Rammstein - Made In Germany, 1995-2011 Review

Posted by Wyatt E. on 12.06.2011

Germany's most notorious metal outfit finally get the anthology treatment. Is it the powerful representation the band deserves?



1. Engel - 4:24
2. Links 2-3-4 - 3:40
3. Keine Lust - 3:42
4. Mein Teil - 4:39
5. Du Hast - 3:55
6. Du Riechst So Gut - 4:33
7. Ich Will - 3:40
8. Mein Herz Brennt - 4:42
9. Mutter - 4:32
10. Pussy - 3:59
11. Rosenrot - 3:53
12. Haifisch - 3:43
13. Amerika - 3:48
14. Sonne - 4:07
15. Ohne Dich - 4:32
16. Mein Land - 3:53





I remember reading somewhere about how Ralf Hütter of Kraftwerk said he was inspired by how The Beach Boys managed to sum up the sound of California just through their music, and through electronics he wanted to sum up the sound of Germany in much the same way. Whether or not Kraftwerk pulled it off is up for debate, although they've definitely created a great body of work in their own right. However, thinking of that concept in light of this, Rammstein's retrospective, makes one wonder if they've done the better job.

After over fifteen years of being one of the tightest, most muscular bands on the planet, German shock rockers Rammstein have, indeed, finally gotten their own retrospective courtesy of Made In Germany. It's been quite a decade and a half for the sextet, during which they've become one of the few bands in a non-English speaking capacity who have managed to make an impact in the Western world. They've also gotten arrested in the US for simulating sodomy on stage, created a music video that can only be viewed on porn sites, created a stage show that would startle Alice Cooper, wrote a song about an incident of real-life cannibalism, and - perhaps most telling of all - never once lost a member, and retained the exact same lineup from the beginning of their tenure. Honestly, that's quite an achievement considering that this is one of the most provocative metal bands of their time.

For as powerful as their sound is - their rigid song structures are matched perfectly by the band's own relentless solidarity - the real question is whether the band work well as a singles band. Despite said notoriety, they've only had a few particularly high-profile singles: "Du Hast" remains their signature song, "Pussy" is either one of the freakiest videos or dumbest attempts at shock in recent memory (depending on who you ask), "Mein Teil" is one of the best songs ever written about cannibalism, and "Amerika" got some attention for having some English lyrics for once. Despite some drawbacks, as would be expected with many compilations, Made In Germany does well for itself, both as a sampler of Rammstein and as a hell of an experience on its own terms.

Now, missing songs are a big thing with compilations, especially for diehard fans who believe there's ton of candidates worthy of a listen for casual fans getting their first real taste of the band. So let's get that out of the way right off the bat. The following songs, who did see single or video release, are missing from this album: "Seemann," "Rammstein," "Das Modell" (incidentally, a Kraftwerk cover), "Feuer Frei," "Benzin," "Mann Gegen Mann" and "Ich Tu Dir Weh." Whoa, whoa, "Feuer Frei"? From that whatchamacallit movie with the cars and stuff? I'd say that's a pretty big oversight, especially since it's a major live favorite. Plus, a few notable album tracks that are especially favored by fans are also no-shows: "Reise Reise," "Buck Dich," "Sehnsucht," "Rammleid," "Los" "Bestrafe Mich" and "Asche Zu Asche." Damn. That's a plethora - nay, an abundance - of songs left behind. A smorgasbord. (Isn't that a great sounding word?) So what's here?

"Du Hast." Of course that's gonna be here. As a Youtube commenter so eloquently put it: "I paused my porn for the song of god." It had all the hallmarks of a great Rammstein single, including a huge, jagged riff, warbling synths, and drums so damn heavy you can almost hear Lars Ulrich piss in his panties. It has "Pussy," the song behind the most explicitly pornographic music video ever produced (just ahead of Placebo's "Protege Moi"). It has "Du Riechst So Gut," the song behind one of the worst videos of all time. It has "Links 2-3-4," a militant, march-esque anthem about the band's leftist leanings (meant to be a contrast in tone), and the somber power ballad "Ohne Dich." For the most part, this is a demonstration of Rammstein at their most visceral, as some of the heaviest riffs they ever played are here, as well as some of their most controversial songs.

Notably, the songs see a little bit of editing, but only in the sense to make the collection hit that much harder. For one thing, the tracks see a little remastering. This isn't on the level of, say, a classic band from the 1960s getting the remastering treatment because all the songs are still relatively modern. Still, everything sounds great, especially thanks to the editing. The band chose to trim the space between each song, drumming the whole collection down to a concentrated blast. Add to that some excellent sequencing - the songs flow together like a solid concert setlist - and they sound like they've made the most of what they've got. Heck, they even gave us a brand new track as a bonus, although "Mein Land" isn't particularly powerful by Rammstein standards and is mostly notable for its video, which, by the way, is hilarious (and has tits in it!).

There's one other drawback to the set, that being Sehnsucht and Herzeleid. Both albums are sorely underrepresented here, with the former represented by two songs and the latter represented by one. It seems a strange decision, especially considering that "Du Riechst So Gut" isn't even the best song on Herzeleid. But more than that, Sehnsucht was such a landmark for the band, being the album that broke them through to an international audience. At least Mutter, the creative peak for Rammstein, gets its due with no less than five entries.

The 411: To condense such a visceral body of work into an hour and five minutes is awfully tricky, and mistakes are certainly made here - not the least of which is the lack of "Feuer Frei" - but it's a damn good sampler, though. Most of the big moments are here, and thanks to good presentation, it's a captivating experience unto itself. Rumors have swirled for the past few years that Rammstein's breakup could be any time now, and if Made In Germany is the band's swan song, well, a compact, unmerciful attack of huge riffs and thudding drums is certainly a heck of a way to go out in style (even if, as a fan, I'm hoping otherwise).

Final Score:  7.5   [ Good ]