine bonus tracks)
• 2002: Elements
• 2004: Victory V

Demos

• 1985: Reaper
• 1988: Metal or What ??

Web links

• Reaper on Facebook
• Reaper at Discogs (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} ffm-rock.de - Reviews & Interviews - Live Reviews - 6th MOC-FESTIVAL - Kassel, music theater . Last accessed on March 30, 2018.
2. ↑ ^{a b} metalodyssey.net - German Metal Warriors Signs to Massacre Records Last accessed on 29 March 2018th
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa} ffm-rock.de - Reviews & Interviews - Interviews - Reaper . Last accessed on March 30, 2018.
4. ^ Discogs.com - Trademark (22) - Demon's Gate . Retrieved March 29, 2018.
5. ↑ setlist.fm - Artists - R - Reaper - Reaper Concert Setlists & Tourdates . Retrieved March 30, 2018.
6. ↑ vampster.com - News - Himmel Open Air: Presale has started . Retrieved March 30, 2018.
7. ↑ ^{a b c} mastersofcassel.de - History . Last accessed on March 30, 2018.
8. ↑ ^{a b c} ice-vajal.com - On Stage: Reaper . Last accessed on March 30, 2018.
9. ↑ underground-empire.com - News 2010 - Reaper (D) - News from December 27, 2010 . Retrieved March 30, 2018.
10. ↑ hna.de - Kultur - Reaper im Fiasko: A band that has remained true to itself . Retrieved March 30, 2018.
11. ↑ crossfire-metal.de - Interviews - Reaper-Definitely no Happy Metal . Last accessed on March 30, 2018.
12. ↑ rockphotix.de - Portfolio . Retrieved March 30, 2018.
13. ↑ ^{a b} underground-empire.com - History - Online Empire 61 - Interview overview - Reaper (D) interview . Last accessed on March 30, 2018.
14. ↑ eventbu.com - Kassel - MoC Warm-Up Show with Reaper, Clustered Vision, Devil's Shepherd . Retrieved March 30, 2018.
15. ↑ ffm-rock.de - Reviews & Interviews - Live Reviews - SAVAGE MASTER - Kassel, K 19 . Retrieved March 30, 2018.