For the best part of a decade, very little new material has arisen from the industrial metal giants Rammstein, with the only new material since 2009’s Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da (Universal) being their single ‘Mein Land’ and the live opener ‘Ramm4’. Across the world, people have patiently anticipated the 7th studio album from the German Powerhouse, but will it live up to the hype and the high standards everyone has for the long-awaited album?
The track starts with a tasty melody that you’ll probably have going round in your head for the rest of the day. The keys and guitars are soon followed by drums that hit you smack in the face. However, I couldn’t shake the similarity in style of the opening section of this track to Avenged Sevenfold’s ‘Hail to the King’ during the intro.
Once we get to the first verse we’re hit with the lyrics ‘Du Hast….Viel Geweint’ Instantly reminding us of Rammstein’s (probaby) most well-known offering ‘Du Hast’. The track moves into a heavy-hitting chorus that is approached in a similar vein to ‘AMERIKA’ from their 2004 album ‘REISE, REISE’, and at this point any hint of ‘that intros heavy similar to another song’ has gone out the window as you’ll be fully immersed by the fact that you’re listening to classic Rammstein, finally returning with new music in 2019.
The track has a fun feel throughout, which the band have mentioned they’ve managed to bring back in this album. This being said, you can feel a real emotional drive throughout (even if none German speakers don’t know what they’re saying!) and if you watch the music video, even more so. This coupled with the reminders of AMERIKA makes you realise there is quite a dark message behind the track – The video takes place over a number of time periods and is essentially a song about the love-hate relationship with their homeland.
A teaser clip for music video showed Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann and bandmates dressed in striped prison uniforms, with nooses around their necks.
The video has received criticism from political figures Felix Klein, the German government’s commissioner for anti-Semitism, called it a “tasteless exploitation of artistic freedom” – No comment has been made by the band at this point regarding the context behind the video, so all I would say on this is that it’s down to the viewers’ interpretation at this point.
For what the rest of the album has to offer? We’ll just have to wait and see, but with their initial single making them targets of controversy once again, and coming out with such a hard hitting first track with hints of new styles and techniques, I have full faith that this is showing all the signs of a monstrous album with new experimentation, whilst staying true to the classic Rammstein roots.
Deutschland is the first single released off the still-untitled highly anticipated album – due out May 17th
Watch the controversial music video here:
For our more electronic-based readers who may not be so keen in listening to industrial metal – To you, I recommend you check out the Remix of this track by Richard Z. Kruspe which is a great Re-work of the new single.
All Image Credits: Rammstein
