new Rammstein - Rosenrot

[Vosper]

I know! I was really surprised they'd got another album out so quickly after Reise, Reise. Well, I don't think it's actually out, but I've got my hands on it just now and I'm giving it a spin, so this review is based on just my initial impressions after the first listen.

Before I begin, let me give you a bit of barometer:

First, I didn't know this album existed until I got it, so I didn't have any hopes/expectations about it.

I don't know any German, and I make a point of not learning what the lyrics mean because this has always detracted from Rammstein (for me).

I like Sehnsucht, am fond of Herzeleid and ambivalent about Mutter.

I really like Reise, Reise because I am not a big metal head, and it had just the right mix: menacing-sounding German vocals and pop-sensibilities. There were some great moments on Reise, Reise: The call-and-response vocal on Moskau, lyrics like "Coca-Cola / Sometimes war" on Amerika, the guitars / weird-fiddle on Los, the chiming piano on Dalai Lama...

On Rosenrot, most (if not all) of this is gone, replaced by a sludge of generic-sounding industrial churning. The instrumental flourishes that made Reise, Reise stand out seem to be gone. And there's a love song. A really, REALLY bad love song featuring someone called Sharleen Spiteri, and it's called "Don't die before I do". I have no idea what the German part is about, but Spiteri's English section features such lyrical gems as:

He comes to me every night
No words are left to say-ay-ay
With his hands around my neck
I close my eyes and pass away
I don't know who he is
In my dreams he does exist
His passion is a kiss
And I cannot resist

In short, it's horrible.

Later on there's a Spanish language track featuring the cheesiest Mexcian trumpets you've heard in a long time, and a chorus of hags screeching in off-key Spanish. This song sucks as well. The next tracks sounded like the rest, and I stopped listening to the album.

If I bother listening to Rosenrot again I'll come back and post some revised criticism. It's a big 'If'.

 

[AdamWill]

She's the lead singer from Texas, isn't she?

What the hell happened to Texas, anyway?

Oh, I think they broke up.

And what the hell is she doing on a Rammstein album, of all places?

The world must be crazy today.

 

[Vosper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamWill She's the lead singer from Texas, isn't she? What the hell happened to Texas, anyway? Oh, I think they broke up. And what the hell is she doing on a Rammstein album, of all places? The world must be crazy today.

I looked her up on allmusic.com, and you're right, she was the lead singer of Texas. I think I used to think she was hot. I cannot tell you what the hell she's doing on a Rammstein album, other than proving that there was a lot of Pro-Tools / AutoTune magic on her Texas vocals. She certainly isn't doing her career any favours, as there's no way 'Don't Die Before I Do' is going to be Rammsteins 'Take A Picture' (Filter). On the other hand, Crazy Frog made it to number 1 so what the hell do I know....

 

[Dentomat]

Yes, she´s the Texas singer. I guess now I know why Rammstein are more popular outside of Germany. Not understanding the mostly embarrasing lyrics can be a grace.
They really lost impact here after their second album and I guess it´s just because people were fed up with the pseudo lyrics.

 

[MikeB06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dentomat Yes, she´s the Texas singer. I guess now I know why Rammstein are more popular outside of Germany. Not understanding the mostly embarrasing lyrics can be a grace. They really lost impact here after their second album and I guess it´s just because people were fed up with the pseudo lyrics.

That's definately disappointing news about the new album. Dentomat, are they really that irrelavent in Germany now compared to their popularity in other coutries? It's interesting that their lyrics are so bad when you know what they are saying.

 

[EyeAmEye]

Hey, I happen to like "Don't Die Before I Do"!

The mexican song is one of the worst I've heard in a long time. Who or what possessed them to record this, I don't know...

There are a few other cool songs ("Spring" in particular), some weaker ones. Overall, I think it's on par with "Reise, Reise", but not on the level of "Mutter" (IMO, their strongest album).

From what I read a week or so back, "Reise, Reise" was originally going to be a double CD, hence the quick release of "Rosenrot" (what didn't make Reise, Reise and some new songs). The title track "Rosenrot" being one of the cast-offs from "Reise, Reise".

 

[Vosper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EyeAmEye Hey, I happen to like "Don't Die Before I Do"!

Fair enough, but doesn't it feel like Rammstein are just trying to capture the female market, with an otherwise incongruous song, in the same way that Filter did with "Take My Picture" and Hoobastank did with "The Reason"? I don't know what the Hoobastank album was like ("The Reason" made me want to vomit so I didn't bother with the album) but that Filter album was hard rock through and through. Anyone who bought it hoping for more ballads like Take My Picture would be seriously disappointed, and I think the same goes for this Rammstein album.
Quote:

The mexican song is one of the worst I've heard in a long time. Who or what possessed them to record this, I don't know...

You're quite right. It's one of the worst songs I've heard on any album by any band (who aren't rubbish themselves)... I singled out "Don't Die Before I Do" in my review, but it is this song (Edit: "Te Quiero Puta!") that really deserves to be bound, gagged, weighted, and dumped out at sea.
Quote:

From what I read a week or so back, "Reise, Reise" was originally going to be a double CD, hence the quick release of "Rosenrot" (what didn't make Reise, Reise and some new songs). The title track "Rosenrot" being one of the cast-offs from "Reise, Reise".

I had wondered whether that was the case. The overall sound of the two albums is quite different, and I give them credit for generally maintaining consistency. It seems to me that Reise, Reise was the pop-friendly album, while Rosenrot is more like the Rammstein of old.
Quote:

Overall, I think it's on par with "Reise, Reise", but not on the level of "Mutter" (IMO, their strongest album).

I'll have to go back and listen to Mutter again. I always did like Sonne, and Links 2-3-4 was cool (and what an awesome video!).

 

[ogewo]

Mark me down as another Reise, Reise fanatic and Rosenrot detractor. The album has a few great moments, but no great songs, "Spring" probably being the closest. Hopefully I'll give it another listen.

Of note, is it irony or marketing that while the Reise, Reise cover was so uninspired the Rosenrot cover and included artwork just rock.

 

[EyeAmEye]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vosper I'll have to go back and listen to Mutter again. I always did like Sonne, and Links 2-3-4 was cool (and what an awesome video!).

Give a few listens, it's a very strong album. I truly had my first "WOW" experience with headphones when I listened to "Adios" on Grado SR325's. That track is mindblowing! "Mutter", "Feuer Frei", "Speiluhr" and "Sonne" are my other favorites.

 

[Beach123456]

I cant listen to Rammstein, I just cant get over the fact that the lyrics are in German, it annoys me.

 

[Vosper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beach123456 I cant listen to Rammstein, I just cant get over the fact that the lyrics are in German, it annoys me.

Is this because you don't like Germans?

Or you're German and hate the lyrics? Or do you not like songs with words you don't understand? Or something else?

 

[Beach123456]

Im not German, and I dont hate German, I just like to be able to understand the lyrics of what I am listening to.