Love is there for everyone. That sounds like a wonderful idea for hippies, women, and early pubescent teenagers. The downside is that "love" isn't really there for "everyone." For example, nobody really loves Guido Westerwelle anymore. Or George W. Bush. These and other sad figures are thrown into the deepest depths of their longing consciousness by the (most likely) deliberately malicious title "Love is There for Everyone" from the hard rock band "Rammstein," where they must endure their lonely existence. Cruel.
However, the Berliners apparently have enough love within them to provide for all people. Logically, otherwise they wouldn't write it on the album cover, would they? Despite the interpersonal allusions, the album has much more to offer. To put it simply (and to satisfy those who don't like to read): Rammstein!
However, a first disappointment spreads right at the beginning, even before the first sound has a chance to convince: Similar to the latest album from "Limp Bizkit," "Rammstein" apparently also deemed it necessary to introduce a famous pricing policy that states: Those who pay more get more offered. For this reason, this review is based solely on the 11 songs that I will simply call "original songs." I will also leave the term "two-class fan community" hanging in the air and dive right in:
"Rammstein" is a band name that truly delivers what it promises upon hearing. Just imagine two ton-heavy stone blocks crashing into each other with full force. THAT is their sound. The style is therefore somewhat known and imaginable.
The "Rammlied" starts off quite soothingly and unleashes into a huge firestorm that lets you know: "We are Rammstein!" I would call that a solid introduction, strongly reminiscent of the song "Rammstein," just a bit less cool. The tempo is right, the singer rolls the "R" more exemplary than tank tracks could, and the instruments crash down on the listener. A good introduction, even if not particularly special.
But now it gets significantly more interesting! So interesting, in fact, that Germany has been listening. The song "Ich tu dir weh" seems to be so well-liked in Germany that it wants this song all to itself, rather than making it accessible to everyone. Geniuses have already grasped it: "It's clear what has happened here!" Due to the lyrical content, which deals with love and mutilating violence, the censorship hammer has been swung. Yet the song is very well made. The lyrics are partly quite funny due to the fantasies (which may also be due to the singer), it captures the listener's attention quite well, and the "vocal contribution" in the chorus is simply great! This contrast between absolute hardness and melodious singing is a method that the Rammstein members like to employ. I don't understand why censorship was absolutely necessary here. The loss of this song takes away a very important track from the album, making it less worthwhile to listen to. What a shame.
There are only a few seconds in which you can hear the alpine horns. Before you can finish thinking about mountains, Milka cows, and fat people in lederhosen, it starts. The song "Weidmanns Heil" is one of the "tempo" songs on this album and also one of my favorites. The tension and the build-ups are executed very well and make you mentally blood-pog with other people. This is intensified by the bang that really kicks in from the word "Sterben!!!" and puts you in the right mood. Fairly, the song also provides some "breaks" because otherwise you would probably collapse from fatigue before it ends. Super!
And it continues with the hit series: "Haifisch" is a somewhat calmer and more contemplative song with medium hardness, which leads the way in terms of atmosphere and lyrics on this album. The less-hard sound is paired with the melodic voice in the chorus and various background noises created by a keyboard. If you also let the lyrics paint images in your mind, especially with the words "tears" and "lonely" being the key elements, you can expect goosebumps! THIS is truly a song that would do justice to an album from earlier days.
Now it gets varied: You can think what you want about "themes." If you fire up the home music program and sort the songs alphabetically, you might notice that 6 songs appear in a row that strangely all have titles like "Beer," "Germany is Shit," or "I Fell Asleep Behind the Drums Drunk and Lost My Beer in the Dark." Yes, there are many songs on many themes that share the same title. But the song "B********" has certainly never occurred before. It is actually called "Bückstabü" and addresses the theme of greed and avarice with an unknown "wanting" object. Very elegantly solved... and it sounds quite good too! Great song!
If anyone has narrowly escaped cardiac arrest until now, they can take a little breath. The beautiful title "Frühling in Paris" speaks in very beautiful language about love and the "sacred first time." Once again, a great example that even worn-out themes can still sound "new." Especially when the chorus is sung correctly (also a bit in French). The synthesizer played in the background underscores the "mystical" atmosphere a little and gives the Parisian spring a dreamy touch.
"Wiener Blut" is again more intense and constantly switches between breaks and rapid speed. Hectic and calm, terror and silence, loud and quiet. Here the chorus is excellently crafted, but the verses feel a bit stretched and the song seems a bit lengthy. Average, but audible in between. The lyrical background is quite interesting: It deals with a scientific analysis of European splinter groups ("Austrians"), among which about 75% of the population grow up underground ("cellar"). Do they critically examine this? Perhaps not.
The following song "Pussy" has also been very controversial. Upon the release of the music video, pornographic content was published, with the faces of the main actors replaced by the faces of the band. That is, of course, not nice and should be banned, but these bad men just keep going. Terrible. While the beginning can convince with its decent sound, the song slackens a bit over time and gradually becomes uninteresting. I somehow never could get into it from the start. Maybe because the song feels so "far" from the band's earlier style. It sounds more like a daring experiment that hasn't really succeeded.
"Love is There for Everyone" I already mentioned at the beginning. With the words "Love is there for everyone – not for me," Rammstein alludes to the sad individual fates of various life forms that would be unimaginable without tabloid press and scandals. Musically not necessarily outstanding, but still nice. However, it is a pity that the namesake of the album sounds so "mediocre."
"Mehr" is, similar to "Wiener Blut," a symbiosis of calm and hard passages, with the speed remaining the same in this case. Also, the hard part is – in this case, unlike "Wiener Blut" – relatively slow and would therefore be perfect for headbanging if you were to see it live. What the title "Mehr" holds for us in terms of lyrics can probably be guessed at this point. However, the title sinks a bit on the CD among the other songs and doesn't really stand out. It drifts a bit and prepares you for the last track...
...which is called "Roter Sand." Here it is about a fictional duel between two men who duel for the love of a woman, with the singer singing from the perspective of the affected one. The keyboard and guitar do their job very well and create a creepy initial atmosphere. The lyrics cause – unless the listener of the song is a sociopath – goosebumps or at least let you mentally play the loser. The "whistling" in the background has been used quite well, although the use could have been a bit leaner. But it is a worthy conclusion for the weak second half of the album and ensures that you can finish the album with a calm feeling. End of the line!
"Love is There for Everyone" is a good record. Unfortunately, it is also nothing more. The album really has some impressive titles that have hit potential and will certainly lead to some repeats. However, there are average pieces that will disappear into eternal oblivion after a few listens. After all, "Rammstein" has now reached their recognition value, and everything sounds very familiar after a while, which is why only personally important lyrics or truly remarkable songs will keep coming back. Let's hope that the band delivers some new approaches in their next work to appeal to both new fans and old hands.
Until then, there are 7 out of 10 points.
