Rammstein at their very best. (Mutter - Rammstein)

Member Name: Glitterybee

Product:	Mutter - Rammstein
Date:	10/09/09 (30 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A awesome mix of tracks that shows what the mighty rammstein are capable of.

Disadvantages: A couple of songs are ever so slightly hindered by the language barrier, but not enough to ruin it.

Ah good old rammstein, where do you even start with these guys, seriously? They manage to uphold this mystery, which is one of the many things i admire about them. Famous for their thundering guitar riffs and aggressive industrial sound, live shows full of pyrotechnics, rowing dinghies across their audiences heads and simulated sex, they make no secret of their kinkier side - best known by the infamous video for 'Sonne' which involved a dominatrix version of snow white, their name taken from the location of a german air disaster and with many rumours and accusations that they are neo-nazi - which of course are denied, this band are hardly shrinking violets.

They are a six piece band that consists of;
Till Lindemann - Vocals
Christian Lorenz (Flake) - Keyboards
Richard Krupse-Berstein - Guitars
Paul Landers - Guitar
Oliver Riedel - Bass
Christophe Schneider (Doom) - Drums

They formed around '93, releasing their first album in '95. They have released 6 albums up to date, the last being back in 2005.

'Mutter' was released in April 2001, this is probably the best known album by rammstein, as this is the album that gained them an army of fans and where many people became aware of this band, this album booted them out into the open and started their rise to fame. The fact that all their lyrics are in german is irrelevant, it adds to the whole package - i can't help but think they just wouldn't be as good if they sung in english and in all honesty, the music speaks for itself.

The album kicks off with 'Mein Herz Brennt' which translated means 'my heart burns'. This track kicks the album off nicely with a slightly softer start to the track but soon gets somewhat heavier, with an orchestral backing to it, this gives an interesting twist to rammstein, showing just how versatile this band can be and that they aren't just about head pounding guitar riffs....but speaking of pounding guitar riffs, next up is 'Links 2-3-4' which is a very military like track, it opens to the sounds of people marching and with the heavy emphasis on bass and killer riffs, this is where the 'edge' to the band really starts to show itself. Following is 'Sonne' which is probably one of the best known rammstein tracks, which probably the video is largely to thank for. This is one of the strongest - if not the strongest track of the album. Again with the slightly orchestral sound and the female harmonies - but still retaining its heaviness, it puts an unusual twist to the song, but it works perfectly with their sound and ends up a dark & brooding masterpiece. This song shows just how intelligent this band really are. Next up, is another very strong track 'Ich will' which is one of the fan favourites live and again, one of their better know tracks. It has a distictive pounding riff and is incredibly catchy with a certain sing along appeal. The song features chants of the crowd responding to what Till sings, which again, gives the band an very military like feel. Killer track. Following is another song with heavy military influence, it kicks off with the sound of sirens and a heavy synth input through out, building intense guitar riffs and the words 'Bang! Bang!' are repeated throughout to make an entirely storming track, giving this song a very aggressive sound, but i love it. A very strong track indeed. 'Mutter' is one of my less favourite tracks, it's somewhat different to the rest of them on the album, the thing about rammstein is they are always tounge in cheek and when you don't speak german, sometimes this can be a bit lost on you! The track sets off with an acoustic sound and then progresses to a heavier stage. Next is 'Spieluhr' which opens with a monolouge, again not the strongest track but by no means bad, not as heavy as some of the others on the album either, but it offers some very catchy riffs and a slightly hypnotic synth which you can't help but get sucked in by. 'Zwitter' is a typical rammstein track - and i love it! The guitars and drums don't waste much time in storming in and again is one of the many of their songs that you can sing along with, despite the fact that you can't understand a word of german. The synths play an important part in all rammstein songs and this one is no exception, it gives a very dark and dare i say it, it adds a certain kind of beauty to them. 'Rein Raus' is another quality offering in true rammstein style, growling vocals, steady ripping guitar riffs, chugging bass, a heavy synth input and a catchy chorus. Love it. Next in line is 'Adios' Probably one of the faster songs on the album, or at least the drum beat is faster than their normal style and some interesting somewhat quirky riffs, but it's the variety like this, that make this album so blinding. You literally don't know what your going to get next. The next and final track is 'Nebel' a very quiet start with some synth sounds opening the track and a gentle electro drum coming in with Till quietly singing over it. The song very gradually builds up into their signature aggressive style.

I think that this is, in my opinion, the strongest album they have released. It shows that they are far from a one trick pony and are capable of a whole lot more than people think. It's an album you can pick up again and again, yet you still find something new each time and it never fails to impress me. An extremely strong band, definately one of the greats. These guys deserve every single bit of credit that they get, this is the band at their very best. It has everything, storming riffs, catchy tunes, the head-banging factor and a lot of humour, this is band not to be taken too seriously. I would strongly reccommend that you give this album a listen, who knows, you might like it? To anyone who hasn't heard this album before, or even heard this band before, i envy you, i wish i could hear them for the first time again.

Thanks for reading.
Kirsty.

Summary: A storming album from german industrial metallers.