Band:	Rammstein
Album:	Herzeleid
Style:	Industrial metal
Release date:	September 24, 1995
A review by:	Dream Taster

01. Wollt Ihr Das Bett In Flammen Sehen?
02. Der Meister
03. Weisses Fleisch
04. Asche Zu Asche
05. Seemann
06. Du Riechst So Gut
07. Das Alte Leid
08. Heirate Mich
09. Herzeleid
10. Laichzeit
11. Rammstein

Rammstein is a very unique band, which music has been described acquainted with so many different musical styles that it's impossible to associate their sound with something else than the name of the band itself. Using a lot of keyboards, a repetitive and obsessing rhythm perfectly conducted by the drummer and the repetitive lyrics in the mouth of their great singer. Rammstein is also one of the only German band using their native language for the lyrics and their short-lived attempt to make English versions was a call for them to continue with their smart choice. Of course, with the barrier of the language and the ambient stupidity of some listeners, the band has been and is still falsely accused of neo-nazism propaganda and other handmade stories. These theories have been widely spread also due to the complexity and weirdness of their lyrics, most of the time referring to very dark themes such as pain and suffering. As it's the case on their debut album entitled "Herzeleid".

The hypnotic power of Till's voice enhances a lot of compositions on this album while the keyboard lines add a feeling of uneasiness close to dementia to the music. Standards of the band such as 'Weisses Fleisch', 'Rammstein', 'Heirate Mich' and 'Du Riechst So Gut' are pure jewels and blend altogether with the ballad 'Seemann' into a powerful and majestic album.

The production is clearly less enjoyable than on their second album "Sehnsucht", but it's almost a detail seeing the great quality of the songs. Also, the broad use of keyboard lines totally turns "Herzeleid" into a must-have for people in quest for dark ambient metal. Some choruses will haunt you forever and there is no denial that "Herzeleid" is obviously a rare thing, as both a debut album and a masterpiece.

Powerful, mechanical, dark, hypnotic and insane, "Herzeleid" is altogether a different style of music and it can scarcely be criticized due to huge amounts of talent, innovation and creativity invested in this album. Retrospectively, amongst "Herzeleid", "Sehnsucht" and "Mutter", my pick would be this one as the usual rawness of debut albums has forgotten to show up on "Herzeleid". A majestic first effort for a no less majestic band, this masterpiece deserves a special place in your CD collection.