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 enlarge | Artist: Rammstein
Label: Republic
Category: Music
List Price: $13.98
Buy New: $5.92
You Save: $8.06 (58%)
New (40) Used (21) from $4.47
Rating:  182 reviews
Sales Rank: 2274
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.3 x 5 x 0.4
MPN: 602498681503
UPC: 602498681503
EAN: 0602498681503
ASIN: B0002XDODU
Publication Date: 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Showing reviews 6-10 of 182
 A different, but still strong C.D. from Rammstein April 3, 2005
A. Stutheit (Denver, CO USA)
12 out of 13 found this review helpful
Rammstein change their formula a bit for their fifth album. Some would say "If it ain't broken, why fix it?", but Rammstein decided they needed to make more of a straight forward metal album. They have all but deleted the industrial/dance parts of their music (except for the keyboards). The band also churned out riffs that are different than what we've heard on their last two albums. The "chugga chugga" riffs are out, and wall shaking riffs are in. Add a singer who growls and almost snarls at times, and you have Rammstein's new sound. Dark, loud and brooding; similar to Coal Chamber, circa 2002.
Highlights include:
The title track's verses has vocals and a slow, almost spacey drum beat. The chorus, however, has a couple of riffs and the song ends with what sounds like a violin.
"Mein Tell" is the lead single, and rightfully so. A good headbanger, it explodes with stereo rattling guitar noise. The singer's (Till Lindemann's) growling/snarling voice goes well with the music and the verses are good lead-ins to the heavy choruses.
"Dalai Lama" begins with soft notes, as the guitarist slowly picks at the guitar's fret board. Keyboards are included in the verses, but the chorus has choppy, chunky riffs.
"Amerika" is the other single. The beginning and chorus have more strong riffs, but this song is a standout because the choruses are sung (not snarled) in English. Towards the end of the song, new wave keyboards make an entrance (against a background of churning guitar riffs).
"Morgenstern" begins with what sounds like a female church choir. Then the guitars come aboard and make "boom boom" riffs, with the singer snarling in between them.
If I could recommend any changes to this album, I'd say make some more industrial (Skinny Puppy-ish) dance numbers ("Los" is the only song I found myself tapping my foot to.) I wouldn't delete any of the songs in favor of the industrial dance numbers, I'd just add to what's already on this C.D.
But the bottom line is, this is good metal. It's dark enough if you're looking for gothic metal, but the keyboards should appeal to industrial metal fans. I can't see why anybody (*cough* Entertainment Weekly *cough*) would say this C.D. is monotonous. There are songs that rock hard (i.e. "Mein Tell"), but there are also songs that are a lot quieter and more restrained (i.e. "Dalai Lama").
Many people can't get past the language barrier, which is too bad. It's funny why Americans can't get past the language barrier, when Europeans can! Bands like Slipknot and Metallica are just as popular as Rammstein in Germany. "Reise, "Reise" is already a hit in Germany, but to succeed in America, they need a hit single (like "Du Hast"). "Mein Tell" and "Amerika" come close, but they haven't quite gotten the radio play they deserve. Support small time, underrated music, check this album out-Rammstein deserve it. If nothing else, call your local radio station and request they play some Rammstein. Also, make sure you see them live, it really helps you to appreciate and enjoy their music more.
 Disappointing November 17, 2004
jimmy
11 out of 42 found this review helpful
After anticipating Rammstein's next album for 3 years after the release of Mutter, I wanted to cry when I finished listening to this cd. Rammstein's previous albums were all beyond great, especially Mutter. I truly cannot see how anyone can even think about claiming Reise, Reise as a better album than that. This new release is very disappointing for anyone who fell in love with Rammstein because of their very heavy, melodic guitar riffs and songs put together so well. If you liked Mutter especially for the songs Links 2,3,4, Sonne, Ich Will, Fever Frei, Zwitter, and Adios, you will hate what Rammstein has become. Many of the songs seem very lame, with a background of a boring guitar and singer Till just rambling on forever. Don't get me wrong, if you are not a die hard fan of Mutter and Sehnsucht, Reise, Reise is a good album. I think that the title track and Amerika are the only songs that can amount to the other albums', and Mein Teil and Moskau are pretty good too. All of this is just MY opinion, and thank you very much for considering my thoughts!
Ohne Dich December 19, 2004
Erica Anderson (Minneapolis, MN)
9 out of 14 found this review helpful
I never thought Rammstein would ever put out a new album but they finally did with "Reise Reise". I remember seeing the music video for "Du Hast" back in '95 and was immediately hooked on Rammstein's fiery brand of industrial/metal. Although I don't undertand a lick of German, it hasn't stopped me from enjoying the band's music. I finally got around to buying "Reise Reise". It took me a few listens for the music to slowly sink into my head. The more I listened to "Reise Reise", the more I grew to love it. The album is definitely a far cry from the band's first three albums. I have noticed that the general sound on the album is more rock-orientated than their usual brand of industrial/metal sound. One of the most unsual songs on the album is "Los" which there is no electric guitars but only acoustic guitar in place of the electric guitars. The song has a different vibe that I had never heard from the band's other albums but the song totally rocks. I had already heard "Mein Teil" from the "Resident Evil 2: Apopcalypse" soundtrack. It is your traditional Rammstein. My favorite songs though has to be "Dalai Lama", "Keine Lust", and "Amerika". I love the hooky chorus of "Amerika" which is sung in english. Very infectious yet it really speaks volumes about America and its free trade policies. All it takes is the chorus to figure out the band is singing about globalization and how America is 'americanizing' the entire planet. "Keine Lust" and "Dalai Lama" is two of the heaviest songs on the entire album. I absolutely cranking up the stereo to those songs. Initially I wasn't wild about the album but the more I listen to it, the better "Reise Reise" sounds. This is one of those albums that just needs time to grow on the listener like myself. "Reise Reise" may not be "Sehnsucht" or "Mutter" (my two favorite Rammstein albums) but the three year wait was worth hearing the music for.
 "We're all living in Amerika...COCA COLA!...WONDERBRA!" April 28, 2006
M. B. Link (USA)
8 out of 10 found this review helpful
Reise, Reise(2004). Rammstein's fourth studio album.
How many bands come to mind when you bring up pulse-pounding rhythms, a steady and heavy rhythm guitar assault, techno-type synths, warish anthems, and a guy shouting random controversey in a lower-register German voice? Just one. Growing up late in the 90s, Rammstein were always a group I'd known about through their smash hit 'Du Hast' appearing in the Matrix movie, but I dismissed them as a one-hit-wonder band because everyone would overplay that song ad-nauseum. Great song, but it definitely needed its rest for a while after that time. Plus, I wasn't really into their sound quite yet back then. Over the years though I gradually developed a taste for all varieties of metal, and eventually more industrial stuff. So one day, I was looking for something new to listen to and for some reason Rammstein just caught my eye immediately, and I could see that they didn't just have one but several different albums over the years. I suddenly had a craving to check out what they've done. Because I hadn't really heard from them since 2000 and I saw that they were still around, I figured I should pick up their then-latest release and give it a shot. Why not?
So after cashing in for a copy of Reise, Reise, I was ready for that old familiar sound to come blaring out of the speakers with German chanting on top of it. But what I didn't expect was how much its change in sound would blow me out of the water. In the 3 year time frame between the height of their popularity and the release of this album, the band decided to focus more on the individual songwriting, further due to their need to progress from the more processed, techno-oriented stylings of the past in favor of a rawer production, bigger sound, more choirs, and heavier guitars.
Now none of this change in sound would matter at all if the songs themselves didn't measure up. Quite the opposite actually. There aren't just a few good tracks strewn around some random filler. These songs never feel like clones of one another. No, Reise Reise is actually a really well put together album! There isn't a single bad song on here, though some are definitely better than others. What's great though is that there is so much variety to be found among this collection compared to the three previous albums. Most of the songs are still very simple, catchy, and anthemic, but they tend to change their tone, tempo, and style so the songs don't just fade together. Honestly, I don't know of a better place for new fans to start than this release.
The title track starts things off rather nicely, pounding in at a slow, yet memorable chorus melody that lets people know that Rammstein is still alive, well and kicking. Plus, I always love to hear great combinations of different instruments together if they are utilized properly, which they managed to do with the guitars and accordian. 'Mein Tiel' pummels in slightly faster, and is definitely the heaviest track on here. The choirs at the end give it a nice fade out. Then the pace slows back down with 'Dalai Lama' which is very subdued with its melodic and haunting tendencies in sound, but is not quite a ballad either. I especially love the part with an airly feel to it where the vocals come in with,"Komm her, bleib hier..." 'Kiene Lust' is a bouncy metallic number that's probably different than what old fans might be accustomed to, yet it still holds up nicely. Once again, I love the outstanding bridge section on this track. Next up is 'Los' which is certainly one of their more experimental outings. Rammstein takes on... southern rock? Seriously, its got a steady arena beat lined with accoustic guitars and even a harmonica! Dare I say that it almost makes them sound like a German-speaking ZZ Top in places. Good stuff.
Wow... kicking off the second half of the disc has got to be THE catchiest song that I've ever heard that doesn't suck, in the form of the single 'Amerika'. It's so easy to memorize, so awesome, and it gets stuck in your head for days on end! Some people might dismiss it based on that fact, and also for its "anti-American" message, but look closer. It works because the whole point of the song is to be extremely simple and mainstream in nature, reflecting the excesses of America's impact of mass consumerism all over the world. That's all it is, it's not making fun of America itself. Rammstein almost never does solos, but I enjoy the one they placed after the line "This is not a love song..."
And if that one isn't awesome enough, Rammstein delivers a nice one-two punch with both 'Amerika' and then 'Moskau'. It turns up the pace even faster, and features several female vocal parts sung in Russian in addition to the usual German. This one also hooks you in with its blisteringly vibrant chorus. Whatever you do, don't try to read her lines unless you know Cyrillic script! Excellent usage of keyboards and driving guitar rhythms. Then finishing off the faster songs is 'Morgenstern', giving off an interesting drum beat during the chorus. From this point on the album, I agree with other reviewers who feel that they shouldn't have stuck three ballads right at the end of the disc because the album's flow drops off right here and finishes it off rather lightly. Not that they're bad songs at all, quite the contrary in fact. It's just that spreading them out earlier would benefit them much better. 'Stein Um Stein' and 'Amour' both indicate the direction that Rammstein's next album Rosenrot(2006) would take.
Okay, enough of my yacking! If you're a hardcore fan, I'm sure you probably have Reise, Reise already, so I don't need to say anything for you. Now for potential new fans who really want to see what these guys have been up to lately, and/or if you're looking for something great to listen to that's more simple, catchy, and heavy enough, then go pick this up right now! It made me a fan, and I've already gone on to collect their other albums. With the exception of Sehnsucht(1998), which is a late 90s industrial techno-metal classic, they're not quite as amazing as this one is, but still definitely worth having once you become accustomed to their sound. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Other suggestions:
-Any of their other stuff ['Herzeleid'(1995), 'Sehnsucht'(1998), 'Mutter'(2001), and 'Rosenrot'(2006)]
-'The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste('1990) by Ministry
-'Too Dark Park'(1990) by Skinny Puppy
Reise Reise - Different But Great November 18, 2004
DirkStein (USA)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Rammstein continue to evolve in this their 4th album. Herzeleid was simple heavy guitar riffs and Till barking. Sehensucht was a masterful combination of fast paced industrial metal. Mutter retained the great elements of the first two and brought us the epic sounds full orchestrations including strings and choir.
Reise Reise continues the trend and takes the listener on an epic musical journey. Big walls of guitar sound, an orchestra, choir, and Tills singing! characterize this album. While it is not as fast-paced, as its predecessors, it very much succeeds. Songs like Reise Reise, Morgenstern, and Stein um Stein are big and powerful. Mein Teil and Keine Lust are more like "old" Rammstein - heavy and aggressive. Amerika and Moskau and more like pop songs and will get stuck in your head. Los is a radical acoustic departure from the Rammstein sound, but it really grows on you. The "ballads" Ohne Dich and Armour are amazing not just musically but lyrically as well. The imagery Till uses describing love as a wild animal is really phenomenal. If you don't know German definitely check out the translations.
Overall, this album was great, but Mutter is still the best.
BTW - The Amerika music video featuring the band on the moon is a must see!
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