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Rammstein - Rammstein review



Reviewer:
8.0

408 users:
7.73
Band: Rammstein
Album: Rammstein
Release date: May 2019


01. Deutschland
02. Radio
03. Zeig Dich
04. Ausländer
05. Sex
06. Puppe
07. Was Ich Liebe
08. Diamant
09. Weit Weg
10. Tattoo
11. Hallomann

Rammstein have been, in a sense, on ice for a while now. Sure, they've been touring, played some festivals, had a few special releases - they weren't dead - but their last album was ten years ago, and all the Oomph!s, Eisbrechers, Megaherzes, Ruoskas, Raubtiers, and Turmion Kätilöts in the world couldn't fill that void. We needed Rammstein.

I have an inarticulate dislike of bands releasing self-titled albums this far into their careers, but this collection of severe, yet danceable, industrial metal does seem to capture the essence of Rammstein as it evolved over six previous albums. "Deutschland" and "Sex" carry on the stadium-sized grooves that Liebe Ist Für Alle Da specialized in; "Was Ich Liebe," "Weit Weg," and "Diamant" take that sound on a tour through Rosenrot with morose choruses and icy keys; "Zeig Dich" refers to Sehnsucht for its tune and tone, albeit with much bolder vocal lines and a more expansive chorus that 21st-century megastar Rammstein can't do without - and if you miss the robotic simplicity of Herzeleid, "Tattoo" might scratch that itch, or even "Deutschland," that same explosive opener.

Rammstein carries the band into the future, too, sporting some new digs in the uncharacteristically smooth, suave "Radio" and the infectious club atmosphere of "Ausländer," whose fun electro-metal beat brings to mind The SLoT's 200 кВт. And then there's "Puppe": that's a raw slice of fresh-killed meat of the sort that only Rammstein's menacing perversion can bring to fruition. Till's hoarse spluttering and the whining riffs revive a sense of industrial horror that had slithered away from Rammstein after a couple of over-produced pop metal albums. That one will be appended to my personal favorites list for sure; the presence of so many other great songs forces me to conclude that this is an album worthy of the name Rammstein.

In the months leading up to Rammstein's release, I juggled several questions that dampened my enthusiasm and dragged me away from listening. Was this album necessary? Well, Rammstein is one of my favorite bands, but I had become strangely comfortable with Liebe Ist Für Alle Da being their last recorded statement, so I wondered if they ought not play it safe and end on that suitably positive note. Would this album be good? Ten years was a long time to wait, and the non-LP single "Mein Land" from 2011 hardly rated a footnote; "Deutschland" and "Radio" were not strong enough singles on their own to get me hooked, even if their video budget could finance all of Europe for the next five years. Would there be too much Lindemann or Emigrate filtering through? As enjoyable as those projects can be, I'll listen to them if I want to hear them, and I'd begrudge too much crossover.

My worries were hardly warranted; this is pure Rammstein, and a more fitting end than either of the last two albums: more consistent, more retrospective, and more interesting. Rammstein is not as novel or trendy as it was in its early days, but this album is clearly not something they jumbled together out of obligation. Whether it's for a proper relaunch or to mark a definitive finale, Rammstein is undoubtedly a comeback that has a purpose.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 7
Production: 8





Written on 18.06.2019 by I'm the reviewer, and that means my opinion is correct.


Comments

Comments: 17   Visited by: 239 users
18.06.2019 - 12:31
Rating: 10
The Entity

Good review, I pretty much agree with everything. I had the hopes and expectations that this would land as my 4th favorite Rammstein-album, and those modest hopes was meet as expected. Not quite as good as their classics but certainly better then then many of their other albums. Really looking forward to catching them live for the first time in 10 years!
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https://enigmaticalofficial.bandcamp.com/
Industrial / Cosmic Black Metal
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18.06.2019 - 17:27
RaduP
CertifiedHipster
Of course you had to reference The Slot

What's next? An interview somehow mentioning David Lynch?
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Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking
One day there will be no heart at all?
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18.06.2019 - 22:01
nikarg

Quote:
Rammstein is one of my favorite bands

Ok, I had no idea
I am just quoting this so that people know who they are dealing with from now on

I like the album and the review. It sounds mature and I mean it in a good way.
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19.06.2019 - 00:38
Rating: 8
ScreamingSteelUS
Editor-in-Chief
Written by RaduP on 18.06.2019 at 17:27

Of course you had to reference The Slot

What's next? An interview somehow mentioning David Lynch?

Gotta meet my quota.

Written by nikarg on 18.06.2019 at 22:01

Quote:
Rammstein is one of my favorite bands

Ok, I had no idea
I am just quoting this so that people know who they are dealing with from now on

With the reviewing career I've had, I think folks have a good idea of whom they're dealing with:

Sabaton = 10
Babymetal = 9
everything else = 8+
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"Earth is small and I hate it" - Lum Invader

I'm the Agent of Steel.
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19.06.2019 - 00:55
nikarg

Written by ScreamingSteelUS on 19.06.2019 at 00:38

Sabaton = 10

This review is my most anticipated one for 2019. I have already stocked up on popcorn for the comments that will follow
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19.06.2019 - 01:11
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Thank you for the review SSUS. You echo a lot of my views regarding Rammstein as a whole while also differing in how we view certain tracks of this album in particular. For example, Deutschland was for me instant love and like you said, I totally got the robotic, Hertzleid-feeling on that track. Maybe because of how that album starts that reminds me of "Du Riechst So Gut". "Radio", on the toher hand is kind of meh, to me. I do agree that it's quite the unique track coming from Rammstein. I also want to fully support your words of "Ausländer". It has a very modern vibe to it in the best way possible due to the "club" vibe it has. When I first heard that track I immdiately thought "Rammstein are relevant again". Which was a feeling I believe they never got again since Reise, Reise.
It took me a while to enjoy Liebe Ist Für Alle Da and it makes me happy to read that this seems to be a much proper "final album" in case they never release anything ever again.

Besides the singles with videos, I have not heard this album AT ALL. Just some live tracks from some relatively-high-quality live videos on youtube. I'm going to see Rammstein tomorrow in Copenhagen. It has been a dream since I was 7... Now, almost 2 decades later. I can finally do it. It's weird to do it with the tour of an album I have not heard before but I know they'll play plenty of classics for me to enjoy. And maybe, just maybe, watching them live will make for some sweet, sweet nostalgia later on, once I finally listen to this album in full when I buy it.

Written by nikarg on 18.06.2019 at 22:01

Quote:
Rammstein is one of my favorite bands

Ok, I had no idea

Rammstein is one of my absolute favorite bands as well. And it's probably the only example of a band that I enjoy with as much passion as I did the first time I listened to them (around 7 years old, thanks to my then stepbrother).
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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19.06.2019 - 01:23
Rating: 6
musclassia

Written by nikarg on 19.06.2019 at 00:55

Written by ScreamingSteelUS on 19.06.2019 at 00:38

Sabaton = 10

This review is my most anticipated one for 2019. I have already stocked up on popcorn for the comments that will follow


Do we still host contrary host page reviews a la Deathday 666? I have only heard a couple of Sabaton songs, but really disliked them, wonder what an attempt at a review would come out as

As far as this album goes, as someone who got kicked out of a friend's New Year Eve party for singing Du Hast overly passionately, I thought it was surprisingly uninspiring on first listen. I would like to like it, but it felt quite insipid, which as far as adjectives I might use to describe Rammstein go, is quite low on the list. Maybe repeat listens will change that opinion, but I cant say there was much in that first listen to inspire me to listen to it further
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19.06.2019 - 01:24
Rating: 6
musclassia

Written by musclassia on 19.06.2019 at 01:23



Do we still host contrary host page reviews a la Deathday 666? I have only heard a couple of Sabaton songs, but really disliked them, wonder what an attempt at a review would come out as

As far as this album goes, as someone who got kicked out of a friend's New Year Eve party for singing Du Hast overly passionately, I thought it was surprisingly uninspiring on first listen. I would like to like it, but it felt quite insipid, which as far as adjectives I might use to describe Rammstein go, is quite low on the list. Maybe repeat listens will change that opinion, but I cant say there was much in that first listen to inspire me to listen to it further


Having said that, I am hammerred, so take anything I say tonight with a grain of salt
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19.06.2019 - 01:24
nikarg

Written by X-Ray Rod on 19.06.2019 at 01:11

Rammstein is one of my absolute favorite bands as well. And it's probably the only example of a band that I enjoy with as much passion as I did the first time I listened to them (around 7 years old, thanks to my then stepbrother).

I used to love Rammstein when I was going through a goth/industrial/dark electro/ebm, etc. phase. I still enjoy them a lot every time I listen to them but it's not the music I opt for nowadays. Still, this album is really good and I envy you more than you can imagine because I have never seen them live. Have fun and let us know how it was (fiery would be my guess )
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19.06.2019 - 01:27
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by musclassia on 19.06.2019 at 01:24
Having said that, I am hammerred, so take anything I say tonight with a grain of salt

When I'm hammered I actually love to listen to catchy, fun metal. Go take one or two shots and listen to Deutschland on repeat.
I'm a doctor, so i know what's best for you.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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19.06.2019 - 01:29
nikarg

Written by musclassia on 19.06.2019 at 01:24

Having said that, I am hammerred, so take anything I say tonight with a grain of salt

No worries, I'm sure many of us have Du Hast-related, embarrassing moments to share.

For what it's worth I started liking it after 3-4 listens, so maybe you should give it another chance.
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20.06.2019 - 04:45
Rating: 10
VileVick-Bryant

Oomph Eisbrecher Megahertz Ruoska Raubtiers and Turmion Kätilöt are aweomes I also would add Gevolt and Tanzwut to that list. Along with Rammstein I've been waiting for a new Ruoska and Gevolt album as well.
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21.06.2019 - 08:52
Fallen Ghost
Craft Beer Geek
Good review which is on point. Initially I found the album pretty boring, but the more I listened to it, the more I liked it. Best songs IMO: Zeig Dich and Puppe
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30.06.2019 - 01:30
Dead In Hell

Sometimes I go to metal archives and I'm like, "what a bunch of puerile elists", then I come here and there's a glowing review for a Rammstein album.
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30.06.2019 - 05:47
Karlabos
Meat and Potatos
I cannot enjoy Rammstein as I did in their time
I guess my taste just changed over so many years
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"Aah! The cat turned into a cat!"
- Reimu Hakurei
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03.07.2019 - 01:02
Rating: 8
Netzach
Planewalker
Great review, well-written and sums up the album nicely. I haven't listened to a Rammstein album since "Mutter", had lost all hope of them making interesting music again, but this one is pretty damn good.
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22.07.2019 - 12:24
Rating: 9
Mad Mike

Deutschland might be the greatest music video ever made... at least as far as metal videos go anyway. The production design, the symbolism, the colour scheme, the costumes... it all came together so perfectly. I'm not one to talk about music videos too often, but damn me if I don't like it when it's done right.
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Did you ever notice that the people who tell you to get a life are normally people who should be dead in the first place?
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