This album was released on May 17^th, 2019 on Universal Records.

Rammstein has been kicking around for twenty-five years and are a household name in hard rock and industrial metal. Their legacy has preceded them with “Du Hast” and “Sonne” reaching monumental levels off success worldwide. Their last album in 2009 was the most recent musical effort they put forth, and there was no rhyme or reason for putting out their new album, Rammstein, other than for the fun of it. The only problem was that this album could damage their legacy just as easily as bolster it. After listening to the album, I can say that it has some decent songs that make the cut and some interesting creative choices that expand upon past albums, but all in all lacks the overall energy and cohesion needed to boost the already impressive résumé.

When Rammstein released “Deutschland”, numerous media outlets praised the single. The infectious riffs and return to form for the band suggested that we were receiving an effort akin to the band’s early years of productivity. As the album progresses, this becomes less and less clear, and a new direction, but pays homage to the past albums in such a way that sounds refreshing. The dance-metal “Ausländer” is an interesting take from the band and is more accessible than I thought it would be on first listen. “Radio” is another interesting synth-rock anthem that was executed well, and the soft “Diamant” adds a very haunting break from the fast-paced metal we’ve experienced for quite some time at this point in the album.

Lyrically, the album continues on the same political and emotional stance as its predecessors, and Till Lindemann is hell-bent on making people think about his words. Already singing about several controversial subjects in the past, Lindemann takes the descent of his home country as the forefront of his lyrical prowess, and expands upon the ridiculousness that has come from the events that have taken place over Germany’s history. Outside of the seriousness of the album, multiple songs have simpler subject matter that teeters between easy-listening and insightful. The lyrics are in German. I couldn’t tell you which songs explain what events. I got this information through research. Regardless, Lindemann’s signature vocal delivery proves to be just as potent as it always has been.

If you listen to Rammstein and aren’t fluent in German, the odds are that you aren’t listening for the lyrics. Despite the powerful delivery of said vocals, the instrumentality in this album is very much Rammstein, and the new album supplies plenty of new music for the hardcore fan. In terms of what this means for the band’s career (rumor has it that this is their last album), this record is kind of a dud to go out on, but only because it is a final album. Place it anywhere in their discography, and I think that it is well worth the listen.

Rating: 7/10

Favorite Songs: “Deutschland”, “Zeig Dich”, “Puppe”