- Country: Germany
- Style: Industrial metal
- Label: Universal Music
- Release date: 17 May 2019
Ten years is a long time to keep people waiting, and Rammstein knew it. The untitled seventh album opens with “Deutschland”, and it’s the best song they’ve written since the ’90s: a slow-burning synth pulse, a riff like a steel door slamming, and the singer wrestling with his country’s history in a chorus that’s half anthem, half accusation.
“Radio” follows with a Kraftwerk-ish bounce and a hook built for stadiums, and “Ausländer” goes full Eurodance with a straight face, which is either brilliant or ridiculous depending on your mood (it’s brilliant). “Puppe” is the dark heart of the record, the vocals cracking into an unhinged scream over a crawling, ugly groove. It’s the most unsettling thing they’ve done.
The second half is patchier. “Diamant” is pretty but slight, and “Hallomann” closes on a creepy note that doesn’t quite pay off. Still, Olsen Involtini’s production is huge without being sterile, and the best moments here stand with anything in their catalogue.
Best tracks:
Deutschland
Radio
Ausländer
Puppe
Author’s rating: 8.5/10
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