A retrospect of the original industrial German rock
Rammstein is a band that almost everyone has heard or, at least heard of, at some point, no matter where they are. Known for their cultural and humorous themes, and some pretty impressive live shows, the band has drawn attention from everyone for very catchy industrial beats with hard, driven rock anthems.
'Made in Germany' is the first 'best of' album that hosts a large share of hits and other catchy tunes that have made Rammstein a staple in the industrial rock world. Thankfully, the track list doesn't go sequentially, so listeners won't get a linear sense of how the band has come along after each album and become bored (especially those who already bought all the original albums and have heard them before). Rather, the music jumps around a bit, opening with some from 'Sehnsucht' (sophomore effort) and then jumping to a recent cut like 'Rosenrot' (the fifth album by the band). The catchy drive of tracks like "Du Hast" (the one song that really put the band on the map at first) and "Du Riechst So Gut" are the more 'dancy' tracks that bands like Kovenant and Deathstars pale in comparison to making sound as good. Then there are the more orchestral and Metal driven tracks like "Mein Teil" and "Sonne" which are less electronically fused by have that thick, chugging rhythm that can get the blood (and mosh pits) boiling at live shows. There is even a new track featured called "Mein Land" which was performed live on the 'Made in Germany' tour that was set to this compilation.
The other half of the album is a variety of remixes from various bands and a three set DVD featuring various videos and how they were made. The remix bits amp up the industrial parts of the original songs, making them more techno and dubstep sounding than industrial rock. Some notable remixers are bands like Clawfinger and even Meshuggah, who seem to do the opposite and try to make things a lot more metal by cranking up the noise quite a bit. So this collection of bonuses is certainly meant to appease the other side of the Rammstein fan group who have bought all the studio albums so far and don't need the first disc to get some enjoyment.
A heap of rarities and B-sides is sometimes all one needs to jump on the bandwagon; plus it is very interesting to see re-interpretations of songs like "Sonne" which is one of the more operatic tracks on the album and have it turned into something almost completely different, but equally enticing. The only part missing would be a live section or live DVD so fans- new and old- who have never experienced Rammstein in concert can really see how much fun (and dangerous) it can be. There are usually a ton of pyrotechnics, great costumes and stage settings/ themes, and of course other things that some countries would burn these performers at the stake for. It is rare that the live version of a band ever really goes over the top with their work, but Rammstein is one of the few. Compared to this, the studio work heard on 'Made in Germany' pales in comparison, but it is still a fun listen, especially for new fans who don't want to go out and collect all the albums as opposed to having them all together on two discs.
(Universal Music)
