Rammstein eBook

WITH the new album now on release and grabbing praise & attention by the handful, this seemed like the perfect time to round up the UK campaign so far…

 

So… we’ve created an official eBook including band quotes, press quotes, band photos, viral & video footage, plus an analysis of the record as a whole.

 

You can find this newly-created guide to ‘Leibe Is Fur Alle Da’ at http://www.myebook.com/spinefarmrecordsuk. 

Album Launch Event In Birmingham

I’VE JUST returned a little bleary-eyed from the launch event for the new Rammstein album at Subculture at the Academy 2 in Birmingham, and a good (and lengthy) night, I’m delighted to say, was had by all.

Thanks a lot to Dave Juste for organising the event, and thanks also to James Booth for taking charge of the twin decks of death, and it was good to see the likes of classic Kiss and Journey going down a storm alongside The Prodigy, Lost Prophets, Rage Against The Machine, System Of A Down… and of course Rammstein! This was the first time I’d heard ‘Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da’ played through giant speakers, and I have to say that, fully cranked, the 11 tracks sound absolutely magnificent – congratulations to regular producer Jacob Hellner and mixing engineer Stefan Glaumann for ensuring that the new songs can be happily turned up to 11 without the merest hint of distortion, and of course there are certain songs (the likes of ‘Rammlied’, ‘Ich Tu Dir Weh’, ‘B*****’, etc.) that sound even more unstoppable with the volume needle flicking into the red and the bottom end ruthlessly re-arranging your inner organs.

Thanks also to the young ladies who gave out the various Rammstein goodies (T-shirts, drumsticks, vinyl, etc.), and I hope that the winner of the main prize, an extremely natty Rammstein jacket, will be wearing it to the band’s Birmingham show next February, tickets for which are now perilously close to selling out. You have been warned!

Actually, I knew it was going to be a good night when the video for the ‘Pussy’ single (censored version) and the song itself synched together almost perfectly, despite the fact that one of them was coming from a DVD loop and the other was being played independently via the DJ decks. The chances of that happening are probably millions to one, so fate, I guess, decided to lend a hand.

Oh, and by the time you read this, the album will be racked out in UK stores, and you’ll be able to fully appreciate the sheer quality and attention to detail of the packaging… and don’t forget there’s actually five different versions available, so all tastes, foibles and desires should be catered for: OK, there’s the standard CD, the special CD (with a bonus disc and five extra cuts), the iTunes version (including an exclusive Remix by Machine Head’s Robb Flynn), the double ‘pink’ vinyl version (only available from www.whatrecords.co.uk), plus the Deluxe version with the pink dildos and lotion, which has proved a talking point almost on a par with the ‘Pussy’ video!

However, it’s the music that really counts, of course, and with ‘Liebe Ist…’ Rammstein have delivered an album that, as the reviews are pointing out, could well be their best body of work since the ‘Mutter’ classic of 2001. And, according to Oli, who I spoke to just the other day, most of these new songs may well feature in the live show, which is being put together right now. Exciting times, indeed ...

RAMMSTEIN: BLOW BY BLOW…

WITH ONLY a short time to go until the UK release of ‘Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da’, now seems like the ideal moment to share my thoughts about the album. Is it the band’s finest body of work thus far? Better even than their 2001 classic, ‘Mutter’, the album where my working relationship with the six effectively began? Well, press reviews of the record have just started to surface, and indeed there’s already been quite a bit written about it online – the result of a number of playbacks that have been held all over Europe, and doubtless beyond, and the consensus thus far is that the guys have indeed delivered something truly special, and I very much second that opinion…

One of the many interesting and intriguing things about Rammstein is that they continue to deliver at the highest creative levels even if the odds are somewhatstacked against them. When I was making my introductory speech at the Berlin playback of the ‘Mutter’ album all those years ago, I (like virtually everyone else) had precisely zero idea that the record had actually been a tough one for the band to make, with tensions in the ranks running high. All I knew was that we had one helluva musical statement on our hands – ‘Mein Herz Brennt’, ‘Links’, ‘Ich Will’ and my favourite ever Ramm-song ‘Spieluhr’, just one great number after another, no padding, no filler, no hint of in-studio heartaches or headaches.

And so it is with ‘Liebe Ist…’. Having spoken to all of the band members, it’s clear that once again there were hurdles to be overcome – indeed, at one point it seemed as though the album might not get made at all! After time spent away from each other, would the six musicians be able to collectively deliver, to re-ignite the mighty Rammstein flame, and would the results still sound like, well, them? Happily, the answer to these questions is yes. Actually, make that YES!!

And let me point out straight away that ‘Pussy’ does not represent the direction of the record as whole. Not surprisingly, it’s a track that has been a major talking-point of late, with just about everyone I speak to having watched the video (several times!), and there’s no question that both single and promo clip have done a magnificent job getting the Rammstein name back into the international spotlight, and quite right too. After all, it’s very much in line with Rammstein tradition that the band should seek to return with a bang – although I guess no-one really expected the musicians themselves to be doing the banging!

Let me put it like this: if you can imagine ‘Liebe Ist…’ as a multi-course banquet, and the artwork definitely implies that it is, then ‘Pussy’ is very much the starter, the hors doeuvres (or ‘whore’s duvet’ as I heard it recently described on a BBC comedy show); a preliminary course designed to get the taste buds a-tingle, paving the way for the main body of the meal… which, as you’d expect from Rammstein, has been spit-roasted over an open flame with plenty of bloody aprons discarded along the way. Gordon Ramm-stein, in-f**king-deed!

Right then, here’s what’s on the menu….

1) ‘Rammlied’ (‘Ramm-song’)

From the moment I first heard this song in unmixed form, it was clear that it would be a candidate to launch the album… and maybe the live show

too? Reminiscent of ‘Rammstein’ from the band’s debut outing ‘Herzeleid’, but in a significantly higher gear, this is a monster of a track that already sounds like a Rammstein classic. Imagine a battalion of fully-armoured war elephants marching into battle, tusks tipped with gleaming steel, and you’re starting to get the picture. A celebration of the behemoth that is Rammstein itself, it’s an irresistible, unstoppable opening gambit. Rammstein are back, and ‘Rammlied’ makes it clear that we should indeed be afraid. Very afraid.

2) ‘Ich Tu Dir Meh’ (‘I Hurt You’)

I’ve had a quick glance at the translated lyrics for this one, and, boy, there’s some pretty nasty stuff here. ‘Harsh’ might be the best word. One of my most embarrassing moments came when I was having the lyrics for ‘Rein Raus’ (from the ‘Mutter’ album) translated into English; the translator was a nice women of pensionable age, and when we came to the line ‘Ein Elefant In Nadelohr’, I really didn’t know where to look! Well, ‘Ich Tu…’ has the potential to be evenmore awkward than that, so you can see what sort of territory we’re in here! And the music? Another home run, pure an’ simple, or in wrestling terms (a sport closer to the Rammstein heart), a full body slam leading to an instant submission. Not an easy task, having to follow the grand opening of ‘Rammlied’, but ‘Ich Tu…’ does a magnificent job, and the chorus is one of the finest on the album; prepare to have it lodged in your head like a flesh-eating parasite…

3) ‘Waidmann’s Heil’

Probably my favourite track on the album, a song that at one point was being talked about as the lead-off single. As I’ve never actually been hunting, or even worn leather shorts for that matter (don’t tell Ted Nugent), I must admit to being unfamiliar with the term ‘Waidmann’s Heil’; however, I’m assured that it’s a traditional German hunting greeting – something one hunter would say to another as they head off into the darker reaches of the Black Forest in search of wild boar or stag or whatever creatures they might catch in their sights. The correct response, I gather, is ‘Waidmann’s Danke’, but this sort of inside knowledge is not essential to your enjoyment of a track that kicks off with a rousing blast of hunting horn, a new addition to the Rammstein musical repertoire, as far as I’m aware. From that point on, it’s a full-tilt race for the finish, complete with magnificent chants of ‘Waidmann’s Heil!’, even more hunting horns, and the sort of ‘Feuer Frei!’/‘Keine Lust’-style guitar action that Rammstein do so well. Now where’s my bow & arrow?!

4) ‘Haifisch’ (‘Shark’)

Another song that turns the spotlight on the band itself. There’s been a lot of a rumours circulating about this record, one of them being that the music would carry a hip hop influence! Well, fear not, Rammstein purists, it doesn’t, but I guess speculation of that sort might have been fuelled by songs like ‘Rammlied’ and ‘Haifisch’ which see the guys, well, bigging themselves up a bit. Nothing wrong with that in my book; as far as I’m concerned, Rammstein have plenty to boast about (as the ‘Pussy’ video makes plain!), although the music to ‘Haifisch’ may I guess come as a bit of a surprise, reminiscent to some extent of ‘London Calling’-era Clash! For me, ‘Liebe Ist…’ is probably the most varied Rammstein album to date, with songs like ‘Haifisch’, ‘Pussy’ & ‘Roter Sand’ (of which more later) showing the band’s stark refusal to merely tread water, and that’s part of what makes this record (studio album number six) so exciting and so alive… oh, and ‘Haifisch’ is great; commercial, memorable and surely a possible future single…

5) ‘B*****’

Let’s face it, Rammstein know how to deliver The Riff. Of course, in Till Lindemann they also have one of the most distinctive frontmen in the world of rock

& metal, and his vocals have always been a vital part of The Sound, but it’s The Riffs that provide the foundation, the basis on which the songs can be constructed… and, in this respect, B******** is a mighty edifice, indeed! As with all Rammstein riffs, this one feels like it’s attached to two giant and muddy tank tracks, rolling inexorably forward, reducing everything in their path to so much fine powder. And as for the title, no it isn’t anything rude (as far as I know!); we’re not talkin’ ‘Never Mind The B*****’ here, it’s just that the word in question is essentially made-up, a creation of the aforementioned Herr Lindemann, and we know just how fertile his mind can be!

6) ‘Fruehling In Paris’ (’Spring In Paris’)

Do I detect a hint of romance? Maybe so, but the lyrics are delivered in such a wistful, world-weary fashion by Till that the song never gets anywhere

near being throwaway, lightweight or overly commercial. Rather, there’s a haunting, sepia quality to the music (like someone mulling over past memories) that provides for a tremendous sense of atmosphere, and then of course there’s the bold decision to deliver the chorus lines in French… and not just any old chorus lines, oh no. We’re talkin’ ‘Je Ne Regrette Rien’ no less, lines made world famous by singer Edith Piaf! Does it work? Absolutely, and once again Rammstein show how they’re still moving forward as a band. Fantastique!

7) ‘Wiener Blut’ (‘Vienna Blood’)

It’s part of Rammstein’s unwritten manifesto that they are duty-bound to comment on the kind of controversial happenings that most bands would run

a very fast mile from… so it was only logical, following on from ‘Mein Teil’ on the last album (a song ‘inspired’ by the cannibalistic exploits of Armin Meiwes), that they should now turn their attention to a certain Josef Fritzl, the Austrian man who imprisoned his daughter and fathered several children with her. No great surprise then that ‘Wiener Blut’ is perhaps the album’s darkest, most aggressive track, with Till once again showing his skill at playing different characters, not all of them pleasant… needless to say, the Till of ‘Wiener Blut’ isn’t the one you’d want to take to a Women’s Institute garden party, although it could be an interesting coming together! I wonder how many people you can take out with a hardened scone?

8) ‘Pussy’

One thing that’s been clear from the very start of my relationship with Rammstein is that the band do have a very sharp sense of humour; they wouldn’t be able to toy so deliciously with their own history & culture if they didn’t – and ‘Pussy’ is another example of the guys putting the ‘tonic’ into ‘Teutonic’! A few years ago, a couple of the Rammstein members accepted a trophy at the Kerrang! Awards in London, and their speech consisted mainly of a fewarchetypally German words strung together: ‘blitzkrieg’, ‘wunderbar’, the sort of stereotypes & clichés traditionally used by us in conjunction with the German nation… and it went down a storm, getting a big laugh and a round of applause, and essentially the same approach is taken here, with ‘bratwurst’, ‘sauerkraut’ and other well-thumbed words and phrases being tossed randomly into the mix to create just the right tone for a track (and accompanying clip) that is currently creating ‘water-cololer moments’ in metal circles and beyond. If leading the campaign with ‘Pussy’ was designed to create a stir… it’s succeeded! And as one of the UK rock mags recently pointed out, this must surely be the most high-profile act ever to use bodily fluids in a video! Unless you know otherwise, of course…

9) ‘Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da’ (‘Love Is There For All Of Us’)

Fittingly, the album’s title track encapsulates something that Rammstein (in particular drummer ‘Schneider’) have been speaking about for a number

of years – namely, the move away from the more regimented, near-industrial arrangements of their earlier recordings towards a looser, more organic approach and a different kind of energy. Whipped into action by the sort of explosive drum flourishes that underpinned ‘Tommy Gun’ by The Clash and doubtless other punk anthems of the time, ‘Liebe Ist…’ is Rammstein in full heads-down mode, making a collective charge for the finish line. You can almost picture them playing this one in rehearsals, minus the pyros and the normal pomp & circumstance, sparking off each other’s energy, smiles on faces and instruments held low. Which brings us to….

10) Mehr (‘More’)

Sometimes with music you need to break up the rhythm and sometimes you just need to keep hammering the same nail… hard! And Rammstein are adept

at knowing just what’s required on both of these fronts, as ‘Mehr’ – a song combining said approaches – clearly shows. Yes, there’s an intriguing, almost skittishopening section, not revealing too early just what kind of a track we’re in for, and yes, there’s a change of pace in the middle, allowing the music to once again build in drama & intent, but ultimately it’s The Riff here that is king, like a battering ram hitting time and again against the same weakened spot, with the chorus being chanted call-to-arms-style over the top. Resistance, as ever, is futile. Best to come out waving the white flag…

11) ‘Roter Sand’ (‘Red Sand’)

The first time I heard ‘Spieluhr’ from the ‘Mutter’ album, I thought it had a ‘Spaghetti Western’ feel to it, something to do with its distinctive chiming motif which I guess reminded me of that classic gunfight scene from one of the ‘Dollar’ movies, I can’t recall precisely which one. Of course, as I subsequently found out, the story behind ‘Spieluhr’ had nothing whatsoever to do with that particular subject matter, but I think I’m on much safer ground with ‘Roter Sand’… Cinematic in the extreme, this atmospheric slow-burner was actually the cause of much debate inside the group – everyone agreed the track had genuine merit, but was it just too different to go on a Rammstein album? Should it be one of The Chosen Eleven? Happily, the final decision was a collective thumbs-up, with the result that we now have a ‘whistling’ song from a German band that isn’t the Scorpions! Just as ‘Ramm-lied’ is the obvious opening track, so ‘Roter Sand’ is the ideal closer – haunting, chilling and with a vocal performance from Till that shows his ever-increasing ability to assume different personas… and is that Clint I see riding off into the sunset?

THERE ARE times when you just want the ground to swallow you whole…

I had one such moment the other day, whilst playing the 12” vinyl version of the ‘Pussy’/ ‘Rammlied’ single. Along with a blue vinyl 7”, it’s a format that’s exclusive to the UK market (via www.whatrecords.co.uk), and I was playing it at window-rattlin’ volume for the very first time. I have to say that it sounds absolutely magnificent – warm and full and extremely powerful, so much so, that I decided to crank up the volume even more… just as a female cleaner was walking past my office at Universal!

I guess it could have been worse – I could have been watching the ‘Pussy’ video on my computer (for research purposes only, of course), but even so, the words ‘You’ve got a pussy, I’ve got a dick-ah!’ might not be to everyone’s taste. Happily, however, the lady in question instantly broke out in a big smile and gave me an enthusiastic thumbs-up, which is something that’s been happening quite a bit of late…

More often than not, there are all kinds of problems to deal with, and then just when you’ve got one under control, another one springs up behind your back. Over the past couple of weeks, however, positive vibes have been flying around like so much wayward pollen, and there’s a general feeling – which I heartily endorse – that this new Rammstein album is right up there with the very best of their work, a record to rival the seismic impact made by 2001’s ‘Mutter’ in terms of both artwork & music.

Certainly, the reaction from the UK rock media has been extremely encouraging; I’ve organised a couple of full playback events (thanks to Gibson for use of their London showroom), and I’ve also indulged in a few one-on-ones, if you’ll pardon the expression, and so far so good… in fact, I would say: so far, so great!

Do I have a favourite song on the album? Well, let’s face it, ‘Rammlied’ is pretty spectacular, and I like to think that its inclusion as part of the ‘Pussy’ package has at least a small something to do with my continued lobbying on behalf of the track. I’m also a big fan of ‘Ich Tu Dir Weh’ and ‘Waidmanns Heil’, the latter being a traditional German hunting greeting, which is why a horn of the hunting variety is immediately brought into play with sufficient force to have wild boar everywhere scurrying for cover! You can almost smell the leather shorts, if that’s something you’re interested in!

Actually, as the October 19th release date is approaching fast, I think a full track-by-track rundown might shortly be in order; and let’s not forget, there’s now 16 new tracks for me to give my thoughts and feelings on, with five bonus cuts being included on the special CD format of the album. Yes, there’s plenty to pronounce on, including a double coloured vinyl version, which I should have full details on soon; the Cup Of Rammstein is not just full, but positively over-flowing, and as a parting word of advice, might I suggest that you book your ticket for one or more of the three UK dates confirmed for next Feb before much more time has passed – to say said tickets are selling fast is a bit like saying that Rammstein like to play with fire… it’s true, but it in no way conveys the FULL (and flame-engulfed) picture!!

RAMMSTEIN: VIEW FROM THE UK...

WELCOME FELLOW supporters of the Rammstein cause, to what will be a regular series
of posts concerning the new single (out in the UK today), the new album, and, well, just this uniquely exciting band in general.

I should point out straight away that I’ve never felt inclined to get blog-happy before, but then I’ve never been so directly involved in the release of a new Rammstein album before! When I started up the Spinefarm label in the UK back in 2007, it was straight away an ambition to work with the band on their next studio release (I’d already enjoyed a longstanding involvement on the international side), but at that point it wasn’t exactly clear just when that might be… or whether such a thing would be possible… or indeed if there was destined to be a ‘next studio release’ at all!

Well happily, after a couple of meetings in Berlin, the second revolving around an excellent Indian meal, a way forward was found… and now, moving ahead a few more months, the lead single ‘Pussy’ is out there in the stores (supported by a much talked-about online clip!), the UK dates are on sale (and selling very fast!), and the album is being celebrated with ‘Mutter’-like enthusiasm by those who have heard it… and there’s still only a few of them!

And, in the UK and the UK only, we’ve added two extra formats to the single: an etched 7” pressed onto ‘Viagra’-blue vinyl, plus a 12” in a clear bag, both available exclusively from www.whatrecords.co.uk. The vinyl formats are hand-numbered and strictly limited in number, with the 12” also featuring the track ‘Rammlied’ – a truly classic slice of Rammstein that puts me in mind of fully-armoured war elephants out on the rampage.

It’s feeling good at ground level, I have to say, with the artwork for both the single and the album (the former by LA-based photographer/video director Paul Brown) showing the high level of creativity and attention to detail that goes into everything bearing the Rammstein name… and this, of course, is just the beginning!