'Rammstein' album review: German metalheads return with bold new sound in first studio release since 2009
Six-piece hard rock and industrial metal band return with a bang
It’s been 10 years since German metalheads Rammstein released their last album, and the six-piece have certainly returned with a bang with their self-titled new album.
Opening track Deutschland is quintessential Rammstein: a tongue-in-cheek love letter to Germany through surging power chords and a hard-rock beat. It’s a huge track that certainly makes up for lost time. Next up is Radio, a dancey hymn that really amps up the melodrama. For the most part, the record is hit after hit. Zeig Dich and album highlight Was Ich Liebe are bursting with nihilistic lyrics and anthemic choruses, as Till Lindemann cries in the latter, “What I love, that will spoil/What I love, that will die”.
Puppe is another strong moment, with the clean guitar picking that swells into a tidal wave of rage, offering some of the record’s most impactful and dynamic moments.
At times, the comical themes overshadow the music. This is the case with Tattoo, a sinister song about getting tattoos, and Ausländer, in which Lindemann delivers each line in a different language, making him sound like he’s reading them straight from Google Translate.
Nevertheless, fans young and old will be swept up in the whirlwind of this record. After 25 years together, Rammstein still sound as bold and memorable as ever.