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• 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 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.

History

Rammstein was started by Richard Z. Kruspe in 1994. In 1989 he escaped from East Germany over the border between Austria and Hungary where he eventually ended up in West Berlin and started a band in 1991 (Orgasm Death Gimmicks). At that time he was very influenced by American music and after the wall came down, he moved back home to Schwerin where Till Lindemann worked as a basket weaver and played drums in the band First Arsch.
At this time, Richard lived with Oliver Riedel (of the band The Inchtabokatables) and Christoph "Doom" Schneider (of Die Firma). Richard realized that the music he had previously made was not right for him. He envisioned something with machines and hard guitars together. The three started working together on a new project.

Richard soon found it hard to write music and lyrics at the same time. He got Till to join them as he had often heard him singing while working. A contest for new bands was announced and the prize was studio time. The four of them recorded the first Rammstein demo and won. Paul Landers knew them all and wanted to know what they were doing. After listening, he agreed to join. At this point, all they needed for the machine-sound was a keyboarder. They tried to get Christian "Flake" Lorenz to join, as he had played with Paul before in the band Feeling B. Flake was not entirely thrilled with the idea at first and had to be pestered for weeks before finally joining. About the time the band was formed, they all had relationship problems which provided the foundation for their debut album Herzeleid in 1995.


Rammstein's second album, Sehnsucht, was released on 22 August 1997. The cover art was created by famous Austrian artist Gottfried Helnwein [1]. It sold very well, and today it is the only album entirely in German to be certified Platinum by the RIAA in the United States. The next year Rammstein went on tour, with the live album Live aus Berlin being released in 1998.

Rammstein audio samples




• "Bestrafe mich" (info)


• "Ohne dich" (info)


• "Zwitter" (info)


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 and gothic, 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)('German-American Friendship') , 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". "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 an intersex person:





Wenn die anderen Mädchen suchten (When the others were looking for girls)




Konnt ich mich schon selbst befruchten (I could already fertilize myself)





So bin ich dann auch nicht verzagt (So I am even not despaired)




Wenn einer zu mir "Fick Dich" sagt (when someone tells me 'fuck yourself')





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" or "Wonderbra" is a reference to the make of Bra popular in America to enhance the size of breasts




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. "Hilf mir" was inspired by the short story "Die gar traurige Geschichte mit dem Feuerzeug" (from Der Struwwelpeter) by Heinrich Hoffmann. "Spieluhr" borrows the line "Hoppe hoppe Reiter" from a Kinderreim of the same name. "Rosenrot" ("red rose") is inspired by the poem "Heidenröslein" by Goethe and the story "Schneeweißchen und Rosenrot" by the Brothers Grimm.

Rammstein audio samples



• "Bestrafe mich" (info)


• "Ohne dich" (info)


• "Zwitter" (info)


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. "Ollie" Riedel commented that, "German language suits heavy metal music. French might be the language of love, but German is the language of anger.".

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,(...) (Do you want, 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: "Do you want, 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, profane or wicked". However, in the context of the rest of the lyrics, the most likely meaning is the third one, godless.

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 kill").

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")


• Richard having flamethrowers attatched to his guitar during the solo in 'Adios'


• 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


• Christian "Flake" Lorenz driving around on a Segway HT during "Amerika".


• Till Lindemann doing a jig with fireworks in the front of his shoes, shooting sparks in front of him (Weißes Fleisch).


• Till Lindemann unzipping his pants and pulling out a dildo with a hidden connected hose, which in turn sprays water onto the crowd and band members. (During "Buck Dich", can be viewed in footage of the 1998 Family Values Tour.)


• 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)"



• Till Lindeman Shooting A Firework Shaped Into An Arrow Up Above The Stage With A Bow To Light A Fuse Which In Turn Sets Off The Fireworks Rigged On Wires Above The Crowd. (Reise, Reise Tour)



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) 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.”


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?".


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





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. 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.

Check out my Rammstein Communities:
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