RAMMSTEIN

Liebe Ist Für Alle Da

(Universal, 2009.)

80/100

It’s been ten years since 1999 when I’ve heard of Rammstein for the first time on The Matrix soundtrack where is their song “Du Hast”. Picture the scene way back in 2001 where a song called ‘Sonne’ featuring a bunch of men dressed as miners being a part of a twisted Snow White tale was what the video depicted. For many people this was their first experience of the madness that is Rammstein and the idea of how a song about the Sun itself could be twisted in such a way had a lot of people curious. But now in  the end of 2009 some Rammstein elements are seen a bit different. But now I finally got in in my hands and ears impressions are as it follow.
1. Rammlied (Ramm-Song) is  pretty much what you’d expect for an opening song on a Rammstein album. Starts off slow, builds up, then it’s full speed ahead for the duration.
2. Ich Tu Dir Weh’ (I Hurt You) starts the first foray into an electro world and personally is the song I can not get out of my head. The song  falls squarely into the “dramatic” category of their music, where Lindemann’s vocals occasionally go beyond the usual rolling rs at times and becomes almost operatic. They maintain just the right balance between the pounding drums and guitar right next to Flake’s ridiculous keyboard skills is the best you can get from the band and it is present in this song.
3. Waidmanns Heil (Hunter’s Call) kicks in a faster and gives the image of the thrill of a hunt with the blastbeats resembling the gallop of a horse along with an actual hound panting near the end. Play this song during a Viking raid and it would fit. It opens with horns, it’s literally calling you to it before it hits you with all guns firing. This would be the “fight song” of the album.
4. Haifisch (Shark) is one of the slowest on the album, this one’s currently sitting as my favorite. Nothing overly spectacular for a minute or so, everyone just sort of working towards it. Then you get everything and it’s just freaking epic. That’s the only way to describe it. Epic.
5. B******** (Buckstabu) strip away some of the production value and Herzeleid has been reborn in this song. Loud, rough, it’s unpleasant to listen to Lindemann screaming in your ear with his sore throat sounding rolling rs, and damn it, that’s the only way to listen to this song. Any other way and it wouldn’t work.
6. Fruhling in Paris (Springtime in Paris) is the most diverse song on the album (and my favourite overall) with it’s more acoustic feel until the chorus along with EDITH PIAF being quoted by Till in the chorus (“Je ne Regrette Rien” in fact for anyone curious.) Personally I’m curious if it’s a sequel to Spring off Rosenrot about suicide. we shall know when the translations are done.
7. ‘Wiener Blut’ (Vienna Blood) is in my opinion the darkest song that Rammstein have done (yes, darker than ‘Mein Teil’) as it is about the Josef Fritzl case. Starting off with the sound of an old grammarphone, Till then describes the protagonist luring people into his castle and welcoming them with ‘Wilkommen in der dunkleheit’ (Welcome into the darkness). What follows is a description of the events. Also Wiener Blut is also a type of sausage in Germany. Think reindeer so the dark humour of Till strikes again.
8. ‘Pussy’ is self explanatory and for new Rammstein fans it is a surprise as the chorus is done in English and is like ‘Amerika’ at the same time being a much more lighthearted swipe at the German people’s attitudes towards sex. As we know, it is followed by the real hardcore porn video… to smart ones more then enough.
9. Liebe ist fur alle da (Love Is There for Everyone). The title track, but does it hold up good enough to be the title track? Perhaps. It gives the cover of the album too seems like more of a sequel to Mein Teil but keeps the ferociousness of the opening three tracks once again going into near thrash territory.
10. Mehr (More) is loud, hard, fast, what you’d expect when you’re drawing to a close. Not much else to say about this other than don’t have your headphones up all the way. Loud is the way to go with this one.
11. Roter Sand (Red Sand)
What would a Rammstein album be without a somewhat oddly out of place slow song with minimal rockage? Klavier, Seemann, Roter Sand. Either you like these songs or you don’t you’ll probably be skipping it a lot. Because even compared to the aforementioned slow songs, this one… well, it was probably written during a particular depressed or happy moment, depending on how you want to interpret it.

So is it a return to form for Rammstein? They still have shown the ability to be tight in working together and the overall album shows a return to the days of “Reise, Reise” at least and show that a mixture of styles can be done well (sorry Muse), Rammstein also have the ability to shock as the deluxe box set proves. I won’t describe it here but given the first single.

www.rammstein.de

Review: Vincent Aarden
vincent@venia-mag.net