Rammstein (German pronunciation:
[ˈʁamʃtaɪn]) is a German
heavy metal band formed in
Berlin in 1994. The band's lineup—consisting of lead vocalist
Till Lindemann, lead guitarist
Richard Kruspe, rhythm guitarist
Paul Landers, bassist
Oliver Riedel, drummer
Christoph Schneider, and keyboardist
Christian "Flake" Lorenz—has remained unchanged throughout their history. Their approach to songwriting has also remained unchanged, with Lindemann writing and singing the lyrics over instrumental pieces that the rest of the band have completed beforehand. Prior to their formation, some members were associated with the
punk rock acts
Feeling B and
First Arsch.
After winning a local contest, Rammstein were able to record
demos and send them to different record labels, eventually signing with
Motor Music. Working with producer
Jacob Hellner, they released their debut album
Herzeleid in 1995. Though the album sold poorly at first, the band gained popularity through their live performances and the album eventually reached No. 6 in Germany. Their second album,
Sehnsucht, was released in 1997 and debuted at No. 1 in Germany, resulting in a
worldwide tour lasting nearly four years and spawning the successful singles "
Engel" and "
Du hast" and the live album
Live aus Berlin (1999). Following the tour, Rammstein signed with major label
Universal Music and released
Mutter in 2001. Six singles were released from the album, all charting in countries throughout Europe. The lead single, "
Sonne", reached No. 2 in Germany. Rammstein released
Reise, Reise in 2004 and had two more singles reach No. 2 in Germany: "
Mein Teil" and "
Amerika"; the former song reached No. 1 in Spain, becoming their first No. 1 single.
Their fifth album,
Rosenrot, was released in 2005, and the lead single, "
Benzin", reached No. 6 in Germany. Their second live album,
Völkerball, was released in 2006. The band released their sixth album,
Liebe ist für alle da, in 2009, with its lead single, "
Pussy", becoming their first No. 1 hit in Germany despite having a controversial music video that featured
hardcore pornography. The band then entered a recording hiatus and toured for several years, releasing the
Made in Germany greatest hits album as well as the
Rammstein in Amerika and
Paris live albums. After a decade without new music, Rammstein returned in 2019 with the song "
Deutschland", which became their second No. 1 hit in Germany. Their
untitled seventh studio album was released in May 2019 and reached No. 1 in 14 countries.
Rammstein were one of the first bands to emerge within the
Neue Deutsche Härte genre, with their debut album leading the music press to coin the term, and their style of music has generally had a positive reception from music critics. Commercially, the band have been very successful, earning many No. 1 albums as well as gold and platinum certifications in countries around the world. Their grand live performances, which often feature
pyrotechnics, have played a part in their popularity growth. Despite success, the band have been subject to some controversies, with their overall image having been subject to criticism; for instance, the song "
Ich tu dir weh" forced its parent album
Liebe ist für alle da to be re-released in Germany with the song removed due to its sexually explicit lyrics.
