This review begins with the fact that my father is first generation born in Canada, from a German family. I consider myself Canadian only, but my heritage naturally intrigued me when Rammstein came knocking with Du Haste in 1997.I personally don't speak more than a few vulgar expressions, that I have no clue what they actually mean, in English. Which traslates to me understanding almost none of Rammstein's songs, without the use of the internet. One of the few exceptions to that rule, actually appears on the Reise, Reise album.
However, this album has more than just German, and English on it. There is also French and Russian. This is a World Metal album, with heavy industrial overtones. Oh yeah, there's a song I also refer to as "Mommy, why is that man hurting that guitar?" which is an accoustic number.
I'm not sure if this is my favourite Rammstein album to date. If it isn't number 1 on my list exclusively, it's tied for that position.
The album opens with Reise, Reise, which Google Translate says means Travel, Travel, but after searching online it's meant more as Journey, Journey. Like I said I don't understand most of the lyrics, and I have only ever looked at a small handful of translations over the years. But, that's what makes Rammstein so good. You don't have to get the words to derive a true sense of the song. It's like Opera that way. A comparison that often comes up when I'm talking about Rammstein.
Mein Teil follows that up. This song is just explosive. I always sing the song in my own English way yelling "This is my time!" because that is how it sounds. Upon further research I learned that the song is related to a modern German cannibal. Cool, yet wrong.
The longest song on the album is Dalai Lama. I figure this is about the leader of peace from the East, but I can only guess, because I don't want to check. I find the choruses chilling and creepy as my English brain is thinking they are singing "Come here, my Dear", but the translator gives me "Come here, stay here". Still spooky in a good way.
Keine Lust which it seems does not mean exactly what the brain translates. Tired, is what I get from the translate program, and it makes sense with the music. It's a quick song that I enjoy mixed in on the album, but not one I would listen to on it's own.
My favourite song on this album is, Mommy, why is that man hurting that guitar. Sorry, I mean Los. This is an accoustic number that just chugs along with the force of a freight train. I love the way the guitar sounds like it is locked in a death grip, while the strings are being back handed, instead of strummed. The language part isn't even worth getting into.
The most understable song on the album is Amerika, an ode to the destruction of the world at America's greedy corporate mentallity. I may be putting my own personal bias in there, but when the chorus is "We're all living in Amerika/Amerika ist wunderbar/We're all living in Amerika/ Amerika, Amerika" and the second time the chorus is used Till Linderman adds "This is not a love song, I don't speak my mother's tongue." It's pretty clear he's not happy with the U.S. This is also the only song on the album to contain English lyrics, and half of them are product placements.
Moskau is next up, and I would like to think that they are trashing as badly on the Moscowvites as they did on the Americans. However, when you realize that it's Russian lesbian duo t.A.T.u. doing the backups you're not as sure. It could be a song of praise. The sad accordian makes me think differently, though. Either way this song sounds very revolutionary.
Morgenstern is another song I love listening to while the album is playing. I don't put it on my Mp3 player unless I put the whole album on, and I tend to skip it, while on random.
Like most older albums, most of the filler type songs are put towards the back of this album. Luckily I don't believe this album has any real filler. Stein Um Stein may be the most likely to be considered filler, but that's just due to the language barrier I think. It is very dramatic, and get's a hell-of-lot of heavy going on. Also if this is the worst song for being a filler, this album may be the most fillerless album ever.
Ohne Dich I've come to learn was a track the band felt didn't fit the feel of the Mutter (2001) album. So, it was put onto this album instead. I understand why they pulled it. It was too much like the song Mutter. The ambience is a little more upbeat than Mutter was, but the overall feel is the exact same. Right down to the sense of deep soulful longing.
The album finishes with Amour. It's the only French word I notice in the song, the rest is German, but it is very clear that this is a very tender love song. Not something I would use to finish an album normally, but then again I don't write German Operas.
Let me be very clear, you do not have to understand the languages of this album to enjoy it. If you are one of those people that get's hung-up on lyrics, that's your loss. If you have the taste, sophistication, and intelligence to be able to enjoy rich, dramatic music, sung in different languages, you really should pick up this album. The only other album I would suggest from Rammstein as much as Reise, Reise is Liebe Ist Für Alle Da, which is even more Operatic than this one.
My only complaint about this album is that it may be their most commercial album. But, it would seem I really like German albums that sound commercial.
9/10 - content
10/10 - production
10/10 - personal bias
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