Rammstein - Rosenrot
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Free Music Notes for Rosenrot
Free Music Review: Reise, Reise: Part 2? Maybe. And why not?
Hit: 5 Stars
This is a hard review for me to write. I'm a fan of every single Rammstein track, album, Live performance, video... you get the idea. When I first heard Rosenrot, I was torn as I tried to figure out whether I was listening to musical genius or the fall of a great band. Sounds scary, but rest assured- I love this album.
So where's the controversy? To understand Rosenrot, you need some background. Shortly after the release of Reise, Reise, Rammstein found themselves a bit disillusioned with touring (where someband members began to feel the weight of fans' demand for over-the-top shows), and with their record company (as they were only one album short of fulfulling their contract and re-negotiating their terms). Returning to the studio briefly, the band agreed that there was enough material leftover from the previous album to begin a work originally called Reise, Reise Part 2. Adding in some new tracks, Rammstein quickly pushed out the successor that became Rosenrot, which they now felt was strong enough to be a stand-alone album, and not just a Part 2.
So is Rosenrot just a half-baked attempt to fulfill some random obligations? Not in this reviewer's opinion. A few tracks will definately grate on some listener's ears (Stirb Night vor Mir is the un-popular choice here), but all of the fuss over only a small number of hit-or-miss tracks should tell you something about the history of the band. Rammstein fans are used to releases full of potential singles, where nary a weak song exists. Even if you wind up passing on a few tracks, what's left is brutally fun music that's well worth the purchase price. Right off the bat, the album opens up with Benzin and Mann Gegen Mann, guitar-heavy tracks that will please Rammstein fans of any era. Rosenrot, Spring, and Wo Bist Du seem like softer, nearly ballad-like songs at face value, but listen closely and you'll hear that Rammstein's still rocking full-force for a big chunk of the time.
That's when Stirb Nicht vor Mir hits, and it's honestly not that bad. Sure, it starts out sounding a little too close to country music for most Rammstein fans' tastes. And yes, Rammstein should have contacted their normal female vocalist, Bobo. But the replacement used isn't quite as bad as some will make her out to be. And even if you hate it, just hit Fast-Forward. This puts you at Zerstören, my personal favorite from the album. It's hard-hitting, and the main guitar riff is one that every listener will be trying to get out of their head for days to come- brilliant. A short jog through the near-power-ballad of Hilf Mir, and you're at Te Quiero Puta!. This track is a wonder, as it's performed entirely in Spanish. Trumpets blend with metal guitar to make an addictive blend, and it's one of the album's top tracks. Rosenrot closes with two softer songs, Feuer und Wasser and Ein Lied. A soft ending to a lot of rocking.
Overall, Rosenrot sounds like all the band members are having a lot of fun. Guitars range from heavy to experimental, some keyboard semi-solos recall the days of Herzeleid or Sehnsucht, and the whole time, the tracks maintain the epic sense of production value that Reise, Reise brought to the table. It's interesting, experimental, and even bordering on awkward at times as the band stretches its musical wings- but it's all still Rammstein through and through, and Rosenrot is a great addition to any collection.
Free Music Review: Rammstein Impresses again.
Hit: 5 Stars
The German powerhouse band Rammstein has released another outstanding album. This album contains songs that didn't get put on Reise Reise, which is weird because this album is better than Reise Reise. Maybe they were saving the best for last. Like Reise Reise, the band has stepped up in terms of the technicality of their music. Flake has more complicated keyboarding, the guitarist has some good solos, and the drummer goes above and beyond and shows he is in the upper echelon of drummers. Track by Track...
1. Benzin (10/10) A great way to start off an album. This is one of the songs when Christopher Schneider (drummer) plays great. Fun, catchy lyrics and a hardcore chorus make this one of the best on the album.
2. Mann Gegen Mann (9.5/10) Weird doesnt begin to describe the lyrics to this song. Very catchy riff and chorus.
3. Rosenrot (10/10) Rammstein continues the tradition of awesome title tracks with Rosenrot. This song is very simple, but operatic and powerful. Also has great lyrics.
4. Spring (11/10) Best song on the CD. The church choir type background is perfect for this song. Very mellow and humbling while also having some heavy rock elements. Beautiful, if sad, lyrics and a chorus to match. Amazing.
5. Wo Bist Du (9/10). This took me a little long to get into but now listen to it more than any song on here except for Spring. Sounds like a song you'd here on a longboat in the arctic. Epic.
6. Stirb Nicht vor Mir (Don't Die Before I Do) (6/10) The only weak song on the album. It's just kind of bland and repetitive. I dont mind that they are trying to use two singers (Moskau is a great song) but this girl doesnt work with Till at all.
7. Zerst?ren (8.5/10) Strange song with good guitar and an Audioslave-esque guitar solo. Very weird ending as well.
8. Hilf Mir (10/10) These lyrics get to me. There about a girl who is constantly alone and starts playing with fire to amuse herself. Eventually she gets burned and noone can help her. Great guitar and an amazing ending. Great song on all levels.
9. Te Quiero Puta! (9.5/10) A funny song that Till sings in spanish. The chorus and ending are both amazing and this is another song where the drummer steps up.
10. Feuer und Wasser (9.5/10) Great keyboarding work in this song and Till really belts it out. Kind of depressing but still a great song.
11. Ein Lied (10/10) A slow song that works. Flakes keyboarding in this song is perfect and the guitar work is slow, simple but beautiful. Listen to this in the rain for full effect.
Overall, I think this is Rammstein's best album other than Mutter (perhaps the perfect album). Any Rammstein fan should have it.
Free Music Review: Feuer und Wasser Kommt Hier Zusammen
Hit: 5 Stars
This album is Rammstein's greatest ever, a seamless fusion of the varied styles present in their previous releases. While musically it is most similar to Mutter, it incorporates the flowing melodies of Reise, Reise and the outright punch of Sehnsucht.
It starts strong with "Benzin", a bombastic track punctuated by sirens and ending with some very sound advice about parting from things. This flows neatly into "Mann Gegen Mann", the hardest-rocking track on the CD, very similar in tone to "Tier" from Sehnsucht.
The title track is phenomenal, dark and haunting and driven by a bass rumble that grabs you and holds on. It makes good use of the melodic side of Till's voice, as does "Wo Bist Du?", my personal favorite song. It sounds straight off RR, with its orchestral backing (an element of RR that is mostly missing from Rosenrot, unfortunately) and soaring and plunging vocals that span Till's entire range.
"Spring" is both musically appealing and, if you speak German, deeply disturbing. It conveys more horror than any other Rammstein song, which is quite the accomplishment, given the previous release of songs such as "Heirate Mich" (Herzeleid).
The weakest points of this album are "Stirb Nicht Vor Mir" and "Te Quiero Puta!". "Stirb Nicht Vor Mir" is, as Flake said during one of the chat sessions which followed the release, an embarassment. The worst of it is that it could have been amazing if the female singer had a) sung in German and b) been either Bobo or Viktoria Fersch, both of whom have contributed to previous Rammstein albums. Let's face it: as talented as Sharleen Spiteri is, her voice does not suit German metal. AT ALL. "Te quiero puta!" is just annoying. Till's Spanish is appalling. Good thought, though. It might have worked for a less hardcore band, as a humourous number.
"Hilf Mir" and "Feuer und Wasser" are both excellent. "Feuer und Wasser" shows, like "Adios" (Mutter), just how good Richard Z. is with that guitar. Add Till's voice and you see why no German metal band has ever come close to the greatness of Rammstein, and why probably none ever will.
"Ein Leid" is a perfect conclusion to the album, a song about the power of music over both the artists and the listeners. It's slow and personal and makes the music of Rammstein more intimately real.
Even if you don't like Rammstein, buy this album. It'll change the way you see music forever.
Free Music Review: AMAZING...
Hit: 5 Stars
When Rammstein first came out, they were hailed as an industrial metal band in the vain of KMFDM and others. It wasn't until their 2000 album Mutter that Rammstein began to really mature and create songs that were good for more than just headbanging. With their new album Rosenrot, Rammstein steps even further from the beaten path.
In their entire career, Rammstein only ever made two overtly political songs, "Hallejula" (which addressed the pedophilia that has appeared to be rampant within the Catholic Church) and "Amerika" (which addressed the unbalanced level of influence the United States has in the world). On Rosenrot, they engage in politically charged lyrics again with "Benzin," or "Petrol," which looks at the Western addiction to oil: "I need money for gasoline, Explosive like kerosene, With lots of octane and free of lead."
The best song is "Spring," which features almost all of the things I've learned to love in Rammstein: haunting keyboards, emotional vocals, a full group chorus in the background, heavy guitars and a touch of classical influence. The lyrics are pretty disturbing when you look at them, describing vividly the sight of a man on the verge of committing suicide.
As they did on their last album, Reise Reise, the band engages in a bit of bilingual action on Rosenrot. On Reise Reise, we had singer Till Lindermann singing an english chorus on "Amerika" (a highly political song, a rareity for Rammstein) and the Russian pop band TATU singing their native language on "Moscau". We hear english again this time on "Stirb nicht vor mir", this time from singer Sharleen Spiteri, but surprisingly enough Till himself engages in some Spanish on the energetic "Te Quiero Puta!" ("I love you, bitch!"). This presents a great musical demonstration of European bilingualism.
Rosenrot has only been out a month in Europe and has already gone platinum. If you haven't checked in on Rammstein in a long time or want to hear what they're like, Rosenrot is the album to pick up. It's by far their best effort yet.
Free Music Review: Bold....
Hit: 5 Stars
Their latest Album, Rammstein proves again why I love them so much. Though I don't speak German or care to know what they are saying, the music in this ablum carries me away it's strange and dreamlike atmosphere of synthesized choirs and slow heavy beats.
Among my favorites are "Woe Bist Du?" and "Rosenrot", which I feel along with "Fuerer Und Wasser" at the band's best and most moving yet. On par with Reise,Reise's "Ohne Dich", "Woe Bist Du?" calls to mind something of a Epic poem like Beowulf (not the film, the story) with it's powerful, operatic vocals and moving synthesize passages.
"Rosenrot" seems to convey something darker and more atmospheric, even the banned video which I'm sure is somewhere on YouTube denotes something sinister.
The most power of the entire CD has to be "Fuerer Und Wasser", in which begins at a smoldering pace and explodes into a powerful crashing crescendo near the end.
In my opinion, the barnburner of a first track "Benzin" (translated as Petrol or Fuel) is quite a compliment to the band's penchant for pyrotechnics in their shows.
While there are some weaker points in the CD, the most hilarious is "Te Quiero Puta!" (I'm not going to translate the spanish part, lol, but it's something bad). Hearing Till Lindemann sing in spanish complete with a Mariachi style trumpet accompanyment left me rolling in fits of laughter. But I still dig it, even if I know what the spanish translates to in english, and like most rock music, it's pretty darn dirty. Lol, but good for laughs.
The entire CD closes on the haunting note of "Ein Lied", which in itself sounds quite claustrophobic yet deeply intimate when stripped of all the chugging guitars, thundering bass and so-accurate-you-can-set-your-watch-by-it drum time.
While a completely different departure from their last album, Rammstein still seems to have an edge even if something is horribly weak.
That's my two cents.