German music has always been known for the grand
gesture-even before Wagner took it to absurd lengths-and Rammstein is no
exception. When the atmospheric, moody opening to "Mein Herz Brennt," the
first track off of Mutter, plunges into a slow, ponderous, pounding
beat, complete with orchestral-synth punches, it's like reaching the top
of the first hill on the roller coaster and waiting, poised, for that one
moment before rushing down the other side. This is Rammstein's first
studio release since 1998's Sehnsucht, of which the single "Du
Hast" broke the band in the United States, and it's every bit as highly
charged and viscerally satisfying as its predecessor. It's also quite a
bit more sophisticated and focused, musically speaking; while Live Aus
Berlin gave fans a smidgen of the astounding experience that is
Rammstein live, no studio recording has come close to capturing that
energy, until now. Best played at high volume, of course.
-- Originally appeared on Gothic.net, June 2001