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Rammstein – Under the Hammer

Review of ‘Mutter’ – Metal Hammer May 2001

Despite the fact that Rammstein can count Faith No More, Korn, Rob Zombie and Madonna amongst their many fans, the German six-piece have always been dealt the rough end of the stick in the UK.
Rammstein have been portrayed as Nazi sympathisers by their detractors, however they are not a political band and have never dabbled in the political arena - that is of course until now. Utilising military marching samples from a Leni Riefenstahl flick, 'Links 2,3,4' provides an insight into the sextet's social stance, hitting the chorus with a suitably ironic twist: "They want my heart on the right spot/But I see below/It just beats left/left/left 2,3,4". And not only do covert lyrical inferences of socialism prelude to a more humanistic edge, musically Rammstein have rationed their use of technology without compromising on heaviness. 'Mutter' is based around a sub-gothic, neo-classical backbone a la Paradise Lost circa 'Icon', and, unlike previous albums, the guitars and drums sound unequivocally less machine-like, providing notable degrees of light and shade compared to say the nihilistic bleakness encapsulated by fellow industrial metal outfit Fear Factory.
That said, ultimately Rammstein's biggest underlying influence on this album has to he Judas Priest. 'Adios' is a prime example, kicking in with a Tipton/Downing-esque duel guitar attack, whilst the post choral interlude blatantly lifts the vocal melodies from Priest's 'Turbo'.
Another popular misconception about Rammstein is that because they sing entirely in German their music is not relevant to an English speaking audience. On the contrary, it is because they sing in German that the lyrics ARE even more important. With the advent of the internet, Rammstein's dark, cinematic poetry can be freely translated and indeed interpreted on many levels. The Teutonic tones of vocalist Till Lindemann suit the harsh music perfectly. Marilyn Manson, bow before der meisters!

© 2005 Sue Lindemann