It’s been ten years since the Germanic industrial-metal machine Rammstein released a new album, and their latest untitled work is proof that ten years in between releases hasn’t mellowed them one bit. Being the undisputed champions of Neue Deutsche Härte ("New German Hardness"), Rammstein have never faltered and have made consistently rock-solid music throughout their decades-long career. Known for blistering riffs, militant beats, epically executed synth lines, and bombastic (often anthemic) choruses, the “Matchstick Album”, as we’ll call it, is a continuation of the sound that made us fall in love with Rammstein.
Opening the album is lead single "Deutschland", and it’s a welcome return to their own spectacular fashion. It is a crisp and razor-sharp number, with lyrics expressing patriotic difficulties toward the band’s homeland, once a diplomatic powerhouse. The video for the single isn’t short of controversial, either: it is a concept video that sweeps through periods of German history, including the Nazi regime. While the band has previously been accused of being Nazis and right-wing sympathizers, guitarist Richard Kruspe has stated the band aligns itself with liberal politics. What better way to stir the pot and open an album with angry political commentary?
photo: rammstein.de
The album’s other single and second track, “Radio” and the remaining nine songs that follow offer more or less the same razor-sharpness, save for some slight variation found in other Rammstein albums. “Radio”, offering more on German history, leans a bit electronic, with rave-y synth lines and bouncing beats. “Sex" is undulant rock & roll. “Tattoo" is old-school Rammstein, throwing it back to Herzeleid and Sensucht with its churning riffs. The emotional centerpiece, and most disturbing song on the album, is the intense and unnerving “Puppe”. Vocalist Till Lindemann tells the grueling first-person story of a young child whose older sister works as a prostitute in the next room while our protagonist takes "my medicine," sitting on his bed while gripping his doll ("Puppe") and listens to "sister scream." It worsens, and it’s enough to make you spend your day in the fetal position, crying. “Hallomann", closing track, wraps things up in with a slow-burning note: it features a child abductor’s inner monologue backed by discordant, dissonant guitars and a keyboard breakdown before concluding in a bit of an optimistic finale, with Lindemann’s croon fading angelically.
Considering all that Rammstein is musically known for, their latest release effectively serves as a re-statement of who they are. There is always an appeal to them. They may win over new fans and continue to grow in popularity, furthering their cult myth-like status. They are still over the top musically and live, and for those who understand them, it’s all part of the fun. Theatrical and triumphant, the “Matchstick Album” is full of thick and chunky guitars, new wave synths, and disco drumbeats. It’s also menacing and ugly when it needs to be, sad and disturbing at other points. Without translation, Lindemann’s R rolls and growls over big drumbeats is enough to make your skin crawl. Do non-German speaking audiences listen to Rammstein for their lyrics? Likely not. Their pyromania and crushing metal is enough to keep people tuning in, and the “Matchstick Album” ensures their fire will not fade anytime soon.
photo: udiscovermusic.com
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