Rammstein - Liebe ist für alle da (2009) (9,5/10)

There is no need to introduce a band like RAMMSTEIN anymore as they have risen to worldwide fame with their hard Industrial guitar sound, the danceable and simplistic keyboard beats and the martial and definitely unique vocals that many bands fail to copy. Add the stunning live shows with loads of pyrotechnics, diversified disguises and explicit acting scenes to this plus the controversial and critical lyrics and you've got all ingredients for the best definition of Germany's most famous contemporary band in the world.

After a four year long wait, RAMMSTEIN are back with a bang and deliver what is in my opinion their best album. Even though some topics such as the Fritzl Case treated in "Wiener Blut" are quite predictable and the band doesn't move an inch away from its style, the entire record is more consistent than ever from a musical and lyrical point of view and the musicians have technically improved over the years. You really get delivered one hundred percent of RAMMSTEIN on here.

Once again, there were a couple of controversies centered on this record. The first single "Pussy" talks about sex tourism and the video clip presents professional porn actors that look like the six musicians that are having sex in many different practices and styles. The video was only published on a site for adult meetings and the simplistic and gross chorus offended many philistines in their sometimes quite prudish home country. Add to this that the special edition of the album came in a metallic box with handcuffs, lubricant and six dildos that are supposed to be created in form of the original members of the band members. And no, I didn't purchase the limited edition and don't believe the rumour is true.

Some explicit photos in the booklet showing band members butchering each other or some pieces of meat plus the explicit lyrics of the second single "Ich tu dir weh" that deals with sadomaso techniques led to the indexing of the record in Germany only two weeks after its release. The record was though still available at special request by adults in some record stores. The single itself was though not available and the band got the interdiction to perform the track live during their concerts on German ground. They nevertheless played the track with different lyrics and the album was released once again without the controversial song. Half a year later, the decision was though revised and the regular album got back in retail stores again. Despite its questionable lyrics, the track happens to be the best one on the record from a musical point of view. The vocals are very expressive, the guitar riffs crunching and heavy and the dark keyboard sounds atmospheric, epic and almost danceable at the same time.

Another highlight on this record is the track "Mehr" that features some heavy and simplistic Neue Deutsche Härte riffs but also a very melancholic middle part. The lyrics are very intriguing and criticize indirectly the worldwide financial crisis that occurred during the recording of this release. The song is about a ruthless capitalist who wants to become always richer and does everything to exploit the poor. This track is definitely a statement and describes something many people think but few dare to say. The band shows once again that they are politically rather on the left wing and contradict the stereotype of their martial image that many fans still mistake for some sort of fascist attitude.

The record also includes a couple of stunning experiments. "Frühling in Paris" features some lyrics by Edith Piaf and it's quite surprising to hear Till Lindemann perform in French and sing about a romantic springtime in the capital of love. The laid back "Roter Sand" is a very poetic track without any hard electric guitar riffs and talks about a traditional duel between two men that are fighting for a woman. This topic makes me think of Theodor Fontane's legendary novel "Effi Briest" but maybe the inspirations comes from another book or film, too.

On the other side, one also gets a few tracks reminding of the band's past releases that are heavier than the rest and quite simplistic. "B********" is even probably the heaviest song the band ever recorded but it's also by far the dumbest song on the entire release and quite ridiculous from my point of view as it has no special meaning from a musical and also lyrical point.

In the end, RAMMSTEIN kept all their typical trademarks, improved their song writing as well as their musical approach, added some controversial artworks, lyrics and videos to the whole thing and got what they want with a big media attention and many record sales all over the world. In the past, I've never appreciated the fact that this band was Germany's most famous music export as their first releases were in my opinion quite simplistic and in the same genre, I preferred the more original bands such as DIE KRUPPS or OOMPH!. I still think that other German bands such as the unique Medieval Rockers from IN EXTREMO should get more attention internationally but since the diversified "Reise, Reise" and the surprisingly introspective "Rosenrot", I began to appreciate RAMMSTEIN and accepted their status. This album here even made me a fan of them and I assisted at one of their shows. I think some other critical minds might also get convinced by the high quality of this record and should try to revise their prejudicial opinion towards the band. The band manages to remain unique and faithful to its style by improving musical and lyrical skills. They are somewhat succeeding in distilling their very own essence on this record, a little bit like the main character in Patrick Süskind's "Perfume". I think this metaphor of ugliness and aesthetic perfectly fits to RAMMSTEIN. With this release, RAMMSTEIN really left me impressed and I'm looking forward for their material in the next year.

(Online October 18, 2012)