Reining from the land of Deutsche, Rammstein has built a name for themselves as wondrous storytellers, a band steeped in imagery and metaphor, scaling the depths of inner-turmoil through compelling and even cutting lyrics. Of course, most of us stateside haven’t a clue.
As a band thoroughly entrenched in their German-ness (if that is a word), the potency of said lyrics often fell on dead ears. Even when translated, much of the meaning was lost. Thus it was the band’s off-the-wall and sometimes deeply disturbing (yet wildly entertaining) stage performances and the catchy buoyancy of their uber-metal that kept us fascinated and coming back for more.
Through their early LP’s, the band spawned hits as a powerhouse of heavy drums, dark and abrasive guitars and sinister vocals. But their true song-writing abilities were not quite realized until 2001’s Mutter (and continued with 2004’s Reise, Reise), when the band’s true craftsmanship shown through as they began to carve a new genre of electronic industrial metal.
With synthesizers and a studio polish, the band had found a vehicle for their epic voice. Rosenerot, the band’s latest addition to their catalogue, falls into a category all its own. Sadly, on this their fifth studio album, the epic stirrings have lapsed. For what reasons, I cannot be sure.
As a collection of mostly unreleased tracks from their previous studio record, it risks being written off as an album of B-sides. Of course, at this point in the game, it also begs the question, “is this the sound of a band grown old?” The arrangements are weak, the production is a bit over the top, and even the vocals lack that little something that formerly made your hair stand on end. One will thus have to wait, for word is they will be back in the studio for 2007.