Review Summary: If Rammstein were to never make another album again, this would be a good way to checkout.
The members of Rammstein have never been shy to admit that making an album in this band can be a colossal nightmare.
Liebe ist für alle da was released four years after
Rosenrot, with the band stating in interviews that
Liebe ist für alle da was the most difficult album they’ve ever made, due to creative conflicts constantly at a head. This is also the reason why fans eagerly await the confirmed announcement of LP number seven for a 2016 release date, and if it comes true, it would mean fans have waited 7 long years for it. This album put a lot of strain on the members and is the reason why the band have laid dormant for so long since.
Liebe ist für alle dais tight, heavy, melodic and brings everything any Rammstein fan could love to the table. The band bring certain elements to the forefront of
Liebe ist für alle da’s sound; namely “pop” elements. Sometimes the album sprays accessible parts at you in tracks like “Mehr”; other times it just goes all out to bring you the catchiest tracks possible. The album’s singles “Ich Tu Dir Weh” and “Haifisch” are some of the most accessible songs made by the band to date: “Haifisch” is bouncy, catchy and so easy to listen to; while “Ich Tu Dir Weh” has a chorus that would suit a pop artist or radio rock band – the irony, that furthers its brilliance, is it got banned in Germany for its sadistic lyrical content. The band show they still know how to make a heavy song or two with tracks like “B********” and “Wiener Blut”, the former has a distinct keyboard sample from Flake playing in the background, while the music in front of it all rips your face off and comes reminiscent of the
Mutter/
Reise, Reise era; while the latter track is similar to the weirdness found on
Sehnsucht, with samples of children laughing and odd vocals from Till, before shifting into the standard issue heavy chorus.
The album suffers from a couple of things however, the first is repetition: the opening track “Rammlied” and the title-track are the weak links here and suffer from stagnant ideas that don’t go anywhere. “Rammlied” starts off promising with its atmospheric build up and Till’s echoed vocals, but the repeated lyric “Ramm-stein” quickly grates. The same applies to “Liebe ist für alle da” which uses the same idea over and over; the verse sounds heavy and driving, but by the second verse you begin to look at the track time. The chorus doesn’t do the song any favours either, and sounds out of place – that’s before mentioning the fact it is weak to begin with.
Over time Rammstein have managed to master the slower tunes that have been present in the bands albums. The acoustic ballad of “Fruhling in Paris” and closing track “Roter Sand” bring a refreshing variety to the album, as well as showcase the bands great ability to make slow, epic songs. “Roter Sand” is one of my favourite tracks on the album, firstly because it sounds so different to anything the band have done before and secondly because the Western style whistles, dreary guitar tones and keyboard effects, melded with Till’s accessible vocals and create a sound that brings melancholy and beauty in such strong amounts.
Overall, minus a couple of dull ideas,
Liebe ist für alle da is still a fantastic album. Ideally I would have preferred two of the brilliant special edition bonus tracks to have replaced “Rammlied” and “Liebe ist für alle da” - songs like “Donaukinder” and “Halt” were much more interesting to listen than the aforementioned - but luckily the two tracks do little damage to the overall presentation of the album. As with any of Rammstein’s albums, if you’re not a fan of the band you won’t be won over here, but
Liebe ist für alle da brings enough new ideas and fan pleasing riffs to justify its place next to the rest of the bands ridiculously consistent discography.
Excellent.
