Counter-Currents
Now in Audio Version! Rammstein Needs to Retire
Scott Weisswald
1,925 words
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More on Rammstein at Counter-Currents here.
Du hast mich gefragt, und ich antwortete: Rammstein needs to retire.
Coming on the heels of a long hiatus, Rammstein’s new self-titled (or untitled, depending on who you ask) album is more a testament to how tired Rammstein’s shtick has become than an invigorating piece of heady, wild metal. Rammstein broke their silence with the lead single off this record, “Deutschland,” which featured cover art depicting a black woman wielding a sword. The quality of this album was therefore rather easily predicted. Rammstein hasn’t truly been relevant since the very early 2000s, and largely depended upon performative hyperbole and their rough, “German” image that lends them some degree of exoticism and perceived genuineness among the audience they found abroad. Put simply, Rammstein has never been much more than a relatively gimmicky Neue Deutsche Harte band that found unlikely success globally with a sound that relied on the same tropes as any other metal-goes-pop outfit – with an extra dash of helpful stereotyping. In Till Lindemann’s own words, “German is the language of anger.”
This attitude towards one’s own homeland is in clear focus on this record, beginning the circus with the aforementioned lead single “Deutschland,” which opens in one of the most poetic ways possible: A reference to the band’s largest single to date. The opening lines, “Du hast . . .,” convey just how creaky the band’s joints are in a way that no critic ever could put into words. Of course, to the average Rammstein listener, this is fan service at its finest; playing off the nostalgia of their initial forays into fame in order to give this newest effort even a slight claim to legitimacy. The unfortunate truth is, however, that Deutschland sounds more like a passable Linkin Park B-side than a skull-crushing East German power trip, if one is to ignore Lindemann’s growling about du, ich, and wir, or his tongue-in-cheek “Deutschland über allen,” followed, of course, by the most telling line of the entire song: “Ich kann dir meine Liebe nicht geben,” or in English, “I cannot give you my love.” It’s rather difficult to tell who this music is being made for: Germans who legitimately dislike their own homeland? Clueless Americans who have no idea what is even being said? The instrumentals are entirely lackluster, and would probably be better received as some kind of dance-rock or hardcore club tomfoolery than “metal,” so this is certainly not meant for rabid headbangers, either. Rammstein, despite their manufactured German image, is yet another rootless, globalized hit machine churning out music that will burst across the radio waves and then be forgotten within the span of the next record cycle.
Speaking of radio, the album’s second entry, “Radio,” opens on rhythm guitar and square synth, a formula that doesn’t change much throughout the 4 minutes and 37 seconds of a song that amounts to little more than a chorus clearly designed for catchiness and not much else (“Radio, mein Radio”) and occasional power chords. The verses that make up this track all follow the same uninspired cadence, and again touch on the most boring, safe topics possible: music, the radio, keine Grenzen (no borders). For a band that previously prided itself on shock value and dealt with such publicly reviled topics as violence both physical and sexual, personal hate, and pyromania, safe subjects like free love and open borders seem incredibly out of place. One could ramble on endlessly about Rammstein’s music and how poorly it has aged, but if any one thing is to be cited when calling for the band to lay down their instruments, it’s the fact that they’re writing songs about European establishment talking points. If you’re supporting the status quo, posing as some kind of subversive, edgy group is nothing more than that: posing.
“Zeig Dich” initially offers something a bit more listenable given the juxtaposition of an operatic wail with grating rhythm guitar work, but unfortunately, the countless artistic directions one could have taken with such a track are thrown out the window in favor of a dusty, endlessly-repeated pop metal formula consisting of power chords, two-syllable mantra choruses, and an entirely uninspired melody that hits every safe spot in its key in arpeggio fashion. There really is not much to say about this song: No one section particularly stands out, but there’s nothing to be gleaned from the track as a whole, either. On every quarter note, a kick drum. Every half note, a snare drum. Hi-hats roll in between. Distorted guitars and phlegm-choked utterances from the back of the throat coat the remainder of the track until the very end, when the opera returns; and once it’s all been said and done, one can’t help but think that it’s quite a shame the opera had to go away at all.
The forebodingly-named “Ausländer” (foreigner) tells the story of a man at home “everywhere,” a man whose language is “international.” No matter where he goes, he is an Ausländer, a word of contention in Germany. There is no way to get through this track without cringing; it oozes with a pallid, painfully white brand of internationalism that consists of vague references to one’s own mystery, relying on the mythos surrounding a man who spends only a few hours in each town, and a chorus composed in German, English, French, and Russian. No other group of people on Earth feel like this other than a small group of cosmopolitan, equally self-loathing yet narcissistic white folk who have access to money. Overall, “Ausländer” is a perfect representation of the state in which much of Europe lies: People who don’t feel at home where they’re from, and pride themselves on being “foreign” in the other lands they meander too. We can only wonder if Lindemann is aware of the irony that his ditty used only European languages in its chorus.
The charmingly named “Sex” provides a momentary reprieve – if one revels in kitsch. It’s a bit of a throwback to the edgy, earlier days of Rammstein, driven by a vaguely sensual bassline with the tops of its frequency range lopped off. Lyrically, the song covers every aspect of what Rammstein must imagine a sexual encounter is like, from flirting (plenty of the song is a compliment about a woman’s breasts or genitals) to ecstasy (screaming “Sex!”), and finally, hedonistic nihilism (“We only live once”). Alas, what surely would have been a real stickler in the sides of parents and the suited public in the ‘90s is now almost milquetoast. In an era full of child drag queens, public sex acts in the name of “pride,” and countless smartphone applications dedicated to the most meaningless and casual sex possible, a song about heterosexual desire is far from edgy, provocative, or even remotely interesting. Men in their 50s yelling about breasts might inspire a Boomer or two, but to everyone else, it just sounds like noise.
“Puppe” may be the worst offender on the album when it comes to watered-down production. This track features literal trap instrumentals: a snare drum on the second and fourth note with syncopated kick drums dancing about it. There is, however, one particularly graceful moment on this song and the record as a whole: For once, Rammstein decided this album deserved a deconstructed, crunchy reprieve from a vaguely synthetic bassline and the same power chords, and for about ten seconds we’re given headache-inducing drum-pummeling and Lindemann gutturally bemoaning his own behavior of biting out the neck on a doll, almost as if he was gasping for air, suffocating under the weight of his own persona. This moment of random ingenuity doesn’t last long, however, and the rest of the song takes on a doom-like atmosphere, rolling out the same tropes, tricks, and traditions that have marked every generic radio-friendly metal song over the last two centuries. Who knows what the story behind “Puppe” is; we may only ponder what it might have been.
“Was ich liebe” takes on a Volbeat-like composition, drowned in atmosphere and effect to the point that nothing is discernible on its own except for a synth melody that appears about midway through that inescapably sounds like Billie Eilish, once you make the comparison. Of course, since Rammstein doesn’t like sticking to the same cliché for long, atmosphere is broken up by diluted rhythmic slamming or pedaled plucks on the high side of a guitar. In terms of messaging, there is not much to say other than that this song attempted to be depressing, with whiny verses about how the things you love shrink away from you. It makes sense, then, that this song seems to go on for so long.
“Diamant” is an attempt at a downtempo, brooding love song. On no front is Rammstein more deserving of criticism than in its incredibly tired set of formulas and clichés, and this is painfully apparent on “Diamant,” with descriptions of one’s object of desire as a “diamond” and the typical, bland Gen X pessimism of decreeing that a diamond is “just a rock.” This track is the shortest on the album, at 2 minutes 34 seconds, and deserves some credit for fizzling out after it finished making just one round about its exhausting songwriting, rather than the seemingly endless repetition of the album’s other cuts.
“Weit Weg” begins almost like a Paul Kalkbenner transition track. This is quickly thrown out in favor of a pseudo-hair metal approach, offering all of the cringe and none of the nostalgia. A sweeping, organ-programmed synthesizer plods throughout the song’s key while an unenthusiastic Schneider drops his feet on the kick drum in the same pattern that he has for ninety percent of the album. Much like the other filler tracks on here, there isn’t much to say that hasn’t already been said. This song is tiring, uninventive, and completely forgettable. There isn’t even a hamfisted sociopolitical message to chew on; just more dreck. Perhaps that’s the real sociopolitical message.
“Tattoo,” the penultimate track, begins with a Slayer-like thrash opener and morphs into another – moderately ghastly – Rammstein track. Peppered with elementary metaphor, such as that of writing a letter on burning paper (but the paper is one’s skin!), “Tattoo” is a prime example of Rammstein running out of material after exploring a new idea. It’s unfortunate that much of this record is conceptually interesting at its base, but every original idea that manages to peek its head out of the water is inevitably smothered in pop-metal building blocks. The end result is tracks only worth a second thought if they’re of boisterous annoyance (“Sex”) or self-important obliviousness (“Ausländer”). Hopefully, nobody tattoos any of the lyrics from “Tattoo” on themselves, unless they’re trying to prove a very important point.
“Hallomann” ends the record fittingly. Almost every confusing, boring, or misfit Rammstein patchwork used to stitch this album together happily prances back on stage, whether it’s the power chords, choral operatics (which, when listened to individually and together, sound nearly identical), unseasoned vocal cadence, or even public enemy number one, the syncopated and synthesized trap drumline. Generally speaking, a record’s last track is often an indication of a group’s future output, or is otherwise a closing rumination on an album’s themes, but it would appear that Rammstein opted instead for a filler track that runs the gamut of their previous sins, almost as if to remind us that we actually listened to this entire release.
Truth be told, the closing track’s intentions don’t matter all that much; you’re bound to forget just about all of this album in a few hours, anyway.
122 comments
If you have a normie Mitfahrer in a car, you can always try something like “Frei.Wild” instead…
Terrible review. Get your ego out of it, and if you hate the band to start with, recognize your own bias and review something else. Or go back to school and take more classes on how to be objective and unbiased.
Rammstein has been producing boring music, spiced up with a grotesque self delusion of colosality since the very beginning. This utter artistic impotence attempts to be concealed by loudness. A more appropriate name for the band would be perhaps Soft Cock Rapists Wannabe.
It takes a moron to not notice this.
If your ears hurt when loud rock music plays, I’d bash them too cause they don’t sound like Justin Bieber in your snowflake culture. Rammstein may be aging but it’s still VERY on point. Visit Europe or Germany to understand it better. No one needs to hear an ignorant “critic” that dropped out of English/Language Arts class because they didn’t know how to form a sentence. Also, if Rammstein is so “bad”, how come they sell out stadiums? Lmao. Oh, I remember, so “critics” like yourself can disprove their recent success. Kick rocks bud. Go listen to pop and leave proper rock to those with taste to discern it properly.
Well said.
Well said.
Perfectly said John! Thank you. I just want to add that Americsns who like Rammstein are not dumb to the lyrics. There are many sites that have translations. Geez
Its good to understand the lyrics but you also need to understand the history of Germany or East-Germany where most of the bandmember grew up……greetzzzzzz from Holland
Amen John…..thank you.
Most of us agree here that you speak about amythical band that still will be relevant after you swallowed your dictionary.
Agreed. ….the author calls the lead singer TIM also..why would anyone listen to his opinions about rammstien.
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Justin Bieber is popular too. Mentioning him at the beginning of your comment doesn’t help your appeal to Rammstein’s popularity.
Well said John
Haleluia,
let God save im because he don’t know what he said
Long leave RAMMSTEIN
Well said John, the audience that finds Justin Bieber popular are definitely not Rammstein fans lol. This author of this review needs to retire.
I frankly didn’t bother with the rest of the album after hearing the first single. A black woman as the emodiment of “Deutschland” prowling around in Mediaevel-esque garb. Yeah, no thanks. Far from provocative, it just displayed the decadence of the Euro-PC mindset erasing it’s own people and culture. I haven’t checked, but I’m sure France’s latest “Marianne” is probably also black or some other PC race or ethnicity.
She’s the color of the German flag dummy. Black gold and red
That is the the stupidest spin I’ve ever heard.
You know, considering that in Germany Deutschland is considered one of the best songs the band ever made with a political statement so clear and so controversial that no other band has dared to make it, I wonder if your opinion about the band’s relevance really just stems from a misunderstanding of their art.
Evidently he has a misunderstanding of music all together…this writer is an idiot. Ramstein are amazing and I wish they would come to America…I can’t believe this guy wrote such a pile of crap…
They’re planning an American tour next fall I think! September time. Make sure you follow social media groups.
Your so stupid!
Keep your dumb fucking opinions to yourself .
A 50 year old American!
Lonnie,
I am with you about the author being ignorant, but you revealed your ignorance with the “50 year old American” bullshit.
One’s age and nationality is of no relevance when it comes to appreciating an artist, any artist, and their work. I’m a 60 year old American and you can believe I appreciate and understand Rammstein as much as anybody. Keep your prejudice to yourself, troll.
I’ve got one why don’t you shut the fuck up who ever wrote this sucks
Apparently the authors grandparents were victims of Hitlers “Final Solution”. I would suggest you listen to the album and make your own conclusions. This article is about as informative as the fools complaining about Chappelles “Sticks and Stones” standup.
I am really enjoying this entire album. I am not alone in this thinking. Each to his or her own.
Fuck these cocksuckers. They wouldn’t know good music if it crawled up their pants and bit them in their peckers.
Good to see someone else recognize their “schtick” is exactly that — a schtick.
The dissident right has a tendency to latch onto any music that gives off a based vibe without investigating what it’s really about, and Rammstein is definitely at the top of that list.
The fact is Rammstein are iron curtain style euro-leftists who use quasi-fascist imagery to troll naive right wingers and centrists. They’re more of a performance art group than a band and their music is the least interesting thing about them. As far as I know that causes a rift between Till and the other guys but they’re all on the same side politically. I personally like them but they have nothing in common with the worldview of the right.
There is actually a well researched piece into the song “Radio”, about how it is actually a depiction of life in a divided Germany during the time of the Wall; it’s not just a song about music not having borders. Shame this article clearly didn’t do an iota of research into any of the actual meanings of the songs. Guess that’s what happens when you Google translate a couple of lines, couple it with a week of DuoLingo lessons and rely on cognates to stumble your way through an album written by artists who have an entirely different cultural background than your own.
Yes! RAMSTEIN!
Yes! RAMMSTEIN!
I don’t know much about it, but is it possible that the author has misinterpreted the purpose of the album, including its references to the issues we talk about? Perhaps the band can’t spell things out crystal clearly due to the PC police. It seems to me equally likely the lyrics are referencing what is wrong with modern Germany, which is why they “cannot love” it.
Your point about clueless Americans is punctuated perfectly by you calling Till Lindemann “Tim.” I chose to read the rest of the review as if it were satire after that.
Some blog writers are too blind to separate art from their own “feelings.” Disgusting clickbait written by a small minded child who clearly has nothing better to do.
Hey Scott, your article is BULLSHIT. Perhaps YOU should be the one retiring! Rammstein rules!
Whoever wrote this column has some serious personal issues. Maybe should take a leave of absence. Or they’re simply that fucked in the head.
You, my friend, based on the article, seem to know nothing about music, and yet, you write with such confidence, it is obvious you’re sure there’s only one point of view valid: yours.
Much of this comment section is appallingly illiterate. I have to think these are not regular Counter-Currents readers, or regular readers of anything.
What utter bollocks, I like the album on first impressions. In all honesty I don’t usually read these reviews, because they’re usually written by someone with an agenda ( and usually, not a fan) as in this case. This has strengthened my resolve to continue not to read such reviews.
I hate deconstruction of music, it’s a piece of entertainment and I treat it as such.
Stick to reviewing stuff you like mate, people might be more interested than they are in this piece of drivel.
Did no catch the bit about ‘Tim’ Lindemann???
C’mon this is merit enough! Lol
-Although it’s sad- yes this album is.. lacking compared to Lifd, and I’ll admit I’ve set this aside.
However, I have some very deep thoughts for you guys, let me know what you think because I’m curious to see where my instinct lies:
1. they’ve said before, Flake has always wanted to make a spacey-synth sounding album: remember when that was brought up in like.. Reise-Reise’s special?
Or maybe right before that I forget but, this is Flakes album!
(Notice how in Lifad the guitars are on the outsides of the head-space and ‘this’ time around the keyboard synth is on the outside?)
2. I think Paul and Rich couldn’t agree on riff’s on top of that and it had a domino effect on the rest of them.
I truly feel no-one really put ‘themselves’ into the album, it inturn ended with no-one truly agreeing on a proper name for this – conglomerate of songs.
It doesn’t have distinct soul.. you know?
This album ‘could’ simply be a Frankenstein thrown together by six dudes who want to make us happy –
3. This time around it just happens to be aimed at a younger crowd – which is really why Till’s kept his lyrics at such a rudimentary level anyway no?
Kids have limited attention spans and lose focus if it’s anything more complex than
‘see mein red ball – bounce ball bounce – ja ich bounce mein ball’
It’s always a string of words cut into four to make it easier to understand and ‘follow’ for kids, bc that’s who needs the Pied-peipper the most: teens who are probably a bit odd, and need to know someone is there for them.
And today’s kids.. well whatever the shit is many listen to, Rammstein seem to have attempted to pull this generation in, even if it’s not what ‘I’ like, I feel they’re once again, trying to make ppl happy.
-and heck, since it’s pop that they all like ‘let’s just give this one to flake, he deserves it – he’s cool, and the rest of us are (possibly) out of ideas anyway.
Eh??
It’s painfully obvious that you do not understand the context, subplot, or intricacies of the song “Deutschland” nor do you understand the song’s intended audience. It’s an incredibly thoughtful and thought-provoking (unlike your review) song critiquing the resurgance of far-right nationalism in Germany. There hasn’t been a song this poignant since 1993. Ausländer is about sex tourism, not some weird commentary on open borders. If you were a real music critic and not just talking out of your anus you’d have done your homework and realized that.
Regarding whether or not their music is great, they’ve clearly decided to make an album that’s more provocative, more commentary than a ‘Neue Deutsche Harte’ album. Rammstein has excelled at social commentary at various moments, and this in many ways is their magnum opus.
It’s painfully obvious that you do not understand the context, subplot, or intricacies of the song “Deutschland” nor do you understand the song’s intended audience. It’s an incredibly thoughtful and thought-provoking (unlike your review) song critiquing the resurgance of far-right nationalism in Germany. There hasn’t been a song this poignant since 1993. Ausländer is about sex tourism, not some weird commentary on open borders. If you were a real music critic and not just talking out of your anus you’d have done your homework and realized that.
Regarding whether or not their music is great, they’ve clearly decided to make an album that’s more provocative, more commentary than a ‘Neue Deutsche Harte’ album. Rammstein has excelled at social commentary at various moments, and this in many ways is their magnum opus. Maybe the music isn’t the hardcore industrial metal which many fans came to love, but that does not give you an excuse to do such a poor job at your job. Do some research.
Yeah, I stopped reading when the author decided that Rammstein is fronted by one “Tim Lindemann”. This dickhead has no idea what he’s talking about.
This critique reads like some edgy teen bait troll wrote it. If you don’t like german industrial metal then bully for you. Maybe you should retire from writing tired and empty vitriol you try to pass as commentary.
I couldn’t agree more ! I was trying to put to words how I felt that article was written..and bam your comment summed it up perfectly.
Too early for April’s Fool kind of articles. But nice try, this was funny to read.
I feel like the author listened to Du Hast and the this new album. And translated everything with google translate. And also only knows that Germany was in WW2. And has poor taste in music. And makes poorly put together articles.
But that could just be me.
While I did not like this album very much compared to their older stuff, this review is awful. It is quite clear that the author does not speak German and based his analysis on bad translations.
“Ausländer” is obviously satirical and makes fun of the type of man depicted in the song (think: middle-aged white sex tourist in Thailand).
“Radio” is about censorship in East Germany during Soviet rule, with the radio being the only way to consume Western media.
“Puppe” is not ambiguous in the least. It is about the inner conflict of a child whose older sister is a prostitute, serving her customers in the next room.
I could go on, but these are the most obvious examples. All of this does not require any deep analysis and is obvious after listening to the song a single time.
Mediocre album without a doubt, but not as bad lyrically as this review makes it seem.
Besides, Rammstein have made it clear years ago that they are leftists.
I love all the shitlords bitching about Rammstein being PC by using a Black Woman to represent Germany. She is wearing Gold and Red lipstick. It’s not like Black, Gold and Red are like the colors of the German flag or anything.
Right! Well said
Your comment is absolutely brilliant!
Thanks so much. ????????????
Scott, your thinking is completely wrong. Alas, you are not incompetent or misinformed, you are dangerously stupid. Please do society a favor by abandoning writing or any kind of self-expression as a viable career choice and stay celibate.
Regards,
Piotr
Tim Lindermann, who is he then? When a so called music critic can’t even get the band members names right, even though they have not changed their line up since the band began, some 25 years ago, it tells it all. Lazy article full of codswallop, not worth reading!
And its Til Lindemann, not Tim Lindemann ????
In fact his fist name is written Till.
It’s Lim Tindermann – he’s part Vietnamese.
Interesting views! I do not agree.. but interesting to hear what other people say. I am Austrian, so German is my native tongue, and I think lyrically this might be Rammsteins best work as well as politically (Deutschland, Ausländer) and Puppe is probably one of their most brilliant songs (lyrically and story telling-wise). Radio I simply really love and find very interesting because it tells the tale of the East Germany time. But I respect your views and wish we could meet in persons and listen to some tracks, would love to know which ones you enjoy (of their previous work obviously)
The reviewer clearly is a moron.
Perhaps it’s YOU that needs to retire! You’re apparently some follower of hip hop music and think that’s really music! Another conformist!
Germany represented by a black woman. That’s all I need to know about Rammstein. And all these idiots defending them. Screw Rammstein.
That comment is appalling and aught to be stricken from the discussion.
Because the symbolism of Germany as “foreign” to itself and personified in a manner distinct to the regular characters of the music video wasn’t at all relevant.
Go fuck yourself you shallow, bigoted, oversensitive piece of shit. You have to be a right snowflake to be offended by something as simple as the skin colour of someone playing a character who is not a real person.
This person who made this post is absolutely retarded seriously.
This article is a joke
Sometimes it is just appropriate to just sh*t up. This is such a case. Maybe, stop translating Rammstein texts with google translate. And why they should retire? After sold out stadiums and more to come? Such a long text with no substance!
You need to stop writing. There are at least four killer tracks on this album, looking forward to a US tour. It is not their weakest album, which to me says they are still relevant. Bands like Laibach and Parzival have held up better, but R+ is still an objectively good band.
I stopped reading this article after reading about “radio” obviously you only decided to translate “some” of the lyrics to base an opinion in and not actually look into the whole song. Maybe you should watch the video it would help you out a lot. The album has nothing to do with the hatered of their country. This song alone talks about the repression and the aftermath of WWII on those ledt behind. Most of which did not share the opinions of Hitler but were the ones that had to pay the price of the allied troops in the end. Becoming prisoners in their own country, divided by a wall and the only refuge was the few hours a night the radio wasnt blocked. It wad their only window to the outside world that wasnt controlled by the Russians.
Thank-you.
Your words are also beautifully said.
And full of truth.
There are at least four killer tracks on this album, looking forward to a US tour. It is not their weakest album, which to me says they are still relevant. Bands like Laibach and Parzival have held up better, but R+ is still an objectively good band
I’m sure the literal THOUSANDS of people who went to see Rammstein on this years SELL OUT stadium tour and whom have bought tickets to next years tour (also a sell out already) would beg to differ
I agree with you Steffi. Rammstein are one of the best European bands to be heard for years. I have never seen them live, but I hear that their concerts sell out almost every time. The person WHO wrote this review is a homosexual more than likely.
It’s ok to disagree with someone elses opinion, but you ruined your comment by sounding like a bigoted child at the end. Do you not know that the band you’re defending supports the LGBT+ community?
You’re the real bigoted child.
Actually no. The reviewer’s main point was that Rammstein became an unimaginative pop metal band with catchy but trivial music. Exactly the kind of band that “thousands and thousands” of empty heads fill entire stadiums to see. So you’re basically agreeing with him. Like most of the critical commenters who felt the need to air their thoughts under this article, come to think of it.
Well after reading that, it’s apparent the Internet is the cyber equivalent of toilet tissue, ie it accepts any old shit.
I’d lay off the critiques Scott, it’s glaringly obvious you’ve no concept of the background to these tracks,poor research mate ????
And even if Rammstein are being purely mercenary, which I’m sure they’re not, they’re killing it at present with publicity, album sales and concert revenues.
So I guess they win both ways huh?
Wow, this looks like a popular article! Judging by number of comments at least. I appreciate the more technical explanation of their music as well. Making music is something I’ve been getting into recently.
I loved Rammstein when I was 13, which is around the time Du Hast first aired on Mtv in America. their shtick gets old awfully quick however. The Lost Highway soundtrack(one of the first albums I ever bought) had one or two Rammstein tracks on it.
“Tim Lindemann”….. Nope.
“In an era full of child drag queens, public sex acts in the name of “pride,”… ”
Nooooooooope.
“irony that his ditty used only European languages in its chorus.”
English, Russian, French and German… Open a history book. Nope no irony there.
In regards to what Radio discusses: “music, the radio, keine Grenzen (no borders).”…. NOPE wrong again ???????????? hahaha
Is anybody taking this review seriously? Ahgahd…. Its very very funny though. ????
Dude, why dont you just use a bit of your own IQ (if you have any) and try to tak ethe review and accompanying comments for what they are. And Europe is still Europe notwithstanding all its problems
Silly opinionated review.
I think their increasing popularity demonstrates their relevance.
As for forgetting the tracks on the album within a few hours… I keep returning to it to play individual memorable tracks, particularly Diamant. And that takes a little more effort considering I’m listening to the vinyl not instantly selectable digital copies.
There is some Italian language too in the “Auslander” chorus: “Ciao ragazza…”
Worth at least an extra point, come on.
If they have so-called ‘lost it’…why the F! do I find it necessary to fly to Lyon, France from Caliornia for the 2020 Stadium Tour? Maybe Arianna or Madonkey is more the reviewer’s speed.
Perhaps the author of this piece should refrain from voicing their opinion on things they don’t understand… Such as lyrics in a language they don’t understand about a culture and history they never bothered to study. Perhaps the world doesn’t revolve around what the author of this piece thinks it does (i.e. themselves/whatever makes their job easier) and perhaps the author of this piece should stick to figuring out their own pointless life as an internet columnist rather that trying to tell the members of a successful rock band that they suck.
Thank-you.
Wonderfully stated.
We definitely think alike on this matter. As do most intelligent people I know.’
Yes. Writing an entire article to tell other people that it is not worth it is ridiculous in the face of the crowds of fans and sold-out concerts. Even idiotic.
I agree! This author should keep his idiotic opinions to himself. He has no idea what he is talking about! I for one think the new album is great! A mixture of everything. I love rammstein
I also agree that the author of this piece does not really understand or maybe some how just missed the message of this album and probably didn’t like rammstein from the start im sure the views and comments and likes on platforms like YouTube stand strongly against this guy’s view Radio, Deutschland are amazing songs and im going to check out the rest as soon as i get a chance
If you’re going to insult someone learn to spell and and the proper names of whom you are insulting.????
Lmfao they are so good live and I’m going to travel in so many places bc of their gigs
This whole thing made me laugh because if they needed to retire or their album was that bad then you wouldn’t see the stadiums becoming so full and everyone being so excited to go to their concert. I have been listening to the album over and over for 3 MONTHS. and they haven’t losf any of their fans yet so your opinion is so personal. To be honest I’m so excited for their next album. In my opinion they’re way better than these new pop singers who sing songs that have no deep meaning.
I couldn’t agree more with the author of this article. The anticipation for this album fuelled some initial hype. But eventually the pure R+ fans realised that it’s overrated.
Whats wrong with this guy? I think this album is 1 of the best. Listen to it almost everyday? Everyone got an opinion but this is not realistic.
I’m reading this review and all I can understand is “I dont like Rammstein do I will write a very biased review”.. wow what a dickhead the reviewer is. Music is art, it is expression. You’re opinion that Rammstein should retire speaks volumes about your own career in journalism.
There’s plenty of music I don’t like, um.. Kanye, Taylor, Jonas Brothers but here’s the thing – I respect the artists right to express and perform their content without prejudice.
I believe you’re just jealous that Rammstein hit unlikely success internationally where as you haven’t.
Professional journalism is clearly dead.
Long live Rammstein!!
Of all the points he made, he then finds puppet to be the worst!?
No, this dude needs to get a day job.
The author of this article should retire.
What a moron
What an uneducated review. I personally was sceptical before the release of the new album as Rammstein had a hard act to follow with their previous albums. But I was pleasantly surprised and this is certainly right up there. The lyrics are as always intricate work of art which is hard to get as a non native speaker. And for the author of this shallow review: Google translate doesn’t cut it Buddy…
Rammstein are still very good and this album proves it…
Article written by a complete asshole! He apparently would rather be enjoying boy and shows or singing along to Barry manillow songs while he masturbates. Rammstein has a unique sound that energizes an audience. Douchebag journalist !!
Terrible review.This persons opinion is laughable .. probably a Taylor Swift fan
So first of all do not tell them they need to retire the will when they want to and stop putting out false stuff cuz all you seem to be doing is pissing people off
” Men in their 50s yelling about breasts might inspire a Boomer or two, but to everyone else, it just sounds like noise. ”
I’m sure 70 year old boomers are excited over this song. It just stands to reason.
Chuds mad
The writer of this trash is one of the biggest idiots I have ever heard. I am more upset I wasted my time reading his garbage. No one gives a flying fuck about your opinion. Rammstein are doing much better than you ever will. If I were you I would drink cyanide and do the world a favor by saving the rest of the human race from reading the shit that oozes from that mush you call your brain.
Your opinions=shit. But you probably already know that.
This guy escaped from the mental aslyum 100%. P.S i dont see the author releasing any music, how can you critique someone without knowing what it is like to make music.
Sounds like you’re a Nickelback fan!
All of the Reddit girls are clearly upset that their pop idols are being made fun of; the sum total of their rebut is “you can’t say these things!” haha.
Rammstein still rocks !!! It seems this editor has jealous and envy in his heart over Rammsteins success and I suggest he get a life instead of criticizing others for some delusional gain for himself because he has failed doing so.
While the musical aspect of your review shows that you do understand *something* of music, it’s clear that you have no clue about german language, or you wouldn’t dismiss the lyrics as you did. Rammstein has always sold big on playing Tanzmetall as they themselves described it, not headbanging Metal maybe (though headbanging still feels good on many songs, old AND new) but a weird mixture of Metal, Techno, Pop, anythhing that fits, which still makes them a unique band.
As for the lyrics…Puppe, where you only appreciated the rough screaming, is about a little child seeing through the keyhole their bigger sister who works as a prostitute in the other room killed by one of her customers…how about that as some backstory? Or Ausländer, which you dismissed about some rich guy travelling is actually about some asshole-like attitude of learning languages just to f**k as many different women in every place as possible…Zeig Dich criticises all the crimes committed in name of religion (and their cover-ups…like children molesting etc)…
Should I go on?
So, criticize their music all you want, if you don’t like it don’t listen to it, there’s plenty of people that do, and I wouldn’t have bothered commenting had it been only that…
But if you want to criticize their lyrics at least try to understand them before, and not just the 3 simple words your brain can understand..
Oh yes, and also, it’s not just about the lyrics…but the words’ choice itself…Till uses many uncommon words to play with rhymes, assonances etc…so really…you couldn’t understand!
Open your mind and have a good day sir
Well personally I love Rammstein. There are other acts around that I really dislike but I wouldn’t be petty enough to do an Internet rant about them. Everyone has different tastes in music… If you don’t like Rammstein then don’t listen. Simple. You certainly listened closely though to make those comments.
lmao yikes, someone clearly didn’t listen to the album xdddd
Rammstein’s music is real art! Mainstream people should better refrain from attempting to analyse it as they can’t understand it. It is art for intellectuals, not for the mediocre.
Du hast used as fan service….
Yes because a song called ‘you have’ and starting a song with the words “you have..” are really there as fan service and not because they are pretty common words used in English and German
Haha, where did this article get linked to? There are normies everywhere.
Rammstein subreddit, perhaps? Wherever they’re from, they have to go back.
Hoes mad
Haha, the article triggered the Fanboy/Girl fraction. I´m from germany and I know the rammi texts are boring, pseudo intellectual shit.
I read the whole article as of interest why they should retire. As a point of interest Tills’ upscale of grammatically correct German to misinstruded English is a till unsuppased. As for the production it is absolutely brilliant. As for a late comeback album I agree that it is a bit old but true R+ fans the “die hards” will disagree and eat up the melody of yet another perfectly executed album. I agree the it getd old but it still is brilliant. The fact that they added more pop than metal could also be a result of popularizing the brand to a broader audience which is most probably a well thought though decision and yes was not ours to make. It is ours to critisice as we listen to it. I have loved loved R+ also since being a kid and my daughter the next generation loves it to and sees it as a reason to dive and dwell in its previous slender. Diamante. May Rammstein sparkle forever.
I read the whole article as of interest why they should retire. As a point of interest Tills’ upscale of grammatically correct German to misinstruded English is a till unsuppased. As for the production it is absolutely brilliant. As for a late comeback album I agree that it is a bit old but true R+ fans the “die hards” will disagree and eat up the melody of yet another perfectly executed album. I agree the it gets old but it still is brilliant. The fact that they added more pop than metal could also be a result of popularizing the brand to a broader audience which is most probably a well thought though decision and yes was not ours to make. It is ours to critisice as we listen to it. I have loved loved R+ also since being a kid and my daughter the next generation loves it to and sees it as a reason to dive and dwell in its previous slender. Diamante. May Rammstein sparkle forever.
The Facebook-tier comments on this article, defiling this otherwise highly literate site like elephant feces on a painting of Mary, make me understand why the NRX guys want to bring back monarchy.
Democracy was a horrible mistake.
The quality of the comments is abominable. Who let Reddit in here?
I don’t agree with the author, but I’ll respect his arguments. Rammstein played in St. Petersburg, Russia this past summer while I was visiting. Some of my peers from Western Europe were trying to obtain tickets to the concert, which I believe was sold out. Nonetheless, we conversed about the band’s success and how difficult it is to obtain tickets. Moreover, some other peers from Western nations joined our conversation and they were somewhat perplexed that Rammstein was playing in Russia. Furthermore, they haphazardly spoke of Rammstein as a “controversial” band and were shocked that anyone would openly support them.
Rammstein was admired by many of my friends back in high school and this was around the time that the band was developing a strong following in North America by metalheads who were into the underground music scene. I’ll agree that they were a great band during that time period, but since then they’ve sold out across the board.
Unfortunately, we’ve lost many of great actors, musicians, and athletes who’ve succumbed to the cultural Marxist bandwagon.
Herr Weiswald,
Your name sounds German enough to think you have knowledge of the German language, and Rammsteins’ play with words that is hardly comprehensible unless you have more than basic understanding of the language.
Your criticism could have been on point, but your arguments fly away like farts in a hurricane because of your seemingly non existent knowledge of the Germans. Their language, its culture, history (if you’d known, you would have had more comprehension for “Radio”) and its sense of humor.
Furthermore I’d like to ask you why you think a successful band should retire. Would you derail your gravytrain ?
PS
The comment at this article are very sad to say the least.
I saw them in 2017, & now that they’ve announced US dates, I intend to again! This incompetent Taylor Swift fan needs a day job. ????????????????♀️????❤️????????????
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