Rammstein

Rammstein is a German band that started in Berlin in 1994. They are part of a music style called Neue Deutsche Härte, which mixes heavy metal with electronic music. The band has six members: Till Lindemann who sings, Richard Kruspe and Paul Landers who play the guitars, Oliver Riedel who plays the bass, Christoph Schneider who is the drummer, and Christian "Flake" Lorenz who plays the keyboard. All these members have stayed the same since the band began.

Rammstein first became popular after winning a contest that let them record songs and share them with record labels. They signed with a label and released their first album in 1995. Their music grew in popularity because of their exciting live shows, and they went on to make many more albums. Some of their well-known songs are "Engel," "Du hast," "Sonne," and "Deutschland." Their shows are famous for having big special effects like fireworks, which make them even more fun to watch.

Over the years, Rammstein has released eight studio albums and many live albums. They have had great success, with many of their albums reaching the top position in many countries. Even though they have faced some criticism for their image and some of their songs, they are still very popular and loved by fans around the world. Music experts have ranked them as one of the best metal bands of all time.

History

Founding and Herzeleid (1989–1996)

In 1989, guitarist Richard Kruspe escaped to West Berlin and started a band. After the Berlin Wall came down, he moved back home to Schwerin, where Till Lindemann worked as a basket-weaver and played drums in another band. In 1992, Kruspe traveled to the United States with Lindemann and Oliver Riedel. He decided to focus on creating a unique German sound. Kruspe, Riedel, and drummer Christoph Schneider began working together on a new project in 1993. They persuaded Lindemann to join the group.

The band coexisted with the members' previous projects for about a year and a half. They recorded their first songs in a building that had been squatted by a band frontman. A contest was held in Berlin for amateur bands in 1994, the winner of which would receive access to a professional recording studio for a whole week. The band entered and won the contest with a 4-track demo tape. This caught the attention of Paul Landers, who wanted to join the project. To complete their sound, they attempted to recruit Christian "Flake" Lorenz, who eventually agreed to join the band.

The band was called Tempelprayers. The name Rammstein comes from an early idea by Schneider, Flake, and Paul. They had that name already written inside their Robur LO during their time in a band. Guitarist Paul Landers said the spelling of Ramstein with the extra "m" was a mistake. After the band became popular, the band members denied the connection to an air show disaster and said that their name was inspired by the giant doorstop-type devices found on old gates, called Rammsteine. Before agreeing on the name "Rammstein", the band also had other names in mind: Milch, Erde or Mutter.

Later, Rammstein was signed by Motor Music. They began to record their first studio album, Herzeleid, in March 1995 with producer Jacob Hellner. They released their first single "Du riechst so gut" that August and released the album in September. Throughout October, the band gathered their first few significant waves of fans while opening 15 shows across Germany for a band. Later in November, they opened two shows for another band in Warsaw and Prague. In December, they headlined a 17-show tour of Germany which helped expand the fanbase. They went on several tours throughout early 1996, releasing their second single titled "Seemann" on 8 January. On 27 March 1996, Rammstein performed on MTV's Hanging Out in London, their first performance in the UK. Their first major boost in popularity outside Germany came when a band frontman chose two Rammstein songs for the soundtrack of a 1997 film. The soundtrack for the film was released in the U.S. in late 1996 and later throughout Europe in April 1997. In the middle of 1996, they headlined one tour of their own in small, sold-out venues. Rammstein went on to tour through Germany, Austria, and Switzerland from September to October 1996, performing an anniversary concert on 27 September called "100 years of Rammstein".

Sehnsucht and Live aus Berlin (1996–2000)

Rammstein started recording Sehnsucht in November 1996 at the Temple Studios in Malta. The album was again produced by Jacob Hellner. "Engel", the first single from the album, was released on 1 April 1997 and reached gold status in Germany. This prompted the release of a fan edition of the single. Release of the second single from the album Sehnsucht was "Du hast", which hit the German single charts in August 1997 at No. 5. Rammstein then continued touring in the summer while Sehnsucht was released on 22 August 1997. The album reached No. 1 in Germany after two weeks in the charts. Rammstein continued to headline sold-out shows throughout Europe in September and October. On 5 December 1997, they embarked on their first tour of the United States as the opening act for a band. In July 1998, the band released a cover of the song "Stripped", originally released by Depeche Mode in early 1986; it was included on the tribute album For the Masses, the Rammstein version obtained moderate success in Germany and Austria.

On 22–23 August 1998, Rammstein played to over 17,000 fans at the Wuhlheide in Berlin, the biggest show the band had played there up to that date. The show was professionally filmed, intended to be released on their upcoming live DVD, Live aus Berlin. Rammstein embarked on a live tour with several bands in September through to late October 1998. Continuing their success in the US, Sehnsucht received Gold record status there on 2 November. The band was nominated at the MTV European Music Awards for Best Rock Act and performed "Du hast" live on 12 November that year.

Rammstein had further success in 1999, starting in February with a nomination for Best Metal Performance at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards. A year after it was filmed, the Live aus Berlin concert was released on CD on 30 August 1999, with a limited edition double CD also available. Two weeks after it was released, Live aus Berlin went to No. 2 in the German Album Charts. Further popularity ensued when "Du hast" was included in The Matrix: Music from the Motion Picture.

Mutter (2000–2002)

Rammstein's album Mutter was recorded in the south of France in May and June 2000, and mixed in Stockholm in October of that year. During December 2000, Rammstein released an MP3 version of "Links 2-3-4" as a teaser for their new album. 2001 was a busy year for Rammstein, as the band needed to finish off the Sehnsucht Tour ending in January and February with the band playing the Big Day Out festival in Australia and New Zealand and some concerts in Japan. January also heralded the shooting of the video for their upcoming single, "Sonne", recorded in Potsdam at Babelsberger Filmstudios from 13 to 15 January 2001. The video was released on 29 January 2001. The single for "Sonne" was released on 12 February 2001 in Europe, featuring an instrumental version of the song, two remixes and the song "Adios" from the upcoming album.

Mutter was released on 2 April 2001, sparking another Rammstein tour through Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. On 14 May, the second single from the album, "Links 2 3 4", was released, along with a video of the single on 18 May. After a tour throughout Europe in June, the band then toured the U.S., Canada and Mexico from June to August 2001. "Ich will", the third single from the album, was released on 10 September 2001 and a Tour edition of the Mutter album was released, featuring alternative artwork and live versions of "Ich will", "Links 2 3 4", "Sonne" and "Spieluhr".

From 8 to 12 January 2002, Rammstein traveled to Prague to participate in a minor scene for the film XXX. The band is seen in the opening scene, performing their song "Feuer frei!" in a concert. "Feuer frei!" was released across Europe as the first single from the XXX soundtrack on 14 October 2002. Rammstein released two remixes of the song. Furthermore, the single's track listing included "Du hast" and "Bück dich" cover versions by Battery. The video for the single was edited and contains part of Rammstein's performance at the beginning of the film and part snippets from the film itself.

Reise, Reise, Rosenrot, and Völkerball (2003–2006)

Rammstein recorded Reise, Reise at the El Cortijo studio in southern Spain in November and December 2003; it was mixed at Toytown studio in Stockholm, Sweden in April and May 2004. The first single from the album was "Mein Teil", released on 26 July. The video was shot in the Arena, in the Treptow district of Berlin. Outdoor shooting took place at the Deutsche Oper (Opera House) U-Bahn station on Bismarckstrasse. The director was Zoran Bihac, who also filmed the "Links 2 3 4" video. The video for the second single, "Amerika", was filmed on 6 and 7 August 2004 in the ruins of the former cement works in Rüdersdorf, near Berlin, under the direction of Jörn Heitmann. The video premiered on 20 August, while the single was released on 13 September.

Reise, Reise was released on 27 September 2004 and went straight into top 10 charts throughout Europe. According to the Billboard charts, Rammstein were at that stage the most successful German-language band of all time. Rammstein toured Germany through November and some of December 2004, releasing the single "Ohne dich" on 22 November. In February 2005, Rammstein toured Europe again. By 28 February, Rammstein had played 21 concerts in front of more than 200,000 spectators in ten countries. It was on this tour that the band was faced with several lawsuits resulting from severe accidents involving audience members. "Keine Lust", the fourth single from Reise, Reise, was released on 28 February 2005. From 27 May to 30 July 2005, Rammstein played music festivals across Europe. Footage from these concerts can be seen on Rammstein's live DVD Völkerball, released in November 2006.

In August 2005, Rammstein revealed that the follow-up album to Reise, Reise would be called Rosenrot. Their first single from the album, "Benzin", was released on 5 October, with its video premiere on 16 September. Rosenrot was released worldwide on 28 October. Directly following the release, the album continued the success of its predecessor, Reise, Reise, placing on top 10 charts in 20 countries. The video for "Mann gegen Mann" was released on 6 February 2006, with the single being released on 3 March. On 19 February 2006, Rammstein had an asteroid named after them, 110393 Rammstein.

On 17 November, the first Rammstein Live DVD since Live aus Berlin from 1998 was released. Völkerball shows concert performances by the band in England, France, Japan and Russia. The Special Edition is extended by a second DVD, which contains the documentaries "Anaconda in the net" and the "Making of the album Reise, Reise". The limited edition was released as a large black-and-white photo-book with photos by Frederic Batier, who had accompanied the band through their recent tours. The photo-book edition contains two DVDs and two live albums.

Liebe ist für alle da (2007–2011)

The band took a hiatus in 2006 and began work again in 2007. The recording process reportedly took two years. In July 2009, the title track "Liebe ist für alle da" leaked onto the internet, along with promotional materials. This led Universal Music to take action against certain fan sites. It was confirmed in August 2009 that the new album would have 11 tracks, and mixing of the album – which was taking place in Stockholm – had been completed. On 1 September 2009, it was confirmed on the band's website that "Pussy" would be the first single from the album. The music video for "Pussy" was released on 16 September 2009, at 20:30 GMT. The single was released during May and June 2010.

On 8 November 2009, Rammstein began the first leg of the Liebe ist für alle da Tour in Lisbon, Portugal. As part of their European summer tour, Rammstein performed at the 2010 Rock AM Ring Festival on 4–6 June 2010. They also headlined several shows across Europe on the Sonisphere Festival, including their first ever outdoor UK performance at Knebworth Park, performing the day before Iron Maiden. On Sunday 18 July 2010, Rammstein played in front of more than 130,000 people in Quebec City on the Plains of Abraham as the closing show for the Festival d'été de Québec. It was their first North American appearance in nine years. The band announced that their last tour dates of 2010 were to be in the Americas. After several South American dates, the band returned to the United States for a single show at the famous Madison Square Garden in New York City – their first US show in over ten years. The tickets sold out in a very short time (under 20 minutes).

They also performed at Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada on 9 December. This concert sold out within the first hour of tickets going on sale, indicating a high demand to see Rammstein in North America. The band then played at Big Day Out 2011 from 21 January to 6 February in New Zealand and Australia. The band also visited South Africa for the first time in early 2011 and played two sold-out concerts in Cape Town and Johannesburg respectively, indicating another territory eager for the opportunity to enjoy the band live. On 16 February 2011, Rammstein announced that, after the massive success of their sold out Madison Square Garden show on 11 December 2010, they would be touring North America after ten years.

Rammstein played in New Jersey (East Rutherford) Izod Center, Montreal Bell Centre, Toronto Air Canada Centre, Chicago Allstate Arena, Edmonton Rexall Place, Seattle Tacoma Dome, San Francisco (Oakland) Oracle Arena, Los Angeles The Forum, and Las Vegas Thomas and Mack Center, Mexico City's Palacio de los Deportes, Guadalajara's Arena VFG, and Monterrey's Auditorio Banamex to a total of six US dates, three Canadian dates, and four Mexican dates. Tickets went on sale 25 and 26 February to great response, with many shows completely selling out, making this tour a complete success. On 20 April 2011, the band also won the Revolver Golden God Award for Best Live Band, their first US award.

Made in Germany, video releases, and side projects (2011–2017)

Rammstein released a greatest hits album titled Made in Germany 1995–2011 on 2 December 2011. It contains one previously unreleased track, "Mein Land" which was released as a single on 11 November 2011 with another track, "Vergiss uns nicht", that was released at a later date. The compilation is available in three editions: The standard edition; this includes a CD with normal songs from their back catalog. Special edition; has the same CD from the standard edition and an extra CD with Rammstein songs that have been remixed by different artists. Finally, the super deluxe edition; has the two previously mentioned CDs and three DVDs with interviews and the making of videos from different music videos. The video for the song "Mein Land" was filmed on 23 May 2011 at Sycamore Beach in Malibu, California. It premiered on the band's official website on 11 November 2011. A full European tour in support of Made in Germany began in November 2011 and spanned all the way to May 2012. It included a North American tour that began on 20 April 2012 in Sunrise, Florida and ended on 25 May 2012 in Houston, Texas that visited 21 cities throughout the US and Canada. The Swedish industrial band Deathstars supported the band during the first two legs of the European tour. DJ Joe Letz from Combichrist and Emigrate was the opening act for the North American Tour.

Rammstein, minus Till Lindemann, performed "The Beautiful People" with Marilyn Manson at the Echo Awards on 22 March 2012. On 21 September 2012, it was announced that Rammstein would be headlining Download Festival 2013, along with Iron Maiden and Slipknot. Twelve additional festival performances for summer 2013 were announced the same day, including Wacken Open Air festival and Rock Werchter. Rammstein announced new tour dates starting for spring 2013 in Europe, including a 2-day return to Kindl-Bühne Wuhlheide, the location of their first (official) live DVD, Live Aus Berlin. On 22 November 2012, Rammstein announced via Facebook that they will be releasing a video collection featuring all music videos entitled Videos 1995–2012, plus two unreleased music videos for "Mein Herz Brennt", originally featured on the album Mutter. The first video premiered on the band's Vimeo, while the second premiered on a promotional website. Both videos were directed by Zoran Bihac. The first was released on 7 December 2012, and featured the newly recorded piano version of "Mein Herz Brennt". A single of the song was released on the same day, which included an edited version of the original and a new song titled 'Gib Mir Deine Augen' as a b-side.

In July 2013, guitarist Paul Landers revealed in an interview the possibility of a Rammstein documentary and a live DVD. He indicated that the band may "start thinking" about a new album in 2014. In September 2014, band co-founder Richard Kruspe (then working with his side band, Emigrate) said the band was preparing some more live DVDs and that they were taking some time off from the studio. The band would meet again in 2015 to decide if the time was right to return to the studio. In May 2015, Lindemann confirmed in an interview with MusikUniverse that Rammstein would start pre-production on a possible new album in September of that year, and that production would most likely go on until 2017.

In early August 2015, Rammstein released a trailer for an upcoming project, titled "In Amerika". On 15 August, the band announced Rammstein in Amerika, a video release that includes a 2010 concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City and a documentary made from archived footage recorded during the band's career. Rammstein played several festivals in Europe and North America during 2016, and in November announced plans to perform at a similar string of European festivals in 2017. On 18 January 2017 Rammstein announced a new live video release titled Paris, a recording of a March 2012 concert that took place at Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in Paris. It premiered on 23 March in selected cinemas, and was released worldwide on DVD/Blu-ray and CD on 19 May 2017.

Untitled seventh album and Zeit (2017–present)

In an interview in March 2017, Richard Kruspe said that Rammstein had about 35 new songs that were close to completion, though the release date of the band's seventh studio album was still an open question. In May, Rammstein started touring once again. Also in May, it was revealed that Sky van Hoff would be working with the band on their next album. On 18 June 2018, it was announced via StubHub's ticketing website that Rammstein would play songs at their Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, show from their forthcoming album, then set for release late in 2018. On 17 September 2018, the band announced through Facebook that they were "almost done" recording the album, as they were recording orchestra and choirs in Minsk. On 2 January 2019, guitarist Richard Kruspe announced that the recording of the album wrapped in November 2018 and that the record would be released in April 2019, along with five music videos.

Rammstein released the first single from their seventh album, "Deutschland", on 28 March 2019 and announced the release date of their untitled seventh studio album, 17 May 2019. Rammstein also revealed the album cover which consisted of a single, unlit match which fans say represents their love of fire and simplicity. On 26 April 2019, Rammstein released the second single from the new album, "Radio". Shortly after its release, the album reached No. 1 in fourteen countries. On 28 May 2019, Rammstein released their third single and music video from the album, this time for "Ausländer". The band embarked on their Stadium Tour to support the album, beginning in May 2019. They were due to play shows in Europe and North America in 2020, but were forced to postpone them due to the COVID-19 pandemic impacting the two continents. The dates first were rescheduled for 2021 and, in March 2021, again rescheduled to 2022.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the band to remain sheltered during a lockdown in Germany, the band returned to writing music, which Christoph Schneider confirmed in a German podcast. It was reported in September 2020 that they had returned to La Fabrique Studios in France, where they recorded their untitled seventh album, to record new music, potentially for a new album. On 25 September, the 25th anniversary of their debut album Herzeleid, they announced a remastered anniversary edition for the album, for release on 4 December. The release was made available both digitally and physically, as a CD housed in a digipak as well as a double heavyweight, colored vinyl.

In February 2021, Flake Lorenz confirmed to Motor Music that the band had finished recording an eighth studio album. Lorenz stated that the recording sessions were unplanned and that the quarantine caused by the pandemic allowed for "less distraction" and "more time to think of new things". In October 2021, a song from the album was premiered on the International Space Station to French astronaut Thomas Pesquet. According to composer Sven Helbig, who worked on the album, the album's release had been delayed due to the 2021–2023 global supply chain crisis, which impacted the album's physical releases. Richard Kruspe affirmed in an interview that Rammstein's eighth studio album would be released in the first half of 2022, prior to the slated resumption of their Stadium Tour that had been postponed to 2022.

Rammstein began teasing the first single from their eighth studio album on 8 March 2022, posting clips to their social media accounts with the hashtag "#ZEITkommt". On 10 March, they formally announced the album, titled Zeit, revealing its release date of 29 April 2022. The release of the title track as the album's lead single, along with its music video, coincided with the announcement. The second single from Zeit, "Zick Zack", was released on 7 April with its accompanying music video. The third single from Zeit, "Angst", was released on 29 April with its accompanying music video. On 25 November 2022 Rammstein released the music video for the song "Adieu" on their official YouTube channel. On June 9, 2023, the band released a remastered anniversary edition to their “Sehnsucht” album, released back in 1997. Their stadium tour came to an end in Gelsenkirchen on July 31st, 2024, where it began over five years previously.

Musical style and lyrics

Rammstein is a German band that mixes different music styles. They combine metal music with electronic sounds and operatic singing. Critics have praised their unique sound, which blends many genres into something new and powerful.

The band’s songs are mostly in German, reflecting the members’ background and belief that expressing emotions is best done in one’s native language. Some songs include words from other languages, such as Russian, Spanish, and French, adding to their rich musical style. Their music often explores deep and powerful themes, drawing from classic German literature and historical events.

Live performances

Rammstein is famous for their exciting live shows, which often include lots of fireworks. Fans joke that "other bands play, Rammstein burns!" because of how much fire and light they use. After an accident in 1996 where part of the stage caught fire, the band made sure to use safety experts for their shows. The band members wear very unusual costumes on stage. For example, they have worn leather pants, military uniforms, and even astronaut suits.

During their shows, the band changes costumes between songs to match the music. They also use special stage designs. In recent years, they have used two levels on their stage, with special lifts to help them move between levels. Their shows also include bright lights and big special effects to make the performance even more exciting.

Controversies

Rammstein has often been in the news for their bold and dramatic performances. Their music mixes powerful rock sounds with exciting shows, but this has sometimes led to criticism. For example, in one of their concerts in the United States, they used special effects that upset some people. In Germany, some thought their videos looked too much like old military styles, but the band says they don’t support any political ideas.

The band has also been talked about after some sad events, like school shootings in other countries. Even though some people thought the band’s music might have influenced these events, there was no proof of this. The band members have always said their music is about expressing strong feelings, not encouraging harmful actions.

Sometimes their videos have caused discussion too. One video made in 2004 used dark humor to talk about a real event, and another video from 2009 showed adult themes that some people found inappropriate.

In 2009, one of their albums was temporarily restricted in Germany because some people thought it wasn’t suitable for younger listeners. The band disagreed, and after some time, the restriction was lifted.

In 2023, there were claims about behavior at some of their concerts, leading to investigations. However, no evidence of wrongdoing was found, and the band denied any illegal activities.

Political views

Rammstein uses their music to share strong opinions about politics and culture. They created the song "Links 2-3-4" to show that they support left-wing ideas and to clear up misunderstandings that some people had about them.

The band also made the song "Amerika" to criticize how American culture and politics influence other parts of the world. They talked about issues like the US invasion of Iraq and what they saw as unfair treatment of different groups of people.

During their concerts in Eastern Europe, Rammstein showed support for the LGBT community. For example, at a show in Chorzów, Poland, the drummer floated through the crowd holding a rainbow flag. In Moscow and Saint Petersburg, the guitarists showed affection on stage, which led to some criticism from politicians in Russia.

Band members

Rammstein has had the same six members since the band started in 1994. The band members respect each other's needs, allowing time off for personal reasons or side projects. Richard Kruspe leads a side group called Emigrate, and Till Lindemann started a project named Lindemann in 2015.

The band members are:

• Till Lindemann – lead vocals
• Richard Kruspe – lead guitar, backing vocals
• Paul Landers – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Oliver Riedel – bass guitar
• Christoph Schneider – drums, percussion
• Christian "Flake" Lorenz – keyboards, synthesizers

Discography

Studio albums

• Herzeleid (1995)
• Sehnsucht (1997)
• Mutter (2001)
• Reise, Reise (2004)
• Rosenrot (2005)
• Liebe ist für alle da (2009)
• Untitled album (2019)
• Zeit (2022)

Tours

Rammstein has gone on many tours since they started in 1994. Some of their famous tours include the Club Tour from 1994 to 1995, the Herzeleid Tour from 1995 to 1997, and the Sehnsucht Tour from 1997 to 2001. They also performed on special tours like the Family Values Tour 1998 and the Pledge of Allegiance Tour. Later tours include the Mutter Tour (2001–2002), the Ahoi Tour (2004–2005), and the Liebe ist für alle da Tour. Their most recent major tour was the Rammstein Stadium Tour, which ran from 2019 to 2024.

Awards and honours

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Rammstein

Grammy Awards