Rammstein - Reise Reise
Label: Universal Records

DeadSun's review - he gave it a rating of 

Staunch. Vigorous. Unique. Bombastic. 

There are plenty of words to describe the music that German industrial metal act Rammstein has been putting out since their 1995 debut release, “Herzeleid”. 

While the rhythmic dimensions that the bass, six-strings, and drums deliver to the music can be argued for, or against, as monolithic and mechanical, with Rammstein it always boils down to the accents and embellishments that they drape across that rock solid spine of rhythm. The result is often music that conveys strength and weight but, paradoxically, conveys a noble sentimentality, and memorable melody/harmony accompaniments. 

Which brings us to “Reise, Reise”. This is not to be rendered as the German noun for “journey”, but rather as a verb--- “arise”. Evidently, “reise, reise” was a reveille call of sorts, used by German seamen in days gone by.  

The first musical virtue that “Reise, Reise” summons up is--- unsurprisingly enough for this band--- the precise clarity and attention to detail that was lavished upon the sound mix. Stefan Glaumann did a terrific job behind the mixing console. Every note finds its way into the listener’s ears, doing so in a manner that should placate even the most discriminating audiophile. 

The recording opens with the title track, and Rammstein wastes no time in laying down what is patently their strong suit. “Reise, Reise” resounds with a swaying, epic sound--- and a warm, patently hymnal chorus that beckons the audience to join in and be a part of. Make no mistake… that is the formulaic bread and butter of this band… and they excel at it.

This recording arguably has seven or eight potential singles on it, which lends a qualified testimony as to just how solid the song writing is. “Mein Teil” (translated: “My Part”) is a forceful and creepy musical crusher about Armin Meiwes, a German man who found a victim, online, who was willing to be killed, and then eaten by Meiwes. Hors d’ouevres, anyone? With “Dalai Lama”, longtime Rammstein fans will be comforted by a mood that beckons back to some of the material that was laid out on 1997’s “Sehnsucht”. Till Lindemann takes some interesting turns with his vocal delivery, proving that while identity is an ever-important ingredient to Rammstein’s ethos, their approach is not a static one. While every new album picks up where the last left off, each has a few dashes of something new added to it.  “Keine Lust” and “Los”--- the former played in a hard-bouncing swing time, and the later with its clean, rhythmic guitar and throbbing bass walks--- yield up a fresh avenue for Rammstein, and to me play a vital role in giving “Reise, Reise” an identity of it’s own. With “Amerika”, we find what is probably the most commercially accessible song off of the album--- a sarcastically blithe casting of contemporary America from a perspective commonly shared by many of our European cousins. Que serra, serra. 

The verdict: “Reise, Reise” delivers the heavy goods--- massive in its sound, and awash with melody and ambience. I was, more than ¾ of the way through the first listening, poised to give it an 85.

… that was, of course, before I had heard the tenth song on the album.

“Onne Dich” is simply gorgeous--- both powerful and frail, sharp with overwhelming poignancy, and singularly beautiful when vocalized in the German tongue. Here lies the dramatic centerpiece on “Reise, Reise”. This is the kind of song that is vital to a band like Rammstein, who hangs so much importance on connecting with their audience… especially during a live performance.

Solely on the basis of “Onne Dich”, I bump this album up to a 90. My hope is that others will share in my sentiment. 

DS   
 

Brad Podray's Review - He gave it a Rating of 

Well, those wacky Germans are at it again.  No, they are not marching troops through Belgium.  What I mean is there is now another release from Germany’s most successful group to invade U.S. soil…musically, that is.  “Reise Reise,” is an album right up the alley that we’ve come to love Rammstein for.  Infused with gnashing guitars, ambient keys, and vocals that sound deliriously angry regardless of the subject matter, this album easily stacks up to its predecessors.  

The vocals throughout the album are entirely German, with the exception of a few choice phrases in the track “Amerika” where this writer can only extrapolate that they are choosing to satire the way we live over here in the states(Featuring English sung lyrics: “We’re all living in Amerika, Coca Cola, Wonderbra.”)  Mickey Mouse and Santa Claus are also mentioned in some sort of context I didn’t get, as my ability to comprehend German is non-existent.  

The best single word to describe this album in relation to Rammstein’s other work is that it’s more “Majestic.”  Yeah, it’s a pretentious-as-hell word to use, but just check out the title track “Reise Reise” and you’ll see what I mean.  The songs seem to hit on a scale that seems more dramatic than the old smack-you-in-the-face-blitzkrieg Rammstein of Seinsucht.  The pace of the tracks is slightly slower than what we’re used to and orchestral strings saturate a great deal of the soundscape.  

Track 2, “Mein Teil”, definitely doesn’t screw around, showing off Rammstein’s great ability to craft modern day war anthems(note: For all I know, he’s singing about how much he loves ice cream in the summer time…I don’t know.  All I know is that it sounds like a damn war song).   

The song that probably sticks out the most amongst the tracks is track 7, “Moskau.”  In this track, the band chugs along, showing off all the things Rammstein does well, but this time they also feature the introduction of some totally rocking Russian female vocals.  The tracks, while all original enough not to be confused with each other, can easily be given the same generalized sound description: hard beat, dramatically belted out German vocals, and ultra-catchy rock guitar/basslines, not to mention enough synthesis to keep electronic music fans at least slightly interested.   

 The final track, “Amour” should also not be missed if you’ve been waiting for that dramatic soundtrack to your last days together with that German girl you hooked up with whilst studying abroad.  This song wasn’t going to receive its own special sentences after first spin, but now that this reviewer has heard it a second time, it’s going to take a wrecking ball to get it out of his head. 

Closing statement: It’s Rammstein on a little less methamphetamine than you’re used to, but it’s still damn good. 
 

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