Rammstein
Rosenrot

THE REVIEW

The Rammstein are quite a slow band when it comes to composing: a four-year wait separated their second album "Sehnsucht" from the masterpiece "Mutter," and since then it took another three years before they returned to the studio to record new songs. From those studio sessions, 22 tracks emerged. 11 of these were included in the tracklist of "Reise, Reise," while the remaining ones were released in this fifth album, titled "Rosenrot," the first one to feature a cover that truly matched the occasion: melancholic yet grandiose, fascinating and somehow romantic, with a strong impact.

So is "Rosenrot" a poor copy of its predecessor like the infamously known "ReLoad" by Metallica? Nothing could be further from the truth; the choice of tracks included in this album was very intelligent, aimed at giving "Rosenrot" its unique character to stand out as much as possible from its predecessor. Compared to it, this album is more homogeneous, more cohesive and focused on dark and reflective sounds, where even the most arrogant rides are somehow subdued and rendered darker and deeper thanks to the masterful use of keyboards, choruses, electronic beats, and piano. Perfect examples of these atmospheres are songs like "Spring," "Zerstoren" and "Hilf Mir," which, taken individually, might not be the best of what the Teutonic Steamroller has done so far, but gain value precisely due to the refinement of the arrangements, resulting in very tense, powerful, and contrasted sounds.

However, the album opens with the two big singles "Benzin" and "Mann Gegen Mann" (with controversial lyrics and over-the-top videos that make Rammstein a true milestone in the field of shock rock). The first one revisits the concept of "Enter Sandman" by the now-defunct Metallica, a slow start followed by a rapid acceleration, but compared to the opener of the Black Album, this song is much faster and in my opinion, much more beautiful and successful, with the insistent guitar surging, masterfully accompanied by the keyboards. In contrast, the second is introduced by a cunning bass line (a rather intangible instrument in "Reise, Reise") and increases in intensity during the chorus and the solo, in short, a kind of evolution of "Mein Teil," less snarling and more dreamy and ambiguous.

The bass also plays a prominent role in the title track, "Rosenrot," a more melodic and poetic song than the first two, in which Till shows off his excellent tenor skills, truly elevating this simple and catchy piece with undeniable depth.

However, our band delivers their best in songs like "Wo Bist Du," a true crescendo of passion, somewhat like "Love Like Blood" by Killing Joke, but more powerful, more universal and enhanced by superb orchestral and electronic arrangements, or the stunning murder ballad "Stirb Nicht Vor Mir (Don't Die Before I Do)," stunning in its arpeggio and in the duet with singer Sharleen Spiteri, whose sweet and slightly ecstatic voice perfectly intertwines with that of Till Lindemann. The last three tracks are also something special: we start with "Te Quiero Puta," the latin-pop (of course parodied and brought to the ridiculous extremes of its most macho and stereotyped iconography) according to Rammstein: far be it from me to say this is the best song on the album, that would be a colossal blunder, but it's undoubtedly the most ingenious, thanks also to the compelling rhythm marked by typically Mexican brass instruments: it has nothing to do with the rest of the album but is worth the price of admission alone, and it's really a shame that they didn't make a video for it, I can't imagine what they could have come up with...

After this spree, the atmosphere returns to seriousness with "Feuer Und Wasser," a song that starts very slow, enveloping and sinuous, perhaps the darkest of the album, and even though it accelerates, it doesn't become a real metal track but rather a sort of epic and solemn anthem, all to be savored. The album closes with "Ein Lied," a subdued and hypnotic lullaby that perfectly discharges all the strong emotions of "Rosenrot," leaving the listener pleasantly uneasy and disoriented.

In summary, "Rosenrot" is truly a heavy hitter, an album less catchy than "Reise, Reise," and precisely for this reason perhaps of greater musical depth, a formidable test of development towards maturity that confirms the superior talents of an already extraordinary band. In front of which, I can do nothing but tip my hat.

RATING 9+/10