Rammstein - Romanticism to Industrial Code

Blending industrial-rock, techno and electronic gothic into a solemn, horror-tinged musical edifice, with danceable architecture and guitar-driven impact, the Teutonic juggernaut Rammstein has built, out of a varied musical humus, a distinctive industrial sound, with a strong vocation for stagecraft and pyrotechnics. The product of a neo-romantic attitude by nature, Rammstein is an inherently industrial act, within whose economy distinctive elements such as orchestral flourishes, deep-pitched guttural German vocals and the spectacular use of fire in their live shows sometimes risk blurring the line between solemn flight and a fall into kitsch, generally landing safely in the territory of self-irony.

The members of Rammstein, hailing from Berlin, Schwerin, Wittenberg and Leipzig, came together in 1993 on the initiative of guitarist Richard Z. Kruspe-Bernstein, who in 1989 had fled to West Berlin and formed Orgasm Death Gimmick, drawing inspiration from musical trends coming out of the United States and West Germany. After the fall of the Wall, Kruspe was able to recruit Paul Landers (guitar), Oliver Riedel (bass) and Christoph Schneider (drums). At this point Bernstein found in keyboardist Christian Lorenz, initially skeptical about the project, the ideal partner for a songwriting approach aiming to combine danceability, atmosphere and impact. The choice of singer fell on Till Lindemann, a personal friend of Bernstein's and a former junior swimming champion, whose deep register and markedly German accent, together with his imposing stage presence and use of pyrotechnics, would decisively define the project's identity. The context they moved in was thus that of East Germany, in its final years and immediately after political reunification, with all the hardships and sources of inspiration that historical moment entailed. Lindemann himself, a laborer and son of a couple who divorced when he was a child, himself later a single father, was asked to join the band after being heard whistling and humming while weaving wicker baskets to make ends meet.

The coexistence of a romantic, horror-tinged sensibility and a sense of belonging to an industrial age is at work, even before the music, in the band's name itself, a kind of manifesto: Rammstein recalls the disaster at Ramstein air base, caused by a jet from the Frecce Tricolori aerobatic team, which killed 67 people. The extra m is due to a typo, but it's a typo that adds flavor, since it can also be read as a paraphrase like “battering stone”. Perhaps because of how uncomfortable this reference was for a popular band, the group would later clumsily try to rewrite its own origins, claiming to have drawn inspiration instead from “rammsteine”, stones used as stops in old city gates; but by then the imagery surrounding the band, made of flames and tension like a journey with no return, was already etched in place.

Reinforcing the band's identity is their almost exclusive use of the German language in their singing, made especially effective by Lindemann's deep, charismatic vocal timbre, with some distinctive traits such as highly emphatic tones and a pronounced rolling of the Rs, so exaggerated that it evokes the most common stereotypes about German harshness, to the point that some journalists superficially labeled it “Hitlerian” (and perhaps the band was shrewdly aware that this could stir up media controversy). This choice has both artistic motivations, following in the footsteps of fellow German bands that inspired Rammstein, and practical ones, since Lindemann cannot speak English, having grown up under the communist regime where learning it was difficult.

Only a handful of singles would be accompanied by English-sung versions. The booklet of the debut Herzeleid, however, alternates between lyrics in the original language and French translations, while the booklet of the following Sehnsucht will present only English translations of some tracks still sung in German. And in later albums, sporadic songs with inserts in other languages (English, Russian, Spanish, even Italian) will make an appearance.

The debut work, Herzeleid, produced in 1995 in Stockholm by Jacob and Carl Michael Herloeffson, is entirely built on these traits. Drawing considerable inspiration from a fellow German band like KMFDM but above all from Oomph!, who had planted the seeds of what, precisely with this record, the press would come to call Neue Deutsche Härte ("new German hardness"), the album also betrays the influence of acts like Laibach, Skinny Puppy, Nine Inch Nails, as well as elements from a far more distant group like Depeche Mode. In particular, the German band's main point of reference is the album “Sperm!”, released the year before, but Rammstein use that foundation as a springboard to forge their own path. Herzeleid, whose visual concept comes across as a pastiche of hairy nudity and gaudy blooming flowers, and which is unsettling perhaps not entirely by design, is a meeting point of sharp, powerful, driving guitar riffs; industrial marches; and keyboards that impose techno sonorities which, nonetheless, veer toward a sound and visual world that is at times decidedly sinister and dark.

Most of the tracks seem unable to escape the formula of building the song around the obsessive rhythmic core of a guitar riff (“Wollt ihr das bett in flammen sehen”, “Weisses Fleisch”). Others blend techno or drum'n'bass in equal measure with a certain industrial-metal tradition (“Weisses Fleisch”, “Asche zu asche”), revealing in passing the decisive influence of Ministry. And while the compelling “Du riechst so gut” risks faltering only in its electro-folk misstep of a bridge, the melancholic “Seeman” and the anthem “Herzeleid” showcase a lean production, careful in its sonic blends and versatile in its approaches, which sets Rammstein apart from many more insecure contemporaries or similarly profiled bands, as well as from many of their later imitators. The track “Rammstein” closes the album by coherently echoing the themes dear to Bernstein and Lindemann, evoking death and the flames of the air disaster in a sort of hypothetical visual tracking-shot over an inferno of metal, with an industrial march as sustained as it is sinister and the narrating duty of a granite-hard voice.

At this point, a new strand of music is definitively launched, drawing in varying degrees on industrial-metal, electro-industrial, wave, techno and gothic-rock, which the press decides to call Neue Deutsche Härte, and of which Rammstein become the standard-bearers, or at least the most representative and successful band.

The low-budget production of Herzeleid had been preceded by intense live activity, which had established Rammstein at home as an act with an unmatched stage impact, building a fanbase drawn both to their distinctive sound and to their use of stage effects. The live performances employ pyrotechnic effects, spreading fire and explosions across the stage. Lindemann would later go on to refine the stage show to the point of wearing asbestos suits to cover his back and arms in flame, singing entire songs wrapped in fire. In numerous interviews, the frontman states that the choice to use such stage devices developed during the band's early gigs, when “during the instrumental parts, I really didn't know what to do to avoid just standing there stupidly, so I set about developing theatrical and stage ideas.” While the impact on stage is one of a kind, the aesthetic success of the first video is not nearly as fortunate: the clip for “Du Riechst so Gut” can at best claim a kitsch “charm”, one likely to appeal only to the crudest of tastes. Nevertheless, the album's sales take off, and Herzeleid settles near the top of the German charts, staying there for two years, while the band's name crosses national borders and begins to circulate worldwide, beyond Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Live activity continues with ever greater visibility: between October and December 1995, Herzeleid undergoes intensive promotion through a series of national and European concerts, with the band opening for major acts such as Project Pitchfork. In 1996, the video for the ballad “Seeman”, this time produced with more balanced artistic criteria, keeps the band riding high in the charts. Meanwhile, stage commitments continue: alongside the ongoing national tour, Rammstein open for Clawfinger in Austria and Switzerland and support the Ramones at home for eight dates of the “Adios Amigos Tour”, also appearing on MTV Live and continuing a German tour that keeps them busy until summer, when they take part in numerous festivals including the Bizarre Festival in Cologne. As their fanbase grows, the band wins over one particularly notable fan. Director David Lynch, who calls Rammstein his favorite band, offers to use the tracks “Rammstein” and “Heirate Mich” for his next film, “Lost Highway”. The film, one of the most important movies shot in the '90s, enshrines Rammstein on a soundtrack alongside names of the caliber of David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, Angelo Badalamenti, Marilyn Manson and Smashing Pumpkins, drawing further spotlight onto the band's name. The video for “Rammstein” would go on to benefit from footage taken from the film.

By the time the new album Sehnshucht is ready for release, Herzeleid has been on the German charts for 29 weeks. The new single “Engel”, with its whistled refrain, its danceable appeal and a venomous chorus riding a driving guitar rhythm, sells over 250,000 copies. The second single “Du Hast” is equally successful, taking over European clubs with its pounding, danceable industrial-rock beat and its chorus of guttural vocals, ambiguous in theme and written with a meter purposely designed for sing-alongs, even in German. A step forward is also made toward well-produced videos, such as the one for “Du Hast”, which references Quentin Tarantino's “Reservoir Dogs”, featuring a famous German actress.

Sehnsucht, produced by Jacob Hellner, debuts in Germany at number 1, reaching the very top of charts across Europe and jostling for position with bands like Rolling Stones, Prodigy and Radiohead, while the band signs on for a European fall tour and a tour with KMFDM on American soil. On the new album, which receives flattering praise from broad swaths of the music press (including Rolling Stone and Spin), Rammstein comes across as an act leaning more toward danceability than headbanging, with a greater balance between their guitar-driven approach and their industrial-gothic leanings, and a decidedly more refined production: evident, for instance, in “Tier”, which skillfully blends a nod to Ministry, a catchy refrain, electronic textures and the most varied rock influences. Lindemann's distinctive voice, though subject to the listener's own idiosyncrasies, remains front and center, as when he seems to revel, for once, in a vocal descent into the lower register on “Bestrafe Mich”. Tracks like “Spiel mit mir”, a sort of industrial waltz, stand out for their originality and freshness, while pieces like the title track and especially “Buck Dich”, besides having the band's usual impact on the listener, bring out more clearly their cynical, grotesque humor, with lyrics that drift slightly away from the violent grand-guignol, fire-and-flame evocations of the debut album, veering instead toward erotic themes, conjured licentiously and with ample use of double entendres, and cleverly paired with hints of the band's possible ideological leanings.

Already accused of supposed far-right ideological sympathies, for reasons as flimsy as Lindemann's pronunciation being labeled “Hitlerian”, the cover of Herzeleid (the bare torsos interpreted as a display of the “Aryan male”), the martial stage gestures, or the extreme content of their lyrics, Rammstein confront such accusations more explicitly with the 1998 release of the video for “Stripped”, a cover produced for the Depeche Mode tribute album “For The Masses”. The cover, one of the best tracks the band has ever produced, reinterprets “Stripped” with real personality and appeal, fitting it with exaggeratedly deep vocals, backed by a second voice, over an inspired industrial dance-rock arrangement that highlights the songwriting of the original. For the video, Rammstein illustrate the “metropolis/land” lyrical opposition penned by Dave Gahan with Olympian imagery of athletes of every nationality and race, but intercut these with footage from the controversial “Triumph des Willens”, a Reich propaganda film shot by Leni Riefenstahl in 1934.

The band strongly denies any political sympathies or ideological intent, but the controversy naturally translates into a positive and well-engineered surge of media attention. Surprisingly, Rammstein also seem to have overcome the apparent barrier to international appeal posed by their use of the German language, finding success that extends, beyond their homeland and the gothic and electronic scenes, increasingly into the alternative-rock and -metal audience.

Mutter, the band's third record, is ready for release in 2000. In the two years that have passed, Rammstein certainly haven't become globally mainstream. They are, however, by now a leading international alternative act, as well as the most successful German band in the world, according to sales figures and Echo magazine, which officially confirms the milestone. While the first albums surpass half a million copies sold in Germany, Sehnsucht reaches the same mark in the US as well. The band opens for Kiss, Soulfly and Skunk Anansie, but also gets the chance to launch an American headlining tour that takes them all the way to South America. The German sextet takes part in numerous events and festivals of international standing, including the Family Values Tour alongside Orgy, Limp Bizkit and Ice Cube, and appears among the special guests at MTV music events, as well as among the nominees at the MTV Europe Music Awards (in 1998, and again later in 2001).

Recordings from the 1999 German tour yield Live aus Berlin, released both as a live album and as a live video, while the band's electronic wing had already found time to produce remixes of tracks by Faith No More and KMFDM, gathered together on the maxi-single for the new version of the old “Du Riechst So Gut”. For this track from the first album, Rammstein commission a second, supposedly better video, which however manages to be even more dismal than the first, old attempt: the footage is tacky and cheap, fairy-tale-like only in its intent and horror-inducing only in its actual directorial outcome.

On the live front, the band keeps building a reputation for spectacle, bolstered by futuristic make-up, fire-breathing-musician stunts, lights and explosions. The stage impact indeed grows ever more refined in step with the technology available. Their adherence to a techno-junkie aesthetic has become more complex and ironic, while Lindemann draws inspiration from the stage behavior of similarly appealing figures, such as Marilyn Manson: compared to the über-pop antichrist, Lindemann has more bulk and less charisma, but his grimaces and schizophrenic behavior on stage gain in grotesque spectacle. Onstage episodes come to include the axe-wielding destruction of a mannequin representing keyboardist Flake, a habit abruptly abandoned once there's a real risk of hitting the man rather than his effigy. A simulated-sex gag involving a large rubber phallus, staged as scripted during the ironic “Buck Dich”, earns Rammstein a night in a cell during the Family Values Tour, at the Worcester, Mass. stop.

And yet, Mutter presents an aesthetic attitude very different from the band's onstage evolution, nor, given its stylistic progression, can one speak of it, as some have, as “more of the same”. Mutter departs radically from the two previous albums, fueling a decidedly neo-romantic turn, far sharper than the sketches of industrial-horror or licentious inspiration found in the earlier records, in which the theatrical component had never been pushed as far as a coherent concept. This time, the electronic component of the sound is streamlined and integrated with the guitar work, aiming to build explosive tracks like “Mein Herz Brennt”, “Links” or “Feuer Frei”, craftily laced with false ideology as in “Feuer Frei” or “Sonne”, intimate yet energetic as in “Mutter” or the beautiful “Nebel”. There's no shortage of the usual dose of blatant sexual allusion, as in “Rein Raus”, or gender fantasies like those of “Zwitter”. Overall, the synthetic choral effects and the use of a quasi-orchestral palette, packed with choirs as well as industrial sirens, gain ground through a production that is even leaner and more “stripped-down”, squared-off and functional, and certainly broad in its appeal.

Through “Feuer Frei”, Rammstein would go on to appear on the big screen in scenes from “XXX”, an action movie starring Vin Diesel and Asia Argento. But while the move toward lyricism would find its full realization with the following Reise, Reise, it's clear that Rammstein, on Mutter, were also pursuing the goal of courting a segment of the music market more receptive to such an aesthetic proposition. It's no coincidence that critics and the broader heavy metal audience, until then largely dismissive of their sound, begin to side with them, in a process of gradual assimilation that today amounts to near-unanimous acclaim, tempered only by occasional criticism of the “simplicity” of their riffs — criticism that entirely misses the point of their style.

In 2003, the renowned German composer Torsten Rasch decided to pay tribute to the band with an orchestral, neo-expressionist reworking of Rammstein's material, titling the release Mein Herz Brennt, with the help of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra.

But let's get back to Rammstein. Mutter was a watershed moment that marked a stylistic shift and a sharper sense of purpose, but that purpose finds its fullest expression on Reise, Reise. Released in 2004, in the wake of numerous high-profile moments and commercial and touring successes (including, in the US, the Pledge Of Allegiance tour alongside System Of A Down), Reise, Reise was eagerly awaited by large sections of the public, partly because of earlier controversies and censorship: the former, due to the band being cited by one of the perpetrators of the Columbine massacre in America; the latter, due to further on-stage incidents and the cuts made to the "Live" release.

The album reveals a stylistic evolution that goes beyond what had already been done on Mutter, developing into something more solemn, atmospheric, melodic and dark all at once: most of the tracks carry a muscular power and orchestral solemnity, pushed to its ultimate conclusion in an aesthetic of lyrical, romantic taste that makes organic use of choral ensembles. The moods are pessimistic, thanks both to guitars that make extensive use of down-tuning and syncopated chords, and to pervasive yet effective keyboard fills (which lean more gothic, steering away from the previous albums' sharp electronics to focus on emphatic choirs and melodic strings). The album's concept seems to bring things full circle with the debut, depicting an aircraft's fuselage and black box to return to the theme of a journey with no way back. The cover is in fact inspired by Japan Airlines Flight 123 of August 12, 1985, when a Boeing 747 crashed, killing 520 people. The title fits this reading through its double meaning (literally "travel, travel", but also an echo of sailors being called to muster on deck after waking up).

Overall, the songwriting is slightly less inspired than on Mutter. Nevertheless, Reise Reise also includes tracks that sit almost outside the concept, such as the politically sarcastic "Moskau" and "Amerika", or the brilliant industrial-rock of the aggressive, macabre "Mein Teil", inspired by the Armin Meiwes ritual cannibalism case that shocked the German press and public. Also notable is the atmospheric power-ballad "Ohne Dich", particularly syrupy in its lyrics and strings, creating a bittersweet effect as it's slotted in among the other tracks.

Even amid a seemingly irreversible drift toward the lyrical — cloying to many — Rammstein still manage to retain a healthy dose of self-humour and versatility. It would seem, in fact, that the aesthetic and concept behind the Rammstein brand are only naive on the surface, and that behind a pronounced, self-mocking, theatrical flair as pyrotechnic entertainers lies a fairly sophisticated aesthetic and musical operation, aimed at seeking out and achieving success, and in any case underpinning some genuinely interesting artistic results. Whether or not this operation deserves criticism, it seems — much as with Manson, who is linked to Rammstein by far more than just a remix made by the Germans — destined to expose the band to extreme, polarized judgments: on one side the knee-jerk dismissals of a certain, at times downright superficial, school of criticism; on the other the total, equally uncritical indulgence of their by now overabundant admirers.

In 2005, Rosenrot was released, diluting its predecessor's formula without adding anything particularly new, since the tracks are split between Reise, Reise outtakes and new songs that follow the same style, all delivered with a simplified, softer, more radio-friendly attitude. The title is inspired by Goethe's poem Heidenröslein ("Little Rose of the Heath") and the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Schneeweisschen und Rosenrot ("Snow-White and Rose-Red").

The opening pairing of the single "Benzin" and the fierce yet catchy "Mann gegen Mann" shows a very hook-driven Rammstein, geared toward an impactful formula but lacking the same sonic depth shown until now. The title track echoes "Stein um Stein", while "Spring" relies on dark, sentimental backing over which atmospheric keyboards and a choir of voices rise up in search of melodramatic effects, though these start to sound banal and prepackaged. Particularly notable is the sentimental ballad "Wo bist du?", structurally terribly simple but romantically expressive, with guitar soundwalls backing a passionate Lindemann, bittersweet tones that will probably strike longtime fans of the band as cloying, plus keyboard fills and small flute inserts. After that, another ballad: "Stirb Nicht vor mir – don't die before I do", an unusual, sweet, acoustic pop-rock track in which Lindemann, more lighthearted than on the previous song, duets with singer Sharleen Spiteri. It barely sounds like Rammstein anymore, and there's a stylistic discontinuity that breaks the album's balance.

"Zerstören" is a fast-paced track with a driving drumbeat. "Hilf mir" is the darkest track of all, thanks to one of the hardest riffs Rammstein have ever written and an enveloping, at times downright macabre, keyboard aura. Then comes a dash of humour with the playful "Te quiero puta!", a Spanish-language romp built on a string of fast riffs and heavy stop-starts. The Spanish-style trumpets and vocal lines plunge the listener into Latin American stereotypes, the lyrics are extremely banal yet effective, the female voices biting and sharp. Then arrives one of the best tracks on the record, "Feuer und Wasser": for two minutes, a set of arpeggios and dark atmospheres that seem monotonous at first, until walls of guitar sound crash in and the chorus bursts forth, featuring one of Lindemann's finest performances. The album closes with the melancholy "Ein Lied", a simple arpeggiated outro.

In 2006 the live album and DVD Völkerball showed the band to be in fine form on stage.

In 2007 the self-titled debut of guitarist Richard Kruspe's Emigrate project was released, with Kruspe himself handling vocals and production for the occasion. It's a work with sharp, melodic songwriting that retains the main elements of the Rammstein guitar sound, while drastically cutting back on keyboards and electronics, which are relegated to minor background flourishes. The riffing occasionally turns more hard-rock and full-bodied, while the weakest link is probably Kruspe's voice, which comes nowhere near the incisiveness and charisma of Lindemann. Despite several fillers, a few stale acoustic moments ("You Can't Get Enough") and the occasional recycling of ideas already used with Rammstein ("In My Tears" is basically a reworking of "Stein um Stein"), it turns out to be a reasonably decent album overall, with a few catchy singles ("Wake Up" above all), recommended especially to Rammstein fans looking for something different, though hardly essential.

After a long, troubled gestation, Rammstein returned in 2009 with a title that says it all: Liebe Ist für Alle Da, love is for everyone. As with Mutter, the band plays again on the contrast between a seemingly sweet name, meant to evoke serenity, and sounds that are far harder, sharper and catchier, though occasionally interspersed with more emotional moments. There's also the usual Rammstein-style erotic irony, which led to the album being censored in some countries. The title is in fact a reference to the name of a Berlin brothel, while the lyrics and videos are full of references to pornography and transgression. In effect, the record marks a return to the past compared to Rosenrot, heading back toward harder, more granite-like sounds closer to the band's early work, while still retaining a certain degree of emphatic solemnity. Stylistically, then, there's a sense of an attempt to sum up the main phases of the band's career (the aggressive, relentless riffing of Sehnsucht, the darker, more metallic atmospheres of Mutter, the emphatic, solemn, full-bodied sound of Reise, Reise).

This time around there are few ideas simmering on the stove, to the point that the Germans, to compensate, lean too heavily on their own stylistic clichés, on sensationalism and on crowd-pleasing choruses. The songs also have less identity than in the past, becoming more similar to one another and flat, until the repetitiveness of the riff-centric structure starts to feel excessive. The elements that have by now become characteristic of the Rammstein sound are all present in abundance, but without the genuine bite and creative drive that once defined them: the usual atmospheric choirs and keyboard effects that many acts — inspired precisely by Rammstein (Deathstars above all) — have since overused; the distorted guitar bursts before dropping into the main riff; Lindemann's melodramatic voice ready to turn into a fierce roar. Among the best tracks are "Ich Tu Dir Weh", with hypnotic atmospheric touches quickly followed by heavy riffs, an epic chorus and an emotional solo; "Waidmanns Heil" ("the hunter's greeting", the double meaning is intentional), where the epic tone grows increasingly ironic and immediate; "Wiener Blut", which plays on the contrast between high-impact moments and more mesmerizing, relaxed passages; and "Mehr", an interesting blend of caustic electronics, driving rhythms and acoustic touches, building an atmospheric crescendo that creates suspense ahead of a possible sonic explosion. The weakest moments are almost certainly the two sentimental ballads "Fruhling in Paris" and "Roter Sand", which seem included merely to keep up the ballad trend introduced in recent releases, without ever finding the right emotional depth, and if anything just diluting the mood. All things considered, Liebe Ist für Alle Da turns out to be the least inspired and least successful record in Rammstein's discography, a self-indulgent, overly self-congratulatory misstep the band will need to reflect on.

While the main band at this point entered a period of indefinite hiatus, the same cannot be said for the members' side projects. Emigrate released their second album seven years after their debut, titling it, fittingly, Silent So Long. This time the band's style evolved into a rough, guitar-driven alternative rock, tinged with hard-rock, metal and occasionally industrial-rock in a few electronic passages, though these remain sporadic and lack the genre's caustic, alienating edge (betraying instead the influence of more melodic, mainstream acts that rose to prominence in the 2000s in the wake of post-grunge). The album is marked by numerous guest contributions: Peaches ("Get Down"), Lemmy ("Rock City"), Marilyn Manson ("Hypothetical"), Jonathan Davis (the title track)… each lending a piece of their own artistic flavour to the tracks, which range from abrasive, furious guitar tones to darker ones coloured by keyboards; but this also exposes the album's unevenness, making it feel more like a collection of scattered ideas. In terms of songwriting, and especially vocals, it proves somewhat more consistent than its predecessor, but without any particular spark or innovative surprises.

Be that as it may, Kruspe prefers composing with his side project. His answers in interviews about the difference between Emigrate and Rammstein are telling: he states that with the former he feels more at ease because he has full artistic control over what he creates. In an interview for Ultimate-Guitar:

"Rammstein is totally democratic, everything is voted on, and certain decisions are made purely on the basis of votes, based on the strongest personalities and not on the music. In Emigrate none of that happens, and that makes the studio recording process far more enjoyable. With Rammstein I feel the weight of responsibility of being in that kind of band, and if you ask me whether I enjoy recording with Rammstein, no, I don't enjoy it."

In 2015 it was Till Lindemann's turn to launch a side project, alongside Swedish musician Peter Tägtgren (who, under the names Hypocrisy and Pain, has prolifically devoted himself to melodic death metal and industrial metal respectively). The friendship between the two began in 2000 in a Stockholm pub, through the intercession of Clawfinger. An instant rapport sprang up between them, which turned into the idea of forming a project together (simply named Lindemann on the suggestion of friends) and writing a few demos. However, the musicians' personal commitments prevented anything more concrete from happening for almost 15 years, before Skills in Pills finally came out. The sound is essentially that of Pain, so razor-sharp guitars and an easy-listening approach, repeated chords slashing through the atmosphere, electronic keyboards vibrating and dabbling lightly in techno, EBM, dubstep and synth-pop. Tägtgren encouraged Lindemann to sing in English, and for the gruff vocalist the experience turned out to be fun. The attitude is highly irreverent and playful, with lyrics the duo themselves describe as grotesque (the propulsive "Ladyboy" and "Fat" stand out for sheer humour), emphatic choruses ("Children of the Sun") and bizarre samples (the horse neighs on "Cowboy"), to a degree that betrays the intent of making the whole thing just a divertissement. The album is, in fact, only half successful: the initial ideas aren't adequately exploited across the full 45 minutes, and at certain points there's a palpable sense of fatigue and repetitiveness. Perhaps an EP would have suited it better. For Rammstein fans the album might prove an interesting, catchy diversion, but for Pain fans there are no surprises at all in the sound (which is the same thing the Swedish musician has been offering for fifteen years), save for an improved vocal performance.

Emigrate returned in 2018 with A Million Degrees. Overall, the album is a bit more cohesive than its predecessor, in that it fully commits to a totally melodic approach with a pronounced radio-friendly attitude. The industrial streak straddling rock and metal, however, is by now entirely marginal, and when it does appear it sounds stale and far too diluted within songwriting that can come across as overly softened, if not downright limp. The album also lacks any real peaks, lingering on stylistic solutions that are years out of date. In its own way it tries to sound varied, with a few divisive episodes that stray from the band's established sound to draw on other influences: "War" is driven by gothic, Evanescence-style distorted guitars, "1234" veers toward Billy Talent-style punk-pop (Benjamin Kowalewicz indeed guests on the track), the title track plays between industrial rock and country rock using electronics as the glue, "You're So Beautiful" is influenced by U2-style pop-rock, "We Are Together" is almost a distorted, guitar-driven take on Cure-style dark rock, "Let's Go" is a watered-down synth-rock ballad featuring Till Lindemann, and so on. In reality, though, a common, melodicised thread runs through all the songs, and the variety is only apparent. The Emigrate project is now completely detached from its Rammstein lineage, which is a good thing on one hand, since the band is trying to find an identity of its own while still drawing on various different stylistic traits to put the songs together. On the other hand, the radio-friendly streak that defines the album will in all likelihood completely alienate the industrial crowd and the like, and in compositional terms it's unlikely to grab the attention of listeners already well versed in this kind of sound. The clean production backfires, making it all the more obvious just how derivative and watered-down a record this is.

At this point everything is set for the long-awaited return, ten years on, of the Rammstein juggernaut. Recorded throughout 2018 in France at La Fabrique in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Rammstein (2019) is the first album not to feature longtime producer Jacob Hellner: in his place is Olsen Involtini. The record was preceded by two singles, "Deutschland" and "Radio". The former rediscovers the band's winning blend of electronics and metal, culminating in a sumptuous chorus, with self-references present even at the lyrical level ("Du Hast" and "Ich Will" echo in the opening verses, where Till Lindemann holds forth on his fraught relationship with his homeland). The latter, "Radio", is decidedly more aggressive and driving, but has a melodic touch far removed from the band's tanz roots, much to the dismay of those hoping for a return to their harder origins. Two songs, two great singles, little to argue about.

Let's carry on by saying straight away what doesn't work: Rammstein have settled into the formula that's guaranteed them fame and numbers ever since "Reise Reise". Despite the time that's passed, there's little difference between this record and its predecessors: expectations were high, and they've been partly let down. What's missing is the bite, the compositional nastiness and the lyrical craft of seminal works like "Sehnsucht" and "Mutter". To be clear: this isn't a bad record, but anyone expecting Rammstein's masterpiece, or at least a shocking comeback, will be left disappointed. Especially faced with "Auslander", a thrash-dance number hard to justify as mere divertissement, while "Sex" – whose guitar riff sounds too close to Muse's "Psycho" – despite a fine central solo, never quite takes off, making it clear Lindemann has run out of original things to say on the subject.

Now for the high points. "Puppe" is one of Lindemann's finest performances ever, every molecule of the song vibrating with a tremendous tension that deserves an immediate place among the band's career highlights: we would have welcomed more moments of this calibre. Also lovely are the two intense acoustic minutes of "Diamant", the heartfelt "Was Ich Liebe", and while "Zeig Dich" sounds like an updated version of "Zerstören" (complete with the introductory "sacred choirs" as in "Rammlied"), its fervour manages to stand out more than its companions "Weit Weg" or "Tattoo".

Closed out by "Hallomann", Rammstein is a well-crafted, workmanlike record that adds nothing to the Germans' currently not-so-thriving musical discourse: there's no shortage of good passages, but given the time spent making it and the band's stature, the album flows by all too harmlessly, without leaving many memorable marks. Ten years of waiting for just a few great songs to see live alongside the other classics is really not much. A shame.

The monument immortalised on the cover of Rammstein's new album is the Trudelturm in Berlin, a massive structure still open to visitors in the German capital's aerodynamics park. A grey, imposing figure that takes us back to the Nazi era and then forward a few more decades, to when that part of the city was under Soviet control. Zeit (2022) is thus an unmistakable title: it's time flowing relentlessly on, shaping history, that same history that keeps writing bloodstained pages, even today. Rammstein worked on these eleven compositions during the difficult days of the pandemic, unaware of the infamous fate that part of Eastern Europe was heading towards. And yet Zeit oozes the residue of a Cold War still very much alive, swinging between dark apocalyptic overtones (the opening entrusted to the electronics of "Armee Der Tristen") and driving industrial marches ("Dicke Titten").

It's curious, too, how Lindemann and co. manage to go – sticking to their first two singles/videos – from Z to Z: from "Zeit" to "Zick Zack". Not that it's a surprise, more a simple observation, yet another one for a band capable of alternating between the most distant scenarios, emotions and themes, always offering up something to reflect on. In the case of the title track, we're face to face with the relentless passing of time. An introspective piece with its gaze turned to the surrounding world, to a present stripped of all hope (⟦Q1⟧). In "Zick Zack" too time passes, but in a far more concrete, physical way: here the band mocks cosmetic surgery, envisioning a future we hope – for their sake – never comes to pass. While there's no shortage of aggressive passages packaged with real craft (from "Angst" to "Giftig") and explicit sexual themes (the aforementioned "Dicke Titten" and "OK", that is, Ohne Kondom, without a condom), Rammstein's greatness once again lies in those other songs, where the band, rather than shaking us with the mechanical force of its sound, prefers to touch far deeper chords. Where "Puppe" stood out on the previous record, here we have "Meine Tränen" (⟦Q2⟧) and the splendid "Lügen", opened by a plaintive sound and then lifted up by the voice (distorted and effect-laden) of a Lindemann playing the part of an incurable liar (⟦Q3⟧). Zeit is thus not an appendix to the previous record, it's not some "Rosenrot" tagging along behind a just-concluded experience (in that case, "Reise, Reise"), not least because a full three years have passed since the self-titled 2019 full-length. Unfortunately, though, pleasant as it is, time passes during this listen too, and it eventually lands on the notes of "Adieu", to be read (in keeping with other Rammstein songs) as a message addressed to their fans. Better, then, to say goodbye and embrace with one last song (⟦Q4⟧), just in case.

In 2023, the Rammstein frontman released the first solo album credited under his own name. There's now a Till before Lindemann, anticipating that surname which, besides identifying the German band's singer, also named the side project outside the mother band with Peter Tägtgren. Now, Rammstein are moving forward at full speed, while the paths with Tägtgren – another key member of Lindemann – have gone their separate ways: but that hasn't stopped Till. After a couple of modest singles ("Ich hasse Kinder"), he released a new album. The material had been ready for a while, but well-known extra-musical affairs delayed it. On "Zunge" Lindemann brings in a whole roster of producers, each contributing to individual tracks, the way it's done in hip-hop: but the underlying sound is still that of Lindemann, more eclectic and more willing to venture into new territory than Rammstein. Flying solo, Till tries to make his choruses as effective and powerful as possible: the title track, "Schweiss", "Übers Meer". Sometimes the guitars are metal, sometimes the slashing six strings merge with synthesizers (as on the frantic "Sport frei"), sometimes they come crashing down like an axe. The German indulges in his usual extreme lyrics ("Nass") and returns to the tropes his career has been built on, just think of the world of childhood. From "Nun liebe Kinder, gebt fein acht" to "Alles Für Die Kinder". Anyone who's been listening to Rammstein for a while won't fail to spot a few pleasant details/callbacks, such as the "flesh" that was once "Weisses" and is now "Altes". On the whole, "Zunge" is a record with positive results, featuring all the sides and facets Lindemann has shown over the years: from the extreme physicality and attendant perversions of his lyrics, to the more lighthearted moments (did someone mention the folksy hidden track at the end of "Selbst verliebt"?), all the way to the more unsettling, sinister passages. It then comes down to personal taste, or what each listener looks for in that monstrum called Till: this writer, for one, is very fond of passages like "Tanzlehrerin", a close relative of "Knebel" and "Ach so gern". It's only right to close by mentioning the videos and short films with which Till Lindemann always accompanies his music: a true extension of his aesthetic.

Contributions by Alessio Belli (Till Lindemann "Zunge", "Rammstein", "Saddle Up", "Zeit" and "F & M") and Paolo Chemnitz (for "F & M" and "Zeit")

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