|
Rammstein
Background information
Genre(s) Tanz Metall
Industrial metal
Neue Deutsche Härte
Years active 1994 – present
Label(s) Motor Music
Republic Records
Slash Records
Universal Music Group
Associated
acts Emigrate
Website rammstein.com, rammstein.de
Members
Till Lindemann
Richard Zven "Scholle" Kruspe
Paul H. Landers
Oliver "Ollie" Riedel
Christoph "Doom" Schneider
Christian "Flake" Lorenz
Rammstein, IPA: Rahm-shtine [ˈʁam.ʃta͡ɪn], is a German band that
incorporates elements of hard rock, industrial metal, and electronic music.
The band is also widely accepted as part of the Neue Deutsche Härte-scene,
alongside bands such as Oomph! and Die Krupps. Critics have also dubbed
their sound as Tanz-Metall (lit. "Dance metal").[1][2][3] Their songs are
performed almost exclusively in German. Formed in 1994, they have sold over
12 million records worldwide.[4] Rammstein's entire catalogue is published
by Universal Music Group.
Although most songs are written in German, the band has had significant
success outside German-speaking nations, in Europe as well as in the USA,
Canada, Latin America, Russia, Japan, India, Israel and Australia. It has
been confirmed that the band has reunited from their vacation and has begun
writing their sixth studio album, which will be released sometime in
2008.[1]
Members
The Band members are all from Germany. They are:
* Till Lindemann – Lead Vocals
* Richard Z. Kruspe – Lead-Guitar and Background Vocals
* Paul H. Landers – Rhythm-Guitar and Background Vocals
* Oliver "Ollie" Riedel – Bass-Guitar
* Christoph "Doom" Schneider – Drums
* Christian "Flake" Lorenz – keyboards
Riedel, Schneider and Kruspe originally founded Rammstein, following an
attempt by the Kruspe to compose American-influenced music with a West
Berlin band called Orgasm Death Gimmicks. As Kruspe put it, "I realized it's
really important to make music and make it fit with your language, which I
didn't do in the past. I came back [to Germany] and said, 'It's time to make
music that's really authentic.' I was starting a project called Rammstein to
really try to make German music." He invited Till Lindemann, a former
Olympic swimmer and drummer for the band First Arsch, to join the project as
a vocalist. The four entered a contest for new bands and won, attracting the
interest of Paul H. Landers, who knew them all and decided to join the band.
Christian "Flake" Lorenz was the last member to join; he had played with
Landers before in the band Feeling B and was initially reluctant to come on
board, but was eventually persuaded to join. Their first album was released
a year later. They have been nominated for two Best Metal Performance Grammy
Awards: in 1998 with the song "Du hast" and in 2005 with the song "Mein Teil".
Name
Rammstein takes its name indirectly from the western German town of
Ramstein-Miesenbach, site of an airshow disaster in 1988. The band's
signature song, the eponymous "Rammstein", is a commemoration of the tragedy
that took place at the Ramstein Air Base. At the show, three Italian air
force jets collided on August 28, 1988 at the US airbase. About 40
spectators died in the first minutes and several hundred were injured. In
the next two months, the death toll rose to 72. The extra "m" in the band's
name allows the word to mean "battering ram" (literally "ramming stone"),
reinforcing the image of the band's music as fierce and relentless.
The minor planet 110393 Rammstein is named in the band's honour.
Style
Although Rammstein is often generalized as Industrial metal, its music spans
a variety of related styles, including hard rock, electronic, heavy metal,
gothic, and German Industrial Cat in C Minor, due to their use of keyboards
to emulate strings, choirs or pianos. The band was strongly influenced by
Laibach, a Slovenian neo-classical and industrial group. Other influences
include DAF (Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft), Oomph!, and Ministry, but
the contrast between individual songs such as "Bestrafe mich", "Ohne dich",
"Te quiero puta!" and "Du riechst so gut" makes the band difficult to
classify.
Rammstein's style has tended to divide critics, some of whom have responded
with memorable comments. Jam Showbiz (April 2001) described Mutter as "music
to invade Poland to." New Zealand's Southland Times (Dec. 17, 1999)
suggested that Till Lindemann's "booming, sub-sonic voice" would send "the
peasants fleeing into their barns and bolting their doors." The New York
Times (Jan. 9, 2005) commented that on the stage, "Mr. Lindemann gave off an
air of such brute masculinity and barely contained violence that it seemed
that he could have reached into the crowd, snatched up a fan, and bitten off
his head." Other critics have been more positive. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of
All Music Guide commented that "their blend of industrial noise, grinding
metal guitars, and operatic vocals is staggeringly powerful".[5] "We just
push boundaries," said Till Lindemann in an interview with rock magazine
Kerrang!. "We can't help it if people don't like those boundaries being
pushed."
Despite Rammstein's brutalist image, many of its songs lyrics demonstrate a
certain sense of humour. "Zwitter", for example, is a bizarre take on
narcissism (and bisexuality) through the eyes of a hermaphrodite:
Wenn die anderen Mädchen suchten (When the others were looking out for
girls)
Konnt ich mich schon selbst befruchten (I could already fertilize myself)
Similarly, the song "Amerika" features a tongue-in-cheek adaptation of the
normal chorus:
We're all living in America
Coca-Cola, Wonderbra! Usually "Amerika ist wunderbar" ("America is
wonderful"), in one chorus is sung as "Coca-Cola, Sometimes War"
We're all living in America
America, America!
Some of their songs show unexpected influences, usually from poems and
German folk tales. "Dalai Lama" is an adaptation of the famous poem "Der
Erlkönig" by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe[6]. "Hilf mir" was inspired by the
short story "Die gar traurige Geschichte mit dem Feuerzeug" (from Der
Struwwelpeter) by Heinrich Hoffmann[7]. "Spieluhr" borrows the line "Hoppe
hoppe Reiter" from a Kinderreim of the same name[8]. "Rosenrot" ("red rose")
is inspired by the poem "Heidenröslein" by Goethe and the story "Schneeweißchen
und Rosenrot" by the Brothers Grimm[9].
Lyrics
Nearly all of Rammstein's songs are in German. However, the band did record
English versions of "Engel" , "Du Hast" and "Amerika", as well as covers of
the songs "Stripped" (Depeche Mode) and "Pet Sematary" (The Ramones). In
addition, the songs "Amerika" (German version), "Stirb nicht vor mir//Don't
die before I do" and "Moskau" contain not only German verses, but also
English and Russian choruses, respectively; "Te quiero puta!" is entirely in
Spanish and "Schtiel" is entirely in Russian. "Ollie" Riedel commented that,
"German language suits heavy metal music. French might be the language of
love, but German is the language of anger." [10].
Wordplay is a fundamental component of Rammstein's lyrics. In many
instances, the lyrics are phrased such that they can be interpreted in
several ways. The song "Du hast", for example, is a play on German marriage
vows (Willst du, bis der Tod euch scheidet, treu ihr sein für alle Tage? -
Will you, until death separates you, be faithful to her for the rest of your
days?). In the song, the traditional affirmative response, ja (yes), is
replaced by its negation nein (no). The final repetition of this line
further perverts the meaning of the original vows through a minor change in
the wording: Willst du, bis zum Tod der Scheide,(...) (Will you, until the
death of the vagina...) (where 'vagina' can also refer to the woman), but it
could also be interpreted as: Willst du bis zum Tod, der scheide, (...),
which would have the meaning of: "Will you, until death separates, ...". The
song starts, in fact, with a play on words: Du... Du hast... Du hast mich...
meaning, "You have me". This line is often mistaken for "You hate me",
because in German, there is no clear distinction between the pronunciation
of du hasst (double s) which means "you hate" and du hast (single s) which
means you have. The verbs are hassen (hate) and haben (have). The wordgame
is later resolved as the line is completed: Du hast mich gefragt (You [have]
asked me).
Rammstein often uses rhyming to create similar effects. For example, from
the song "Los":
Es ist hoffnungslos (It is hopeless)
Sinnlos (Senseless)
Hilflos (Helpless)
Sie sind Gottlos (They are Godless)
The last two lines above can be interpreted in three ways. "Sie sind Gott. /
Los!" can mean "They are God. / Go!"; "Sie sind Gott los" can be translated
as "They got rid of God;" while "Sie sind gottlos" means "they are godless".
However, in the context of the rest of the lyrics, the most likely meaning
is the third one.
Shows
Rammstein has achieved particular fame (not to mention notoriety) for its
hugely over-the-top stage show, using so many pyrotechnics that fans
eventually coined the motto "Other bands play, Rammstein burns!" (a quip at
Manowar's song "Kings of Metal", which states, "other bands play, Manowar
kills").
The heat is so intense that on occasion, people have been carried out of
Rammstein concerts suffering from heat exhaustion, and lighting gantries
have been seen glowing red-hot from repeated fireball hits. The variety of
the pyrotechnics can be seen in a recent concert playlist, which includes
such items as "Lycopodium Masks", "Glitterburst Truss", "Pyrostrobes",
"Comets", "Flash Trays" and "Mortar Hits". The band's on-stage antics have
included:
* Band members using head-mounted flamethrowers ("Lycopodium Masks", also
called "Dragon Masks") while singing/playing (example: "Feuer frei!" video);
* Till Lindemann singing an entire song while on fire (example: "Rammstein"
video); he now uses twin flamethrowers strapped to his arms;
* Till Lindemann singing into a prop telephone that bursts into confetti
(during the song "Du Hast", but only during the Sehnsucht and Mutter tours)
* Christian "Flake" Lorenz in full bondage gear being led by Till Lindemann
during stage performances of "Bück dich".
* Exploding drumsticks, drums, microphones and boots;
* Till Lindemann removing a large firecracker from his pants - which
explodes, emitting sparks (during the song "Das alte Leid")
* Rockets fired along cables strung above the audience;
* Spark-shooting longbows, drumsticks, boots and guns;
* Christian "Flake" Lorenz destroying a keyboard in the style of Nine Inch
Nails and The Who;
* Microphones, guitars and keyboards on fire;
* Band members surfing the crowd in a rubber boat[11]
* Christian "Flake" Lorenz driving around on a Segway HT during "Amerika".[1]
* Till Lindemann doing a jig with fireworks in the front of his shoes,
shooting sparks in front of him (Weißes Fleisch).
* Christian "Flake" Lorenz sitting in a large cooking pot, which Till
Lindemann blasts with a flamethrower when Lorenz ducks. In the same sequence
Lindemann chases Lorenz around the stage with a microphone built into a
carving knife. (During "Mein Teil"[12]
* Lead singer Till Lindemann urinating like a fountain on a fellow band
member and then proceeding to do the same all over the audience[13]
Rammstein's shows have become increasingly elaborate since the first ones
over ten years ago, when their effects were confined to pouring kerosene
around the stage and setting it alight. After an accident in the Arena in
Berlin where some burning decoration parts fell on the the audience
(September 27th 1996 [14]) the band took to employing professionals to
handle the pyrotechnics; Lindemann himself is now a licensed pyrotechnician
who spends entire songs engulfed head-to-toe in flames. He has suffered
multiple burns on his ears, his hair and his arms. Since the band frequently
incorporates fake accidents into their shows, it’s unclear how often
Lindemann actually gets burned. Of Lindemann, bandmate Christoph Schneider
says, “Till gets burned all the time, but he likes the pain.”[15]
The band's costumes are equally outlandish. During the Reise, Reise tour
they were wearing Lederhosen, corsets and vague military uniforms with steel
helmets, while during the Mutter tour the group kept to the themes of the
album artwork and descended onto the stage from a giant uterus while wearing
nappies.
According to Kruspe, the on-stage wackiness is entirely deliberate (Rammstein's
motto according to Schneider is: "Do your own thing. And overdo it!"). The
aim is to get people's attention and have fun at the same time: "You have to
understand that 99 percent of the people don't understand the lyrics, so you
have to come up with something to keep the drama in the show. We have to do
something. We like to have a show; we like to play with fire. We do have a
sense of humor. We do laugh about it; we have fun... but we're not Spinal
Tap. We take the music and the lyrics seriously. It's a combination of humor,
theater and our East German culture, you know?"[16].
At the Metaltown Festival in Gothenburg, Sweden on July 30, 2005, Till
suffered a knee injury when Flake accidentally ran into him with the Segway.
Discography
Albums
Herzeleid
(1995)
Sehnsucht
(1997)
Mutter
(2001)
Reise, Reise
(2004)
Rosenrot
(2005)
Rammstein has released five full-length studio albums: Herzeleid (1995),
Sehnsucht (1997), Mutter (2001), Reise, Reise (2004), Rosenrot (2005), two
live albums Live aus Berlin (1999) and Völkerball (2006) and one compilation
DVD Lichtspielhaus (2003). While Herzeleid was well-received, Sehnsucht is
widely regarded as Rammstein's breakthrough album. In 1999, between their
second and third album, they published a live album called "Live Aus
Berlin". The production of the follow-up album Mutter was an experience
fraught with difficulty for the band.
The band's album Rosenrot, released on October 28, 2005, consists mostly of
songs that were left out of the album Reise, Reise for dramaturgical
reasons. The band performed "Benzin", the first single from the album, at
four shows in Wuhlheide Park on June 23-26, 2005, and four shows in the
United Kingdom (Newcastle, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cardiff) in July 2005.
A new live Rammstein DVD, named Völkerball, was released on November 17th
2006 in Germany (and other parts of Europe), with concert footage from
France, England, Japan, and Russia, alongside a CD as well. There are three
versions of the set, one, including a 190 page tour book. Due to unforeseen
popularity of the package, the limited edition sold out - forcing a second
pressing run.
The band took a time out in 2006, and are going to begin work again this
year. In an interview with German rapper Bushido, who contributed to the
Electro Ghetto Remix of Amerika, on January 21, 2007, Bushido reported
recording a song with Rammstein called "Vergiss uns Nicht" (Don't Forget
Us). In this interview Bushido also mentioned that he was unsure of whether
it would be on their "Best Of" album or not. This was the first mention of a
"Best Of" album, or the new album all together. [17][18] In addition,
keyboardist Flake confirmed this in an interview with Metal Hammer Germany
in November, stating that they would most likely release the new album in
2008. According to a newsletter from the band's management, Pilgrim
Management, the band will not be touring during 2007 due to current album
production.
Covers and adaptations
Rammstein's songs have been covered by a number of other artists, including
the group Gregorian who reworked "Engel" as a Gregorian chant for their
album The Dark Side. The same song has been covered by Belgian girls choir
Scala & Kolacny Brothers, resulting in a very quiet, brooding version,
contrary to the original. Also, the German composer Torsten Rasch has
produced a classical symphonic song-cycle entitled "Mein Herz brennt", based
on the music of Rammstein. The cover of "Seemann" by Nina Hagen and
Apocalyptica impressed Rammstein so much, that they took Apocalyptica as
co-headliner on tour with them in Spring 2005, and invited the band on stage
to perform "Ohne dich" and "Mein Herz Brennt" together. The "Benzin" single
also featured a remix of the song, called "Kerosiini" by Apocalyptica.
More recently, the industrial band Laibach covered the song "Ohne dich".
Also, the German Death Metal band Debauchery, covered the song 'Weisses
Fleisch' for their 'Back In Blood' album.
Rammstein has also done several covers themselves, including "Das Modell" by
Kraftwerk, "Stripped" by Depeche Mode, "Pet Sematary" by The Ramones (sung
by keyboardist Christian "Flake" Lorenz) and "Schtiel" by Aria. However "Schtiel"
isn't an official Rammstein track, since it was only played by vocalist Till
Lindemann and guitarist Richard Kruspe.
Controversies
Imagery
Described by the New York Times as a "powerful strain of brutally intense
rock" who "bring gale-force music and spectacular theatrics together,"
Rammstein has been a band with a highly controversy-prone nature[19].
Rammstein have not been shy about courting this controversy and have
periodically attracted condemnation from morality campaigners. Their stage
act earned them a night in jail in June 1999 after a liquid-ejecting dildo
was used in a concert in Worcester, Massachusetts. Back home in Germany, the
band has faced repeated accusations of fascist sympathies due to the dark
and sometimes militaristic imagery of their videos and concerts, including
the use of excerpts from the film Olympia by Leni Riefenstahl in the video
for "Stripped". Their debut album Herzeleid, released in Germany in 1995,
originally had a cover featuring the bandmembers' upper bodies without
clothing; critics accused the band of trying to sell themselves as "poster
boys for the Master Race" [20]. Rammstein have vigorously denied this and
said that they want nothing to do with politics or supremacy of any kind.
Flake, the keyboardist, annoyed by the claim has remarked that its just a
photo, and should be understood as such. Herzeleid has since been given an
alternate cover in the United States, depicting the band members' faces.
The song "Links 2, 3, 4"--links being German for left--was written as a
riposte to these claims. According to Kruspe, it means, "'my heart beats on
the left, two, three, four.' It's simple. If you want to put us in a
political category, we're on the left side, and that's the reason we made
the song." [21]. On the other hand, this is also an allusion to a military
marching cadence since "Links, 2, 3, 4" is typically heard during marching
practice in the German army with "links" referring to the left foot. "Flake"
recently stated on an on-line chat that the song was created in order to
show that the band could write a harsh, "evil", military-sounding song that
was not about Nazi ideals[22].
Relation to violent events
In April 1999, it emerged that Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the two boys
who perpetrated the Columbine High School massacre, were fans of Rammstein
and had declared it to be one of their favorite bands. In fact, the police
were informed of a Rammstein bumper stick on Harris' car which led them to
it. Rammstein came under heavy criticism from some conservative and
Christian groups in the United States who claimed (among other things) that
the members of the band were "demonically influenced"[23] and by the German
media that Till Lindemann's rolling Teutonic r's were an imitation of Adolf
Hitler's diction.[24] In response, the band issued a statement:
The members of Rammstein express their condolences and sympathy to all
affected by the recent tragic events in Denver. They wish to make it clear
that they have no lyrical content or political beliefs that could have
possibly influenced such behavior. Additionally, members of Rammstein have
children of their own, in whom they continually strive to instill healthy
and non-violent values.
Coincidentally, on September 10th 2001 the single and video clip of Ich will
was released which portrays the band as terrorists who want to get a message
across and receiving a kind of terrorist award for their "actions". In the
United States the video clip was broadcasted only late at night after the
attacks of September 11th 2001 in New York although many media officials and
politicians requested the video to be removed from the program
completely.[25]
Following the tragic conclusion of the Beslan school hostage crisis in
Russia in September 2004, the Russian authorities claimed that the
hostage-takers had "listened to German hard rock group Rammstein on personal
stereos during the siege to keep themselves edgy and fired up." [26]. The
claim has not been independently confirmed.
Band members said about this issue[27]:
There's been a lot of talk about that, but if there are radical feelings in
people anything can wake them – a painting, a picture, whatever. It's just a
coincidence that it happened to be our music. It's important to think about
what caused them to make their decisions, how they became animals, not their
taste in music. Whenever something like this happens it's like ‘Okay, let's
blame the artist.’ Such bullshit. (Till Lindemann)
Our music is made to release aggression, and people listening to it are also
needed to do that, but it's not our fault. Should we stop making hard music
because bad people might like it? (Christoph Schneider)
Videos
In October 2004, the video for "Mein Teil" caused considerable controversy
in Germany when it was released. It takes a darkly comic view of the Armin
Meiwes cannibalism case, showing a cross dressed Schneider holding the other
5 band members on a leash and rolling around in mud. The controversy did
nothing to stop (and may even have helped) the single rising to No. 2 in the
German charts. Meiwes (who was convicted of manslaughter in 2004, then
retried in 2006 and found guilty of murder[28]) brought suit in January 2006
against the band for infringement of rights to the story. The outcome of the
civil case is not reported.
The band's own views of its image are sanguine: "We like being on the
fringes of bad taste," according to Paul H. Landers, while Christian "Flake"
Lorenz comments, "The controversy is fun, like stealing forbidden fruit. But
it serves a purpose. We like audiences to grapple with our music, and people
have become more receptive." [29].
The video for "Mann gegen Mann" ("Man against man") from their latest album
"Rosenrot" may have caused some controversy, as most of the bandmembers are
naked in the video, apart from lead singer Till Lindemann, who is wearing
what can best be described as a "latex diaper" - most likely because he does
not have an instrument with which to cover his genitalia. In addition, there
are multiple naked men in the video, with buttocks clearly visible, though
no genitalia can be seen. The video has been played uncensored on MTV. The
video has been rated FSK 16 in Germany and therefore can be played on
television only after 10 PM.
References
1. ^ What is Dance Metal?. UNK!. Retrieved on 2006-12-03.
2. ^ Rammstein. Metal Hammer. Retrieved on 2006-12-03.
3. ^ Rammstein Fan Sites. Artistopia. Retrieved on 2006-12-03.
4. ^ Rammstein timeline. Rammstein (2005-12-16).
5. ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. Sehnsucht review. All Music Guide. Retrieved
on 2006-07-10.
6. ^ Herzeleid.com (Dalai Llama). Herzeleid.com. Retrieved on 2006-04-10.
7. ^ Herzeleid.com (Hilf Mir). Herzeleid.com. Retrieved on 2006-04-10.
8. ^ Herzeleid.com (Spieluhr). Herzeleid.com. Retrieved on 2006-04-10.
9. ^ Herzeleid.com (Rosenrot). Herzeleid.com. Retrieved on 2006-04-10.
10. ^ "Sunday Herald Sun, Melbourne, Australia", Sunday Herald-Sun.
Retrieved on 2006-10-24.
11. ^ http://herzeleid.com/en/press/2005-11_flake_chat_english
12. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE8EMWxuZB0
13. ^ http://media.putfile.com/rammstein4187
14. ^ Till Lindemann Biography. Rammstein-Europe.com. Retrieved on
2007-05-10.
15. ^ Peisner, David. "Rock Stars Who've Caught Fire Onstage!", Blender
Magazine Online, February 2007. Retrieved on 2007-02-27. (in English)
16. ^ "The Grand Rapids Press'", Grand Rapids Press. Retrieved on
1999-07-22.
17. ^ Rammstein News. Rammstein-Austria.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-10.
18. ^ Bushido Interview. Rammstein-interviews.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-10.
19. ^ NYTimes Movies. New York Times Corporation. Retrieved on 2007-04-10.
20. ^ Herzeleid.com (FAQ). Herzeleid.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-10.
21. ^ "The Grand Rapids Press", Grand Rapids Press. Retrieved on 2001-07-22.
22. ^ Herzeleid.com (Press). Herzeleid.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-10.
23. ^ Johanna Michaelsen (1999-10-28). 700 club interview (Archived at The
Internet Archive on 2000-01-22). Christian Broadcast Network. Retrieved on
2006-07-10.
24. ^ WHY DID THE COLUMBINE SHOOTING HAPPEN? COMMENTS FROM RELIGIOUS
SOURCES. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Retrieved on
2006-07-10.
25. ^ Rammstein.com (Timeline). Rammstein. Retrieved on 2007-04-10.
26. ^ Beslan Hostage Situation. The Independent. Retrieved on 2007-04-10.
27. ^ October Interviews. Rammstein in the UK. Retrieved on 2007-04-10.
28. ^ 'Rotenburg cannibal' sentenced to life. United Press International
(2006-05-09). Retrieved on 2006-07-10.
29. ^ "The Times", London Times. Retrieved on 2005-01-29.
read the
copyright
|