Magic realism dipped in a little bit of punk, and laced with a whole lot of gothic angst
Rammstein has been there for a while now.
Formed in Berlin in 1994, the band’s lineup — consisting of lead vocalist Till Lindemann, lead guitarist Richard Kruspe, rhythm guitarist Paul Landers, bassist Oliver Riedel, drummer Christoph Schneider, and keyboardist Christian “Flake” Lorenz — has remained unchanged throughout their history.
That’s 25 years of rocking with the same lineup.
Just like many of the grunge/ alt/ rock acts of the 90s, Rammstein have this irreverence, which identifies their musical philosophy. One, I absolutely dig. Injecting politcal humour and satire into many of their songs, their oft used allusion to Nazis is just part of their in-your-face style which makes them loved, hated and admired in equal aspects across the spectrum.
They are unapologetic, with an anti-establishment, punch-in-the-gut humour which makes them stand apart, from a cultural and image standpoint. Musically, as quoted by the New York Times, Rammstein are “a powerful strain of brutally intense rock… bringing gale-force music and spectacular theatrics together”
The other thing I love about Rammstein is their global appeal. They have been successful in bridging the language divide. Singing predominantly in German, Rammstein is popular across the world due to their inimitable style and musicality, proving that good music has no geographical or cultural barriers.
I heard them first during my university years. Consequently over the past two decades I have kept abreast of their hits like “Du Hast”, “Sonne”, “Ich Will”, “Engel” , “Ich tu dir weh” “ Reise Reise” and so on.
This article however, is about their 2019 release, “Deutschland”. Incidentally, I had missed this one until it was recommended by a friend.
More known for its music video than anything else, this is peak Rammstein. Political, controversial and with a sweeping cinematic fantasy of 9 minutes which spans the entire gamut of German history, with not a grisly stone left unturned.
From the birth of Germania in the bowels of the Roman Empire, to communism in East Germany behind the iron wall, to a shocking yet punchy reference to the holocaust, where four members of the band, in striped uniforms of camp inmates, wait at the gallows, about to be hanged. They wear the cloth emblems used to identify their ‘crimes’: a pink triangle for homosexual prisoners, a yellow star for Jewish prisoners, a red and yellow star for Jewish political prisoners.
The video as expected, sparked criticism. It’s dark, violent, and macabre style — covers the Middle Ages, witch hunting, the November Revolution, the Golden Twenties, Nazi book burnings, the Hindenburg disaster, the First and Second World Wars, the Holocaust, the Weimar Republic, the Red Army Faction, and the division of the country into West and East Germany — making it a sweeping saga of German history over 9 minutes of celluloid.
To add further twist to the drama, Rammstein used black German actress Ruby Commey as Germania throughout the video, raising more than just eyebrows from conservatives and progressives alike.
But boy is it epic.
The sombre chanting lyrics, deep sonorous tones and complex syntaxes create a sense of rampant nationalism, laced with the cruel irony of a deep love-hate relationship with one’s motherland. Even if you don’t understand the language you feel the emotion. Even if you don’t understand German history you understand the overarching meaning.
It’s a classic. Like a goth-rock allegory to magic realism.
If you want to enjoy the opulence of this mega epic, watch the video below.
