LILT: Spieluhr 1.1

A tiny soul seems to have gone
But it just wants to be alone
Its little heart stood still for ages
Till all thought it had earned death's wages
So they inter it in wet sand
A music box still in its hand

First snow blankets the little grave
The small child slowly awakes
The winter night is very cold
And the tiny heart is bold

As frost flies all through the child
The musical box clockwork winds
With a melody on wings
From the cold ground a child sings

Hoppe hoppe Reiter
Down from high no angel sweeps
mein Herz schlägt nicht mehr weiter
On this grave only rain weeps
hoppe hoppe Reiter
With a melody on wings
mein Herz schlägt nicht mehr weiter
From the cold ground a child sings

The chilly moon while in full flight
Hears the crying in the night
Down from high no angel sweeps
On this grave only rain weeps

Between the cold hard oaken stays
With the musical box it plays
With a melody on wings
From the cold ground a child sings

Hoppe hoppe Reiter
Down from high no angel sweeps
mein Herz schlägt nicht mehr weiter
On this grave only rain weeps
hoppe hoppe Reiter
With a melody on wings
mein Herz schlägt nicht mehr weiter
From the cold ground a child sings

Hoppe hoppe Reiter
mein Herz schlägt nicht mehr weiter

They could hear on All Souls' Day
The melody in God's field played
So then they disinterred it
The child's heart, they preserved it

Hoppe hoppe Reiter
Down from high no angel sweeps
mein Herz schlägt nicht mehr weiter
On this grave only rain weeps
hoppe hoppe Reiter
With a melody on wings
mein Herz schlägt nicht mehr weiter
From the cold ground a child sings

I think all my poeticism has failed me today. I changed one word.
[lyrics][discuss]

Watchoo Think?

I'm not sure. No doubt more changes will come, but I prefer this to the right-hand navigation. I may have to learn how to use style sheets and develop my own template.

[discuss]

LILT Shift

I've moved the site to a new account, as I wanted to separate my sites. The new LILT site looked a little different, but not much. It actually looks like the old LILT site did before my last frenzy of foodling. I'm planning something of a face-lift in any case.

You might notice that the adult content warning has gone. The reason is simple. It's broken. Enabled it goes into an endless loop, so I will simply put my own warning at the top of the page at some point.

All the old content has been ported from the old site to the new, so there's no need to be sad. More soon...

For Cereal

Rammstein take themselves way too seriously. Thanks for the tip-off, rammsteinbrit.

[discuss]

The Chronicles of an Elephant Attendant

The first entry of 'the Chronicle' that has so tantalised us recently is up. Ich Tu' and its future are speculated on, illness in the camp is mentioned, and there's a shout-out to the people who have attended the tour thus far. I hope they post reasonably regularly. It's nice to get a little insight.

Tempelhüter has posted links to more tour pictures in the Herzeleid forum, the stand-outs being those of Caroline Traitler.

About a week ago I wrote a very badly proofread email to the BPjM regarding the indexing of the album:

To whom it may concern,

I'm sure there are many who would agree with the recent decision to index the Liebe ist für alle da album. These are probably the same people who would prefer you had indexed their entire catalogue over the years, and in retrospect perhaps you do too. From the outside, however, the latest move appears ridiculous. To index this album, when a precedent has been set to let the majority of their work slide, comes across as incredibly inconsistent and not a little calculated.

Aside from the obviously adult material that makes the whole Rammstein catalogue, the singling out of the particular track and image that have been listed smacks of desperation to 'be seen to be doing something' rather than a rational and considered decision, and does not flatter your organisation. While the front cover of the album shows men preparing to feast on a naked Venus the image that has been condemned as unsuitable for young eyes is one of an unmarked, healthy-looking women being spanked. It is tame, and represents a valid, if uncomfortable, form of intimacy in the real world. The track that has brought down the wrath of the BPjM is one ostensibly about the infliction physical pain, a valid metaphor for the way people view and treat one another. It makes little sense to act against this material in this way, given your historical response similar material.

I am aware that Pussy was also a contender for the 'corruptor' title, but again, for the wrong reasons. Since it is never once mentioned that prophylactics are not used how can it be said to promote unsafe sex? I've never heard a song of this type that did mention the application of a condom. It's preposterous to pick up on that detail. Pussy had better be indexed for the lousy use of German and English stereotypes than for irresponsible sexual congress.

I think this indexing should be reconsidered. While it has obviously got Rammstein a lot of press, and as such the attention of the youth you are trying to protect (thus cementing the album's success), nobody with a desire to support the sterling work the band do in promoting the German culture and language can be anything but exasperated that this happened in the first place. It makes the indexing process look farcical and does you no good in the eyes of the world, let alone in protecting the youth of Germany. They will get their hands on this material, and they will be all the more avid to do so because of what you have done; you have not actually protected anyone.

Please revisit this issue. It would be most sensible and responsible to do so.

Kind regards,
etc...

If you'd like to have your say their email address is info@bpjm.bund.de. I'm sure they'd love to hear from you.

Also, LIFAD has another update as of a few days ago.

[discuss]

LILT: Frühling in Paris 1.3

She came to me clad in light
So clearly I recall
I was so young
and felt such shame
But no regret at all

Throughout my head her voice purred
By her tongue lust was writ
I did not comprehend a word
But did not feel regret

Oh non rien de rien
Oh non je ne regrète rien

When I abandoned her skin
Paris bled with spring blushing

I did not know my own body
I dreaded the prospect
She showed all to me in the light
I did not feel regret

Lips redeemed again and again
Soft of touch and hold
when I left her mouth then
I began to feel cold

Throughout my head her voice purred
By her tongue lust was writ
I did not comprehend a word
But did not feel regret

Oh non rien de rien
Oh non je ne regrète rien

When I abandoned her skin
Paris bled with spring blushing

A murmur dropped into my lap
And brought a lovely sound
Many gentle words said nowt
I felt good to the ground

Throughout my head her voice purred
She then bowed down deeply
I did not comprehend a word
But no regrets for me

Oh non rien de rien
Oh non je ne regrète rien

When I abandoned her skin
Paris bled with spring blushing

In Paris

When I abandoned her skin
Paris bled with spring blushing

In Paris

When I abandoned her skin
Paris bled with blushing spring

[lyrics][discuss]

LILT: Haifisch 1.1

We hold with each other
We take one another's crap
We hold to one another
None will hold us back

We're holding true to you all
We hold true to that vow
We will hold true to the rules
If our rule is allowed

And the shark weeps so many tears
And they're running down its face
But the shark lives in the water
So nobody sees a trace

We hold to the tempo
We hold true to our faith
When one does not keep up
We hold up right away

We all hold our eyes open
We hold against the storm
Six hearts that are burning
Our fire holds such warmth

And the shark weeps so many tears
And they're running down its face
But the shark lives in the water
So nobody sees a trace

In the depths it is so lonesome
And so many tears run free
And that's why the ocean's water
Comes to be so salty

They can think what they want
To think about us all
We hold each other sound
We never will hold still

And the shark weeps so many tears
And they're running down its face
But the shark lives in the water
So nobody sees a trace

In the depths it is so lonesome
And so many tears run free
And that's why the ocean's water
Comes to be so salty

And the shark weeps so many tears
And they're running down its face
But the shark lives in the water
So nobody sees a trace

[lyrics][discuss]

Blabber

Blabbermouth has Full Metal Jackie talking to RZK. There's also a video of Haifisch on the same page (just below the media player for the interview).

Edit: By the way, what in hell is up with them beeping out the word 'Pussy'?

[discuss]

LILT: Haifisch 1.0

This is incredibly quick and dirty, because I've wrung the time to do it out of my day, but it's a good start, I think:

We hold with each other
We take one another's crap
We hold to one another
None will hold us back

We're holding true to you all
We hold true to that vow
We will hold true to the rules
If our rule is allowed

And the shark weeps so many tears
And they're running down its face
But the shark lives in the water
So nobody sees a trace

We hold to the tempo
We hold true to our faith
When one does not keep up
We hold up right away

We all hold our eyes open
We hold each other's arms
Six hearts that are burning
That fire holds such warmth

And the shark weeps so many tears
And they're running down its face
But the shark lives in the water
So nobody sees a trace

In the depths it is so lonely
And so many tears run free
And that's why the ocean's water
Comes to be so salty

They can think what they want
To think about us all
We hold each other safe
We never will hold still

And the shark weeps so many tears
And they're running down its face
But the shark lives in the water
So nobody sees a trace

In the depths it is so lonely
And so many tears run free
And that's why the ocean's water
Comes to be so salty

And the shark weeps so many tears
And they're running down its face
But the shark lives in the water
So nobody sees a trace

[lyrics][discuss]

Ich seh im Spiegel dein Gesicht

Spiegel.De has posted their take on the indexing. Thanks for the link, Rammchick.

[discuss]

One of 'Those Weeks'

I've had a week of creativity-smothering, mentally retarding crap. I feel about as constructive as a small heap of pine needles. I have to do a load of chores and then go to a party tomorrow. Sunday I plan to indulge in some serious Ramming. I'm just giving notice because LILT has been such a dry lake bed, and the next 30 hours will be more of the same. I don't want you lot thinking I don't care!

[discuss]

Burning Angel

Lindemann has cast himself in a new role. You may remember the studio report, and the 'And Till...' bits. One of them mentioned burning angels...

Have a rummage on YouTube for Basel Engel and see what you can find. It's drama, fattened on melodrama, and beefed up with a dash of DRAMA-DRAMA. Nice.

[discuss]

Another Review

Consequence of Sound has put up a review too. It's worth a read.

[discuss]

Paul Interviewed

ARTISTdirect has interviewed Paul. Thanks Rammchick!

[discuss]

Cat's Pilgrimage

Katvrou, a user on the Herzeleid.Com website, has kindly allowed me to reproduce the wonderful report she wrote after her recent trip to Europe to see Rammstein play three times. She's from South Africa, which makes her pilgrimage (pun definitely intended) all the more special. She includes some tips for those of you attending future shows at the end:

Following Rammstein for their first three shows is no joke. And it’s very hard to put down your thoughts on the shows immediately after you’ve ‘gone through’ a live show. It’s like you’ve been hit by a train. To me a Rammstein-show is like an orgasm of pain.

Now that I’ve returned to South Africa after nine exhaustingly exhilirating days, I can finally try to describe how it was for me.

In Lisbon I only queued for ten hours at the Pavilao Atlantico. I made friends with Pussy (who posted earlier on this thread with his cool pics of Paul and the guys), and some other girls from Lisbon. Pussy introduced himself to me and said I’m a brave girl, coming so far to see Rammstein. Heh heh. He is a true fan. I also met people from Australia. Yes, even from that far. We all ate bananas and sunflower seeds, drank mineral water and shared stories about our favourite songs and albums. We had to endure endless bouts of rain and icy gusts of wind. We bought black garbage bags from the Vasco Da Gama shopping centre and covered our bodies with it – very few of us had umbrellas. It was quite hard at times. But we held on until the security guards opened the gates at six to run through the gates downstairs to the stage. I was lucky enough to get second row.

I must just tell you that, no matter how much you read about the spoilers, nothing can really prepare you for the moment when the lights go off and the crowd starts screaming. And when Paul and Richard starts hacking through the wall with the axes, everybody goes apeshit. Then, of course, when the flame starts burning through the centre door and you KNOW it’s Till, all hell breaks loose. Especially when he waits for those slow few seconds before he kicks open the door. Seeing him strut down to the microphone, hearing everybody scream their lungs out, hanging on to the person in front of you so you won’t fall down, crying and laughing at the same time because this is Rammstein, finally you see your ultimate band on stage, LIVE, barely three metres away from you – it’s almost too much to bear.

Nevermind the sound problems with the intro. It’s incredibly irritating, especially for Till, you can just see it in his face, but just after that the song kicks into maximum overdrive, the drums roll like a truck over your body and the slashed black backdrop falls open. Everybody screams every word of Rammlied. You see Paul’s two tattoos (What?? Never knew he had any???) and you frown a bit over Richard’s hair. Weird. It’s quite emo, really. But then the guitars take over and you don’t really give a shit about any of that stuff anymore. The songs that you love are alive in front of you on stage. And that’s all that matters. The way Till kneels before the chorus in Waidmanns Heil. The pillars of flames that shoot up behind him. The flames that fly over your head, the way it feels as if your skin is melting off your face, the chorus in Waidmanns Heil, Richard and Paul chanting-chanting-chanting Waidmanns-manns-manns-manns HEIL!!!, the jumping, the moshing, the screams, the hands in the air, more screams, a neverending salute of loyalty and love to Rammstein.

The way Flake walks in THREE different directions on the treadmill (how the hell did they manage that??), his funny new dance, hahahahaha, then, the eery way the dolls get slowly dropped from the roof, those green laser eyes, Till’s voice like barbed wire being pressed into your skin with the chorus in Wiener Blut, the incredible beauty of Fruhling in Paris, the lights, oh my God the white lights that blaze open behind him when he sings the French chorus, how everybody behind and around me sings it with him, even though they say “I don’t really like it, it’s too sentimental…”

Paul’s interaction with the crowd, his cool jerky movements, when he and Richard meets in the middle with their foreheads against each other, exhanging a few quiet words, smiling, then retreating, Olli’s funny pants and hat, Flake giving us the middle finger salute after climbing out of the bath, being showered in sparks and explosions, Richard pacing in circles, pacing-pacing, then dropping onto his right knee with every insane guitar solo.

All the feeling leaves your feet. You can’t stand anymore. But you do. Somehow your body just copes with the fatigue and endless bursts of adrenalin.

It’s good that they do Seemann and Engel at the end. So you can come down from wherever you’re bouncing and just recover. I took the subway back to the hotel and wanted to cry all the time because the show was over. And because, for me, it was absolutely incredible. The timing and sound problems were forgotten. Even Finger walking around in the pit, with his pack of backstage passes, just smirking at my tattoo as if it’s nothing, that was all forgotten. I just wanted to replay the show in my head over and over again.

The next morning on our flight to Madrid, I saw Richard on our flight. After recovering from a near-fatal panic attack, I managed to grab some courage, walked to the front of the plane (before take-off) and asked him for a picture. He looked tired, but he got up, put his arm around my shoulders and posed. I almost fainted, but kept my cool and said that I thought he was awesome last night. He said "Thank you" and sat down again – I almost ran back to my seat. That was incredible for me, a simple girl from South Africa – what were the odds of me even meeting one of them???? I know they probably get tired of all the fans, but for me it was fantastic that he didn’t just blow me off. It will be one of my treasured pictures forever.

So then Madrid happened. I was at the Desportes venue just after six o’clock the morning, and there were already about 150 people in the queue. Next to their queue were about ten tents with girls, camping (some of them with their parents) for the Jonas Brothers concert the following day. They were looking at us with big eyes. We just laughed. It was like two different worlds on that pavement – two types of music that would (thankfully) never see eye to eye.

Madrid was awful for me. I could only get in about 20 metres from the stage. The shit already started with Combichrist, when I realised that lots of the people were really drunk and didn’t care if anybody next to or in front of them fell down. They just moshed and jumped and crowdsurfed. I panicked for a full half hour until I realised that I cannot fall down – the people are packed too tightly around me. So I tried to stay up, hang on to the person in front of me, and try to see some of the show. It was very hard, seeing the entire set, especially with the Rammlied intro – I am only five foot six and had to stand on my toes to see at least the upper half of Till’s body. The fast songs came in thick and hard – and people started to faint around me, mostly from heat exhaustion, and not from the flames – we were too far from the stage for that. It was so hot in-between all the people, it seemed as if every other minute, someone fainted and was carried away. I tried to move a little bit forward and managed to get a metre closer, before I was pummeled and bruised by the crowd. I cracked a toe and nearly lost my arm piercing. I wanted to leave – it was too hard to see the songs and still stay upright. I was truly afraid I’d get hurt. I wanted to cry, I felt like such a wuss. But then I just shoved back whenever a huge crowd wave came my way, and hung on to the guy in front of me for dear life. I managed to see Flake’s boat pass over my hands, and shouted with Christoph when he worked up the crowd in Links. I must say that the crowd spoiled my experience of this Rammstein-show. I wish they’d stop chanting “Puta-puta-puta!!” all the time when it’s obvious that this will not be performed, dammit. I do believe it would have been too risky here – the crowd would be totally out of control. And people were throwing up on the pavement in the morning already, running around drunken, cursing, – so I feel that a lot of them were giving Rammstein fans a bad name. I wish I met more of the nicer fans. And, the two cool girls that I did meet, fainted just after Fruhling in Paris. Dammit-dammit.

The same sound problems were evident with the few notes of Rammlied – and I was hoping that it would sort itself out before Till landed the newspaper headlines for beating his sound engineer to death with his mike stand.

My plan was to be at the venue early for the Barcelona concert. So I took a taxi at five o’clock the morning – it was still pitch dark, and very very cold. I met about twelve fans at the venue, some of whom slept there the previous night. So our 12-hour waiting shift started. I ate bananas. Quite a few of them. And I watched the sun come up while shivering from the cold – and most probably the excitement of seeing this band again live on stage.

The crowd grew rapidly throughout the day – with lots of people shoving themselves into the front row, which I thought was bad. In the end, at about 19:45, when the line of security guards came down the steps under thunderous applause from the crowd, the long wait was all worth it – all the pain in my feet and back just evaporated.

We were searched, briefly, before we broke loose and ran up the stairs, three at a time. We came to the upper level and the security guards said “Don’t run!!” but we RAN. And, together with most of the morning campers, we all got to the front row. It was evident that this set was smaller, without the side parts of the previous two shows – this was also a smaller venue, which probably led to the decision to have a smaller stage.

Combichrist was just a blur.

The adrenalin shooting through my body when the lights went off, was unbelievable. I wanted to faint, but held on to the railing. Next to me was a woman from Australia, whose children bought her the Rammstein ticket. Isn’t that just incredibly fantastic??? When Paul started hacking at the wall in his corner, you could see he was in a different, aggressive mood. He hacked and kicked, and kicked some more. Then he stepped out, just in a tiny pair of shorts and thick boots, and was handed his guitar. At the other end Richard was standing deadstill, with the axe in his right hand, bright white light streaming from behind them. Then Till started burning through the door. My heart wanted to explode. I knew what was coming, but the excitement was still like a living river of lava in my body. He kicked open the door. The crowd went MAD. He lifted up his arms, beckoning the crowd to scream louder. They bellowed, yelled, whistled, cried, and roared. It was one of the best moments of the show.

Then the first few notes. Nothing. Till’s mouth filled with that eerie light, but nothing. Then, thankfully, after a few painfully stressful moments, Rammlied started properly.

And the backdrop opened again with its slashed design under the thundering sound of “RRRRAMMM-STEINNNN!!!”

It was fantastic to see LIFAD become live on stage. Even Haifisch has its own charm, a song that I like a lot. Pussy was of course one of the highlights, what with Till riding this giant penis that spews foam over the crowd. Some of it got into my eyes, even though I ducked low when Till came past us, and it burned a little. But I must say, it looked very funny around me, with people covered in foam, grinning like loons, wiping it over their faces and hair. And with the confetti paper falling through the air – what fun!!! Also, the drumming in Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da is just incredible live. Christoph is an animal. He MAKES that song work, he just does.

Of course, when the sound died twice in Fruhling in Paris, it was AWFUL. I felt so bad for the band – and I thought it was inexcusable, that the sound guy could’ve done better. At least, when the sound died, the crowd sang very loudly with Till, just to make the awkwardness go away, and Christoph still beat the drums like a madman, even though his sound was gone, too. He and Olli just looked at each other, smiling, shaking their heads. Olli looked quite freaky with his white painted skin, with what looked like dirt smeared over the white. It was also good to see him come to the front of the stage every so often and receive his due recognition from the crowd.

At the end of Engel, when they came to the front of the stage and bowed, Richard jumped off the stage and landed awkwardly on the ground, it seemed as if he could’ve hurt his ankle, but he got up quickly and started to touch some of the fans’ outstretched hands. Finger was on him like a flash, gesturing wildly, probably telling him not to be so stupid and to move away from the crowd. I thought that was unnecessary. If Richard wants to touch the fans’ hands, bloodywell let him, dammit!!! Richard then ran to the back, past the right side of the stage.

In the speakers, the sounds of Roter Sand was coming through. The crowd mingled around, confused, hoping to hear some more from the stage. But the show was over, and the technicians came out, shooing us away, starting to break up the steel barriers that we were clinging to just a few minutes before. I immediately got a beer from one of the guys walking around selling beer, and didn’t even mind to pay the ten euros for it. I was so thirsty, I wanted to die.

But I was also ecstatically happy. I saw Rammstein live, up close, from the front row, I saw the sweat and flames and Till’s piercings, I ogled Richard’s legs (forgive me for gushing, but dammit, that studded leather band around his left leg looks SO good), I lost litres of sweat, probably put out my back forever, got flattened against the railing by jumping bodies, I hurt my neck while headbanging to Weisses Fleisch, and cried a little for Fruhling in Paris.

Things that I know now:

** If you have long hair, tie it back, or up on your head. It’s incredibly painful when your hair gets yanked and pulled by everybody around you who’s trying to hang on to you.
** The security guards in front won’t give you any water, no matter how many times you plead them for a sip. See that you have at least one bottle of water stashed away somewhere. It’s essential, especially after Benzin.
** Finger only hands backstage passes to pretty girls. Or the girls that Till blows kisses at. He doesn’t really see the true fans. I don’t know what he’s looking for while walking the pit – I really don’t know. I think he should come and find the true fans in the queue and camp tents at five o’clock in the morning before the show.
** The show is two hours, but if you bury yourself in every song, it will feel like two days. Trust me.

As I sit here, typing to you tonight, I’m incredibly sad. It feels as if I’ve dropped into an abyss of quietness after the exhiliration of experiencing Rammstein on stage. It will probably take me a while to recover from this. But I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Rammstein forever.

Thank you, Katvrou!

[discuss]

Swim With Me

Lindemann and swimmer Paul Biedermann were interviewed together by Welt.De. It's an odd, but revealing pairing, well worth the read. GLT doesn't cope well with the dialogue, but well enough to get an impression of the two men.

Original German. Thanks again to Tempelhüter for the link.

[discuss]

Mutter

Lindemann's mother, Gitta, is a writer, as was his father, but having now read my first Gitta Lindemann piece I find it easy to imagine that she is his muse. Her writing, even when butchered by a software interpreter, is fluent and vivid in the same way his is.

She offers insight to the rest of us. Even allowing for the bias of an affectionate mother she opens up all sorts of quiet little corners in his life for us to peer into, and she admits, interestingly, that she would love to have known her son as a friend, rather than as a mother. I can understand that, if he really is all she describes. He would be an intensely interesting man to know well. That said, the role she has played in his life means that had another been his mother, she would not know the man she brought into this world. He would be quite different.

Thank you for the link, Tempelhüter.

Note that the translation linked above is flawed, and you will want to put some tracts through the GLT text block translation individually to get the meaning. For those of you who speak German the original 2008 article is here.

[discuss]

Rammstein footage

A Rammstein autograph session in Bilbao has been posted by Emigrate fans Russia on MySpace. Yay.

[discuss]

LIFAD has a Blog

The LIFAD site has turned into a website, rather than just a portal to Facebook and Twitter. This could get interesting...

Thanks to SkeletonCrew for pointing this out.

[discuss]

The Agony of the Germ...man

Cystitis, acne, fucking, digestion, tears, death, defecation, cuddles, flatulence, kissing...I could go on forever, but I won't.

What do all of these things have in common? You know it.

Okay, now consider, just for a moment, that I am serious. My tongue, which is incidentally crawling with bacteria, is very firmly planted in my cheek, but I do have a point. I'm just going to rampage through and plant some ideas in your head. Jeremy's proper translation is there for you if you need to refer to it:

Bacteria live all over us, inside and out. Without them we would probably die. We have a symbiotic relationship with them, in that they form part of our immune arsenal (pun incidental) and they aid us in extracting nutrients from our food. We're riddled with bacteria, and every time we look at another living creature we are also looking at, if not seeing, vast armies of bacteria.

We are the entire world for our personal germs. They inhabit us, the way we inhabit this planet. We are theirs and they are ours. If a bacterium was as arrogant and self-aware as humanity I'm sure it would consider us here to service, house, feed, and care for it. We're their planets and they probably care for us as much as we care for the world we live in. They certainly harm us to a similar extent (I wonder if we will kill Earth in the end). They don't love us, but we're preoccupied with them.

I like the idea that I am a ship for a crew of germs to ride through oceans of life. I also get a kick from the knowledge that I am forever locked in a bacterial embrace, either fighting or benefiting from them. The bondage humanity is in is one of infection and disease, and even our greatest weapon, our immune system, isn't enough to beat them completely, and part of it is made up of the enemy's siblings.

They do major damage as the cause of Tetanus, they bring us agony through cystitis, they scar us via acne, and I won't go into detail about syphilis. They get into us via contact with animals, tools (blunt saw, anyone?) and weapons, with food, and because our own bodily functions rely on orifices, and damage to our armour (skin), opens up more.

They mark us up, and break us down. They torture us, help us, and ultimately they eat us. After you die you continue to live in all the little bastards that hasten your decomposition. Does that console you?

The line that might be a little odd in this context is the sticking of medals on faces. What is a medal if not a badge signifying what we have done? Is an acne scar a badge of honour for a bacterium? I don't know, but it's a laugh to consider it.

Anyway, I honestly do not believe that this is what Lindemann had in mind when he wrote the song. I just think it's interesting to come up with concepts that fit his words. Here endeth this one.

[discuss]

LIFAD Art

The LIFAD album art has been posted on Recuenco's site. Just keep hitting the arrows at the end to get the next section. These photos are beautiful. Thanks erikire, for posting the link.

Note the one with Richard spanking the chunky (apologies to the model - I couldn't pass up a cheap pun) is the one that is missing from the new 'clean' edition. I'm not sure how clean any album involving Till's poetry can be, nor one that includes these beautiful, but distinctly disturbing images. I guess the removal of these two offences makes it all okay though. Hah!

[discuss]

The Gauntlet & Schneider

The Gauntlet has just posted today's interview with Schneider. I liked the RZK interview, but this one tops it, I think. Great read!

[discuss]

Sarah Potkins Photos up on Rammimages

Minx has put up Sarah's photos from Lisbon. These are well worth a look. Thanks Hlynur.

[discuss]

New Version of LIFAD for Germany

The original, indexed album remains on the market, hidden behind counters, and advertised only to people over the age of 18 (naughty). What is coming for general release is a truncated version, sans Ich Tu' and Richard getting spanky. So sad...

Actually, not it isn't. The original is still available. The new edition is great news, really. There will be a general release in Germany for those who can't legitimately buy the full album.

[discuss]

Ariesgirl Review of LIFAD

My friend, Maggie, has posted her review of LIFAD for her paper. It's verbally sparkly and is full of zingers of the richest kind. I recommend you read it for her highly colourful prose as much as the actual review. It's scintillating.

[discuss]

Madrid Photos

Snap

Contest to See Live Show

Unfortunately for me this contest is only open to US entrants. You also get to meet the band. Nice. Entry will be via the official MySpace page.

Update: Here's the entry page. Thanks TG.

[discuss]

Bester Liveact

Rammstein has been nominated for a Best Live Act award, for which you can vote. Follow the link, and then follow the link from the link...

Pro Tip: Reload the voting page until you get an anti-spam question you can answer before filling in the form. It's all in German but the Google Language Tool is your friend.

[discuss]

Germ-ans

I've developed a wild theory that Ich Tu' Dir Weh is written from the point of view of a bacterium. No, I'm not completely barmy. I'll explain myself soon.

[discuss]

New LIFAD

Hello? What do we have here? I look forward to the track listing and art work for this new version...

[discuss]

Billboard on Indexing LIFAD

Billboard has posted an article about the indexing of LIFAD here:

Announcing this ruling, Petra Meier, the deputy president of the Federal Office for the Examination of Media Harmful to Young People, cited the track "Ich tue Dir Weh" ("I Want to Hurt You") as well as the artwork showing guitarist Richard Kruspe with a masked, naked woman on his knees. The Federal Office objected to the fact that the track includes lines such as "Bites, kicks, heavy blows, nails, pincers, blunt saws - Tell me what you want."

The German Federal Office for the Examination of Media Harmful to Young People in Bonn also criticized the single "Pussy," stating that it incites listeners to engage in unprotected sexual intercourse despite the risk of AIDS, although the single was not officially part of the ruling banning the album.

They highlight the inconsistency of this gently by pointing out that despite Rammstein material being generally fairly brutal this is the first Rammstein album indexed, but I really think this can't be emphasised enough. The Federal Office for the Examination of Media Harmful to Young People (clumsy) really does need a kick in the arse for their somewhat flaky application of the law. That said, the album speaks for itself and will continue to sell.

[discuss]

More Lisbon Photos

Plink!

Thanks Löwe.

Lisbon Photos

Thanks to demonseye on Herzeleid for this link to the Noticias site with photos from the first concert of the tour!

[discuss]

Lisbon Set-list

Sehnsucht.dk has posted the set-list from the concert in Lisbon that finished a short while ago:

01. Rammlied
02. B********
03. Waidmanns Heil
04. Keine Lust
05. Weisses Fleisch
06. Feuer Frei!
07. Wienerblut
08. Frühling In Paris
09. Ich Tu Dir Weh
10. Liebe Ist Für Alle Da
11. Benzin
12. Links 2 3 4
13. Du Hast
14. Pussy
15. Sonne
16. Haifisch
17. Ich Will
18. Seemann
19. Engel

[discuss]

Bonus Disc Review Coming

I'm working on a review of the LIFAD bonus disc at the moment, but because I'm doing this initial review 'blind' I'm having to avoid translations and discussion of meaning. It's actually difficult!

I will also review LIFAD and the bonus disc with meaning in mind later on. I suspect the emphasis will change dramatically.

[discuss]

LIFAD Model's Remarks

Cristina Serrato, the model from the LIFAD cover, has posted to her blog about the shoot. Thanks to erikire from Rammstein-MX for passing on this story from Rammstein Club (Spain).

[discuss]

Rammstein Finally Goads the Morality Police

As reported by The Gauntlet LIFAD has been indexed in Germany. This is a first, amazingly enough, given that Rammstein have never been afraid to tackle our societal cess pits and less acceptable urges.

In fact, because this is the first time this has happened I have to consider the indexing system to be a bit farcical in terms of consistency and balance.

Oddly this will probably help with album sales in Germany, if it has any effect, since forbidden fruit is definition sweeter. Rammstein is all about forbidden fruit...

[discuss]

Vasquez Rehearsal Gig Report

Vasquez was fortunate enough to attend a rehearsal show, and has written a comprehensive report about what went on:

The show started in darkness. Paul and Richard was standing behind black polysteryne screens. They started to chop their way through the screens with big axes which was very effective since it was backlit and the light started to shine through the holes they were making. Meanwhile in the middle. Till was blowtorching his way through the middle. Like in Aliens at the beginning when they find Ripley in the shuttle and they blowtorch a hole through the ship to get in.
The set looked like an industrial mix of Alien, Metropolis and Frankenstein.
Paul and Richard broke through and stepped through the holes they've made. Then the big middle hatch was also broken through and this big piece fell down and formed a ramp. Till marched robotically through the hole wearing a red leather butcher's apron and a red feather collar. he had a light in his mouth and a hairnet on his head. Weird, creepy and wonderful.
He marched up to the front where there was a very unusual microphone. Not slighly bent, but on a spring so he could pull it towards him.
Paul had a bare chest and black trousers with chains and Richard was wearing a long leather coat in a military style. Richard did not look well. He looked tired, white and puffy with silly geled hair. Looked like it had been glued to his forehead.
Till looked magnificient!!! He certainly has been working out. His arm muscles were bulging and his stomach was flat. He started the intro to Rammlied still with that weird light in his mouth. The backdrop fell down, and Oli appeared wearing a cowl, and black smeared make up over his torso. On the walkway next to the drums were Flakes keyboards. He was wearing a glittery disco suit, which i loved and White make up. He also had a very cool beatles hair cut. He had 2 keyboards between some frankenstein electricity poles that sparks were flying from. He also had a treadmill that he was walking on. Don't ask me why. It is not like he needs to loose weight, but it certainly was cool.
The lights were enormous like big jet engines. They were moving up and down. They also had smaller satellites with neon lights on them.
It sounded good, but it was not 100 percent tight. the timing was a bit off.

They proceeded with B*****. Till had now taken off his feathers, apron and light in the mouth. He was wearing a black vest with buckles and zips that showed off his gorgeous torso.

I can't remember the exact song order but they played Weisses Fleisch where Flake did his dance with fire works flying off his suit, Waidmanns Heil, Seemann, Liebe ist fur alle da, which I don't like. It is the only song on the album that I always skip.
On Fruhling for Paris Oli had removed his cowl and he sat down to play accoustic guitar by a little light bulb.
Then the effects started seriously. Of course Feuer Frei with the traditional flamethrowers on their faces. Richards did not work. He was not really with it all night. He looked distant from the rest of them, he didn't have any contact with the audience, and he also looked fat. The others took their shirts off, but he never did.
Their was an elevator that took Till up and down off the stage. He disappeared, and the we could hear the grammophone intro to Wiener Blut. He came up from the floor on the lift, looking very retarded crawling on his knees. The lift also had an old fashioned grammophone, a sofa and reading light.
When the song started hundreds of twisted dolls hanging on strings were lowered from the ceiling. Some of them had lasers shining from their eyes.
It was vey creepy and atmospheric.
Then came my favourite moment in the show. They started playing Ich Tu dir weh, and Flake started having a go at Till.
They had a bit of a pretend fight and Till threw Flake over his shoulders and threw him in a metal bath. He then elevated up in the air at least 20 feet on a very thin and not very safe looking column. He had a milk urn in his hand. He poured the contents of the urn in the bath. It was a shower of sparks. Fire works were also going off all over the stage.
Then it was time for Pussy. There weren't that many people there and certainly not that many girls standing at the front, so Till came up to me and Pandy and sang that song personally to us.

Then it was time for encore. Sonne!!! That I love. Haifisch that went down very well live, Benzin with a petrol tank that blew fire. A stunt man looking like a fan jumped up on stage, and Till sat him on fire. The guy was still jumping around headbanging while he was burning. They finally put the flames out, and they all pretended like it was a mistake and that the guy was seriously hurt. Well of course he wasn't and he jumped up and ran away. They finished with Engel.

All in all it was a great show, but it was a little bit disconnected. I think it will be better with a proper big audience. They also did some slight mistakes the timing was a little bit off. I will give it 3 stars out of 5. But I think it will improve and get a lot better. Stage set and visually it was a 5.

After the show we went to the after show party with Olis friend that had taken us to the gig. Had a very nice evening. Oli aksed me what they could change in the show, and I gave him my honest opinion. 4 years ago I met Schneider when I did an interview for a swedish magazine, and he recognised me, so I spent most of the night talking to him. Such a nice guy. What a great night.

My thanks go to Vasquez for the report, and Sinnlos from Affenknecht, who was kind enough to gain permission to reproduce this from Vasquez on my behalf.

[discuss]

F1cking Great

I know it's completely irrelevant to this site, but I'm a huge F1 fan, and I have to put it out there that I'm really pleased with the outcome of this season. Brawn are the Cinderella story of the season, having started in the ashes with the loss of BAR Honda, then coming back to win it all. Also RBR, who fielded two of my favourite drivers, Vettel and Webber, interleaved with Brawn and took honours too. It was a year of drama and silliness, but the actual racing was great, and some under-rated people shone. Brilliant stuff!

Vettel is German, so maybe that can be my excuse for posting this...

[discuss]

More Herzeleid Translations Up

We now have Haifisch, B********, and Frühling in Paris.

[discuss]

Scooter FAIL

Warning: This YouTube video is not endorsed or in any way considered to have any value by LILT.

Okay, if you lasted the whole three minutes and something that farce took to play through you are probably now either feeling fairly appalled or are completely lacking in any sound judgment. That remix is what I generally refer to as a 'cluster-fuck', even in mixed company. Whoever entrusted these clowns with the Till track from Pussy needs a kick in the slats. That is not Pussy. It's a bunch of hackneyed, overused, and antique trance samples. The fact that they've overlaid some bastardised re-sampling of Pussy's vocal track over the top is irrelevant.

[discuss]

More Rehearsal Detail

DagraK has posted on Affenknecht with some more detail about what has been seen at the rehearsal gigs:

Till has 2 left-eyebrow piercings, and one in his cheek to put the little wire in for the leds in his mouth.

Ich Tu Dir Wih - Till stands on a decent hight, trowing sparks over Flake who's in the bathtub.

Wiener Blut started with a Gramophone

Keine Lust - Smoke :)

Feuer Frei - Flamemasks

Seems like Till is on fire at Benzin

All breakdowns and bridges have amazing lightshows/effects!

Fire all over the place! Lots of!

Till looks SO STRONG, stronger than ever. They are in very good shape, all of them. Till sung beatifull and his acting was superb - he had lots of fun doing it!

"He was really looking down at the crowd, moving around, kneebanging everything. and then he took his shirt off ... god damn he is so strong. I think he is even stronger than during Mutter era "

I'll let you know when I got more.

I have no idea if this is first-hand knowledge or if this information is harvested from others, but it's good to know, nonetheless.

[discuss]

Bau-Da Boom

Tempelhüter has posted a link on Herzeleid to the Bau-Da Design Lab site, and a new photo of Olli, which is along-side the band photo we are all now familiar with. It's a great picture.

[discuss]

Radio Goethe Rammstein Special

Arndt over at Radio Goethe has posted his Rammstein special. The page links to the show as the current show at the moment, though that will change down the line when the next one is posted.

The Rammstein material starts at 30 minutes, and is tracks from the new album interspersed with a phone interview with Paul, with Arndt translating. It's very well-done.

[discuss]

LILT: Ich Tu' Dir Weh 1.1

Minor changes:

For me alone you are living
I am putting my mark on you
Everything for me you are giving
You love me, for I don't love you

You bleed for my salvation
One small cut you're turned on
Your body is already twisted
While it feels good we risk it

I hurt you so
I'm not sorry
This does you good
Hear how it screams

With you I have choice of torture
Barbed wire in the urethra
Your flesh in salt and sepsis
Till you die, and yet still live

Bites, and kicks, and hard blows
Needles, forceps, and a blunt saw
Make a wish, I won't say no
I feed live rats into you

I hurt you so
I'm not sorry
This does you good
Hear how it screams

I hurt you so
I'm not sorry
This does you good
Hear how it screams

You are the ship, I am the captain
To where should I be travelling?
Reflected back is your face too
You love me, for I don't love you

I hurt you so
I'm not sorry
This does you good
Hear how it screams

I hurt you so
I'm not sorry
This does you good
Hear how it screams

I hurt you so
I'm not sorry
This does you good
Hear how it screams

[lyrics][discuss]

LILT: Frühling in Paris 1.2

On Herzeleid DiexFlamme explained that Bluten can mean 'to blush' as well as 'to bleed', so I've had to find a way to try and work in Till's double meaning. I'm uncertain of my success:

She came to me clad in light
So clearly I recall
I was so young
and felt such shame
But no regret at all

Throughout my head her voice poured
By her tongue lust was writ
I did not comprehend a word
But did not feel regret

Oh non rien de rien
Oh non je ne regrète rien

When I abandoned her skin
Paris bloomed in bloodshot spring

I did not know my own body
I dreaded the prospect
she showed all to me in the light
I did not feel regret

Lips redeemed again and again
Soft of touch and hold
when I left her mouth then
I began to feel cold

Throughout my head her voice poured
By her tongue lust was writ
I did not comprehend a word
But did not feel regret

Oh non rien de rien
Oh non je ne regrète rien

When I abandoned her skin
Paris bloomed in bloodshot spring

A murmur dropped into my lap
And brought a lovely sound
Many, gentle words said nowt
I felt good to the ground

Throughout my head her voice poured
She then bowed down deeply
I did not comprehend a word
But no regrets for me

Oh non rien de rien
Oh non je ne regrète rien

When I abandoned her skin
Paris bloomed in bloodshot spring

In Paris

When I abandoned her skin
Paris bloomed in bloodshot spring

In Paris

When I abandoned her skin
Paris bloomed in bloodshot spring

[lyrics][discuss]

TV Rammstein

The official blog has an excerpt linked to Rammstein's one and only TV interview regarding the new album on You Tube. Alea has posted a translation on Herzeleid's board.

[discuss]

Second Rehearsal Gig

The second rehearsal gig is apparently going on now, so we'll hopefully have further reports from those lucky enough to attend. It will be interesting to see if they play the same set, and if any different props come out. So far we have a bath and threadmill for Flake, and Till with LEDs in his mouth and some sort of apparatus with water attached to his face (no real detail). I'll post if I get new information.

Also, I'm getting timeout errors when I try and resolve Herzeleid.Com. I'm not sure what's going on there.

[discuss]

Herzeleid Waidmanns Heil Translation

Jeremy has posted it here.

[discuss]

Warm-Up Gig Set

A Herzeleid user, called Konkelo, has posted the set-list from the first warm-up concert:

1. Rammlied
2. B*******
3. Waidmanns Heil
4. Keine Lust
5. Feuer frei!
6. Weisses Fleisch
7. Wiener Blut
8. Frühling in Paris
9. Ich tu dir weh
10. Liebe ist für alle da
11. Links 2-3-4
12. Haifisch
13. Du hast
14. Pussy
15. Benzin
16. Sonne
17. Ich will
_____________

18. Seemann
19. Rosenrot
20. Engel

Apparently Flake gets more shit from Till, they make use of a bath, and Flake plays while on a treadmill. It all sounds fairly Rammstein to me.
[discuss]

ITDW Translation on Herzeleid

Jeremy has posted his second LIFAD translation.

[discuss]

LILT: Winer Blut 1.0

Come with me
Come to my keep
Fun awaits us beneath our feet
Softly, softly, it's our wish
To be outside time for a flash
Yeah, there's heaven under my house
The door is closed
The light goes out

Are you all set?
Are you prepared?

Welcome
Into the darkness
Into the darkness

No one should disturb us dear
No one, no one else must hear
No, none should find us down there
We can taste life without fear
If you feel yourself bereft
I'll plant you a sister to pet
Her skin so young
Her flesh so tight
Under my house my love's delight

Are you all set?
Are you prepared?

Welcome
Into the darkness
Into the darkness
To the quietness
To the dolefulness
For an endlessness

Welcome
To the realness

Through the deepest vale you dance
Are you all set?
Your life is without light too
Are you prepared?
So fear no torment or mischance
Now get ready
I am here now and holding you

I'm holding you
In the darkness
In the darkness

[discuss]

The Freak

I'm working on Wiener Blut at the moment, and I have to say that I feel distinctly greasy and gritty after an hour or so inside that space. It's a very moody and atmospheric piece, and Fritzl is a bastard. I have a feeling Lindemann relished writing this one. There's so much material and endless possibilities, and with his penchant for burying us all in fetid filth he must have been in hog heaven.

That said, I does it all so elegantly. I'm hard-pushed to do anything but step where he steps, though I may diverge a little, if only to see what I can do with this relatively clearly framed picture.

[discuss]

RZK Interview - Lyrics

Tempelhüter, one of Herzeleid's administrators, has posted an interview with RZK in the Rammstein forum. It's fairly standard fare, aside from two things. The first is that Richard seems to revoke his previous and repeated negativity about more Rammstein albums:

In the run it was said that this would be your last album. Is that true? If not, what caused these rumors?

RZK: You never know what happened, but I really see no reason to stop. Any one of us has made a some good books on the production of stressful but very little air, and was misunderstood. We have used this time forever until we came in with the songwriting going. Perhaps it was the long break. Which means that the next album will come sooner rather than later.

The second, and most relevant to this site is his comments about the lyrics, their meaning, and individual interpretation:

As with any of your publications, the texts of your songs will surely be taken back, this time especially under the microscope. Is that outside the German-speaking really the case? Make translate fans and press bothered the lyrics and understand them?

RZK: Of course, many want to know what is in the songs and try to go even in translation. As with people with German as their mother tongue to come out here sometimes quite adventurous and idiosyncratic interpretations. Exactly for this reason we are not talking about text content. Everyone should make his own remuneration. For each of our lyrics mean something else - which is great.

But within the band talk about what you already Till's singing, right?

RZK: No, we have abandoned for the same reason very early. I saw him at the time time to respond to a text and told him what I think what it was doing. He looked at me blankly and said that I would have probably understood as something completely wrong ...

It appears that Till leaves his words open for everyone, including his band-mates.

Note that is translation is courtesy of GLT.

[discuss]

Get Rammstein

This is more of a review of Rammstein than of LIFAD, but it's from someone who makes a point of demonstrating his understanding of them, so I'm linking to it. Thanks for the link, Rammchick.

[discuss]

Pain Speaking

Ich Tu' is all about pain. This is the stuff of Lindemann.

He's very good at putting pain into words, and it's hard to quell the mental images that bloom across the mind once comprehension dawns. It's like standing in an empty space, while monstrous and velvety-dark flowers form and open before your eyes. While I've got extensive experience of pain* and am not a huge fan of it I can't help but admire his ability to convey it through his verse.

ITDW is ostensibly about an S&M relationship, but it could be about self-flagellation, self-harming (suggested on the Herzeleid forum), and/or about self-loathing. The imagery used is repellent and violent, and the character shows distain and no respect for his partner, be that himself or another party. It's all pretty vile, and it's accompanied by wonderful music and vocals, which is a stunning contrast.

Superficially, if you don't understand the lyrics, ITDW is a raunchy romp. It's fun and frisky musically, and smoking hot through to the vocals. There's no ugliness at all, though there is definite threat, because the ideas conveyed by the lyrics are not carried in the music. All the threat takes the form of naughty promise, and the pain-mongering is invisible.

Then the meaning transforms it into something much darker and more sinister. This is where the idea of lyrical incomprehension as a positive comes to the fore. I had a strong positive impression based entirely on the song, completely uncoloured by the imagery in the words, and that persists, though I know now what it's all about. I retain the initial enjoyment unmarred by the subject-matter.

I love this song. It doesn't hurt one bit.

[discuss]

* not voluntarily - I don't get my kicks that way...not that that's any of your business.

LILT: Ich Tu' Dir Weh 1.0

For me alone you are living
I am putting my mark on you
Everything for me you are giving
You love me, for I don't love you

You bleed for my salvation
One small cut you're turned on
Your body is already twisted
While it still feels good we risk it

I hurt you so
I'm not sorry
This does you good
Hear how it screams

With you I have choice in torture
Barbed wire in the urethra
Your flesh in salt and sepsis
Till you die, but you still live

Bites, and kicks, and hard blows
Needles, forceps, and a blunt saw
Make a wish, I won't say no
I feed live rats into you

I hurt you so
I'm not sorry
This does you good
Hear how it screams

I hurt you so
I'm not sorry
This does you good
Hear how it screams

You are the ship, I am the captain
To where should I be travelling?
Reflected back is your face too
You love me, for I don't love you

I hurt you so
I'm not sorry
This does you good
Hear how it screams

I hurt you so
I'm not sorry
This does you good
Hear how it screams

I hurt you so
I'm not sorry
This does you good
Hear how it screams

[lyrics][discuss]

LILT: Frühling in Paris 1.1

Already! It generally doesn't take me long to find fault with songs I love:

She came to me clad in light
So clearly I recall
I was so young
and felt such shame
But no regret at all

Throughout my head her voice poured
By her tongue lust was writ
I did not comprehend a word
But did not feel regret

Oh non rien de rien
Oh non je ne regrète rien

When I abandoned her skin
In Paris I saw spring bleeding

I did not know my own body
I dreaded the prospect
she showed all to me in the light
I did not feel regret

Lips redeemed again and again
Soft of touch and hold
when I left her mouth then
I began to feel cold

Throughout my head her voice poured
By her tongue lust was writ
I did not comprehend a word
But did not feel regret

Oh non rien de rien
Oh non je ne regrète rien

When I abandoned her skin
In Paris I saw spring bleeding

A murmur dropped into my lap
And brought a lovely sound
Many, gentle words said nowt
I felt good to the ground

Throughout my head her voice poured
She then bowed down deeply
I did not comprehend a word
But no regrets for me

Oh non rien de rien
Oh non je ne regrète rien

When I abandoned her skin
In Paris I saw spring bleeding

In Paris

When I abandoned her skin
In Paris I saw spring bleeding

In Paris

When I abandoned her skin
In Paris I saw spring bleeding

[lyrics][discuss]

LILT: Frühling in Paris 1.0

This track seems to be very popular, and is one of my favourites too, so here's take one:

She came to me clad in light
So clearly I recall
I was so young
and felt such shame
But no regret at all

Throughout my head her voice poured
By her tongue lust was writ
I did not comprehend a word
But did not regret it

Oh non rien de rien
Oh non je ne regrète rien

When I abandoned her skin
In Paris I saw spring bleeding

I did not know my own body
I dreaded the prospect
she showed all to me in the light
I did not feel regret

Lips redeemed again and again
Soft of touch and hold
when I left her mouth then
I began to feel cold

Throughout my head her voice poured
By her tongue lust was writ
I did not comprehend a word
But did not regret it

Oh non rien de rien
Oh non je ne regrète rien

When I abandoned her skin
In Paris I saw spring bleeding

A murmur dropped into my lap
And brought a lovely sound
Many, gentle words said nowt
I felt good to the ground

Throughout my head her voice poured
She then bowed down deeply
I did not comprehend a word
But no regrets for me

Oh non rien de rien
Oh non je ne regrète rien

When I abandoned her skin
In Paris I saw spring bleeding

In Paris

When I abandoned her skin
In Paris I saw spring bleeding

In Paris

When I abandoned her skin
In Paris I saw spring bleeding

Note that the French will remain in French.

[lyrics][discuss]

Fat Live Set?

Dante has posted about the album launch in the UK and has included the following wee titbit:

...according to Oli, who I spoke to just the other day, most of these new songs may well feature in the live show, which is being put together right now.

Noice. I hate everyone who gets to see this show live, as I won't be. You're all bastards.
[discuss]

Holy Fuck!

I didn't realise the bonus tracks were so impressive. This should be a 14 track* album. Considering that they developed 30 to 40 tracks for this project and we have half of that at most I'd say the possible upcoming single B-sides might be worthwhile in an unprecedented way. I need a day or so to digest these extra songs and then I'll write a review.

* Not counting Roter Sand (Orchester) or Liese, which are both by rights Roter Sand single B-sides.

[discuss]

IdiotMag.Com Review

This one's definitely as valid as any other, and everyone has their opinion, so no tantrums, okay, my little Rammonkeys?

Now Fly...!!!!

[discuss]

Ritalin & Existentialism

Rammchick posted a link on Herzeleid today. It's a Cleveland review of LIFAD, and in and of itself that's not earthshattering. The zinger the reviewer drops in at the close made my day though:

Paired with the band's fiery stage productions and characteristic dark humor, this album posits Rammstein as the bastard heirs to the existential operetta. As they age, Rammstein continue to use the rock album as a conceptual medium — something lost on the ADHD Rital-ed twits of the iPhone age.

[discuss]

IGN Behind the Scenes Video

There's a 'behind the scenes' video for Pussy up on IGN. It's 19 minutes long:

More Rammstein News & Previews

Thanks Extinction!

[discuss]

PHL interview

Arndt from Radio Goethe has posted an interview with Paul. It's in German.

[discuss]

Herzeleid Translations

Jeremy has posted the first of the LIFAD translations (Rammlied) on Herzeleid.Com.

[discuss]

Yet Another Easter Egg

Same page, but at the top.

[discuss]

Love Stories

I'm finding stories in the various translations of the new lyrics going around. I am having a lot of trouble with some songs, but a few have provoked fairly vivid images, and I'm going to post them as they occur to me or when someone else breaks the cypher. I'm not going to go too deeply though. You could probably find just about anything if you peeled enough layers off, so I'm just going with impressions that are fairly blatant (to me).

Rammlied is a Rammthem. It's pretty clear it's about them and us, and the end of the drought. No-brainer!

Ich tu' dir weh is about S&M. Also a no-brainer. I'm sure people will find a lot of little symbols and analogous imagery in there, but the basics are the giving and receiving of pain as a form of intimacy.

Waidmann's Heil is ostensibly about a hunt, but the general idea seems to be that it's about getting laid. Let's call it a story about cruising for pussy, since that's the simplest explanation.

Haifisch I've found myself thinking more about. It seems to be about the band (Sechs Herzen die Brennen, Das Feuer hält euch warm). My interpretation is that it's about how little we get to see of their lives, feelings, problems, love, etc. The shark's tears are hidden by its context, and the personal lives of the band are also hidden in the context in which we experience their lives, i.e. on stage, in interviews, through their music, and at promotional or public events. The idea that the tears of the shark are what makes the sea saline leads me to think that the band's form of expression is their work, and it's their performance and context through that work, which disguises what's really going on with them.

B****** is one I've had trouble with, but I can't stop wondering if it's about masturbation. My initial gut reaction was that it must be about a simple personal conflict, or some social taboo, but I'm not sure. The lyrics are very simple, and as such can be interpreted in many ways. There's obviously something about which he's a bit torn. I'm probably getting the masturbation idea from the overwhelming theme of love/lust/intimacy throughout the album, so I could be on completely the wrong track.

Frühling in Paris seems to be about his loss of virginity in Paris to a [possibly older] Parisienne. His innocence might be spring, left bleeding in Paris, but not regretted.

Wiener Blut is about the Fritzl case. There really isn't anything else that needs saying.

Pussy is obviously about getting laid. From remarks by Paul in an interview the overarching theme might be sexual tourism. For those unaware there are people who travel to poorer nations to indulge in the sexual favours of prostitutes of all kinds, thus taking advantage of depressed currencies and countries, and the poverty and desperation that brings.

Liebe ist für alle da seems to be about someone who takes women as and when he chooses, perhaps a rapist. He may simply be a fantasist though. I think it's unclear if he actually gets the girl or not.

Superficially (I haven't put a lot of thought in on this one yet) Mehr seems to be about greed in general, but in my view it's more about material greed than anything else. Love of things, or for money and what that brings.

Red sand is a story about the loss of a duel over a lover. He lies dying at the end, and the other guy gets the girl. It's a pretty simple story of love (and life) lost.

More as it comes to mind, and hand in the case of the bonus tracks.

[discuss]

LILT

This site is all about the work of Till Lindemann and the musicians who turn his poetry into so much more. It's a Rammstein fan-site. It just happens to be a fairly specialist one. More recently it's turned into a bit of a news site, dishing out little tit-bits of Rammstein news, with very little of the lyrical adaption at its heart going on. This will change when my copy of Liebe arrives. At that point I will write a review of the bonus tracks and then set to work in earnest, trying to tap Till's labyrinthine mind once more, and produce English lyrics worthy of him. I have decided to continue with the news content though. It will simply interleave with the LILTage.

[discuss]

What is this 'Liebe' of which you speak?

I originally fell in love with Rammstein in 2000. In the last few days I've fallen in love with the band all over again and harder than ever. They've managed to demonstrate in the most emotive and explosive way that old dogs can learn new tricks...and turn me on my ear. I now know for a fact, even without my pre-order having shipped yet, that I will soon take delivery of the best album ever to grace my collection.

You see, I took advantage of the recent stream of LIFAD on The Gauntlet to really take it in. The regular reloading of the page, the almost feverish listening I did, along with the frantic note-taking felt a bit sordid, obsessive, and closeted. It was actually a rather a surreal experience. I was also unwell, so I had a genuine fever, light-headedness, and a feeling of mild disassociation as I closed my eyes and climbed inside an envelope of sound of Rammstein's making.

That impression did not fade over the hours I was on the stream page. There were long periods where I just started the stream, listened, restarted it, listened, and then went into a spasm of writing, and I did, for a period, feel as though I lived and breathed inside my head, but not outside it. The cycle through all eleven tracks took me across a rainbow of sensations, images, emotions, and moods. I went through it a number of times, and it was incredible.

These men don't know I exist, and certainly I don't expect them to give a flying fuck what I think, but they are responsible for a lot of fucked up thoughts and feelings in me. Not bad. Just unprecendented. Now, people who don't feel Rammstein music apparently don't experience this, or they'd be fans too, so I have no idea what divides us from them, but there's something very primal and visceral about fan reactions to this music.

Part of that response in me while I was feeding off The Gauntlet's Liebe page was a growing feeling that if I learned what the lyrics meant it would somehow corrupt the integrity of the waveforms of emotion buffeting me, and it would all turn to chaos. The initial impressions I have always had from Rammstein's music have come before comprehension of verbal meaning, and have been on a purely emotional level. It was strange how alarming I found the idea of learning to comprehend the words at that time. It almost panicked me. Very strange.

I've begun to learn German. I'm wondering if I shouldn't stop when I reach a certain level; at least until Rammstein disbands. Yes, that is weird, but I'm not alone in feeling that full comprehension somehow taints the purity of that initial, knee-jerk reaction to the music. There may be something to it. All I know is that the sound stands on its own, and delayed understanding is something I favour.

The whole idea of Liebe is that everyone, no matter what their inclination, can find love in some shape or form to suit them. For some the love others seek is a twisted, evil, and utterly corrupt thing, or otherwise somehow valueless, but lets face it, we all define our universe and if one names a thing that is power. Call it love if you will, and then I guess love is in some way yours.

I love this album and I love the band. There is love and then there is love. The love I feel for each is completely different, and both are different again from what I feel for people in my life, but they are each a sort of love after all. There is love here for everyone.

[discuss]

Stream to be Ramped Back

Management have had a change of heart, and TG's stream is being downgraded to 30 second clips.

I know! Mad! Watch the torrent seeds surge...

[discuss]

More Studio Report

Part three has gone up on the official site, once again tacked onto the end of the existing page.

This woman has a definite habit of including Till as a question. And Till? ...

It's odd. What is she trying to do? I don't know, but it's so lacking in subtlety that I think she has a definite reason for it.

[discuss]

Let Rip!

The Gauntlet has open slather on their stream of the new album. This album is sheer gorgeousness, so go and check it out.

[discuss]

My LIFAD Review

My review is published over at The Gauntlet. How's that for a twist?

[discuss]

Thrash-terpiece

Some information on how to get the Thrash-terpiece remix of Rammlied has been posted on the official site. I'm not sure if this will apply in all iTunes stores though.

[discuss]

The Gauntlet Firing Up More RammServers

October 16. Note this in your diary as a day when you will probably want to visit thegauntlet.com. They will then give us the streaming debut of the new album. This will be an officially sanctioned public display of Love. All eleven tracks of the base album will be there, on some shiny new kit, for your listening pleasure. I'll link it as soon as I get wind of its publication.

[discuss]

Another Easter Egg

It's on the same page as the last one. Click on the lower of the two play buttons to get the intro' to Waidmanns Heil.

[discuss]

RZK Interview Posted

The Gauntlet has posted the full interview with RZK and there's plenty of new information in there. It's a good one!

[discuss]

RZK Teaser

TG has posted a wee teaser for his full RZK interview.

[discuss]

RAAH!

Go here and click on the little play button down at the bottom. Also, there's another clip on FB here.

[discuss]

Scoopage Ahoy!

The Gauntlet Tweeted earlier to say:

Speaking with Richard from Rammstein, lots of scoops.

Get ready for some Richardisms...

[discuss]

Dante's Take

Dante, the Man From Spine Farm, has posted a preview of LIFAD on his blog. That's the blog linked from rammstein.de. It's a good read.

[discuss]

Album Promo' Clips

The Gauntlet has found new clips up on the Rammstein MySpace page and has reposted them. Well worth a look. It sounds like samples from LIFAD (the song), one I can't work out, and Frühling in Paris are used in the clips.

[discuss]

LILT: Hilf Mir 1.2

I am alone in the house
Both of my parents have gone out
Then I hear calling out to me
The little box I hoped to see

So I say “What is this joy?
This is the very best of toys”
I only need one match alight
I ape my mother as she'd strike

Every time I am forlorn
To fire's light I'm ever drawn
Why can't I escape its spell
Oh why don't I get well

It grabs at me and I don't fight
It flies at my face with delight
It bites and hurts me a great deal
About the room I dance and reel

Oh dear, the fire licks my clothes
My jacket burns so hot it glows
My hand is burnt, and so's my hair
Now I am burning everywhere

Every time I am forlorn
To fire's light I'm ever drawn
Why can't I escape its spell
Oh why don't I get well

The fire loves me
Help me
The fire loves me not
The fire loves me

I have burned up entirely
There's nothing but ash left of me
To sunshine I now emerge
From the ash to which I burned
The fire loves me
The fire loves me not

Help me

[lyrics][discuss]

LILT: Mein Teil 1.1

Today I will meet a man
Who would eat me as he can
Soft and hard parts, front and rear
Are on today's bill of fare

You are what you would eat
You know what that will be

It is my part – no
My part – no
That there is my part – no
My part – no

A really dull blade fits the bill
I'm bleeding hard and feeling ill
I am struggling to stay awake and
I keep on eating as I'm shaking

It's just so well-seasoned
And nicely flambéed
Then on porcelain lovingly displayed
And a good wine with it
Served up and candlelit
Yeah, I will take it slow
You need culture you know

You are what you would eat
You know what that will be

It is my part – no
My part – no
That there is my part – no
Yes, it's my part – no

A cry will to heaven ascend
And through hosts of angels rend
Then their feathered flesh will careen
Into my lasting childhood screams

It is my part – no
My part – no
That there is my part – no
My part – no

[lyrics][discuss]

LILT: Mein Teil 1.0

Mmmm, gory:

Today I will meet a man
Who would eat me as he can
Parts, soft, hard, in front and rear
Are on today's bill of fare

'Cause you are what you eat
You know what that would be

It is my part – no
My part – no
That there is my part – no
My part – no

A really dull blade fits the bill
I'm bleeding hard and feeling ill
I am struggling to stay awake and
I keep on eating as I'm shaking

It's just so well-seasoned
And nicely flambéed
Then on porcelain lovingly displayed
And a good wine with it
Served up and candlelit
Yeah, I will take it slow
You need culture you know

'Cause you are what you eat
You know what that would be

It is my part – no
My part – no
That there is my part – no
My part – no

A cry will to heaven ascend
And through hosts of angels rend
Then their feathered flesh will careen
Into my lost childhood of screams

For some reason the lyrics trigger vivid enough imagery in my head that they make me feel vaguely queasy. It's the bleeding and feeling sick, then fading and convulsing. Eew. Gets me every time.

[lyrics][discuss]

LILT: Spieluhr 1.0

So much sorrow in one song:

A tiny soul seems to have gone
But it just wants to be alone
Its little heart stood still for ages
Till all thought it had earned death's wages
So they inter it in wet sand
A music box still in its hand

First snow blankets the little grave
The small child slowly awakes
The winter night is very cold
And the tiny heart is bold

As frost flies right through the child
The musical box clockwork winds
With a melody on wings
From the cold ground a child sings

Hoppe hoppe Reiter
Down from high no angel sweeps
mein Herz schlägt nicht mehr weiter
On this grave only rain weeps
hoppe hoppe Reiter
With a melody on wings
mein Herz schlägt nicht mehr weiter
From the cold ground a child sings

The chilly moon while in full flight
Hears the crying in the night
Down from high no angel sweeps
On this grave only rain weeps

Between the cold hard oaken stays
With the musical box it plays
With a melody on wings
From the cold ground a child sings

Hoppe hoppe Reiter
Down from high no angel sweeps
mein Herz schlägt nicht mehr weiter
On this grave only rain weeps
hoppe hoppe Reiter
With a melody on wings
mein Herz schlägt nicht mehr weiter
From the cold ground a child sings

Hoppe hoppe Reiter
mein Herz schlägt nicht mehr weiter

They could hear on All Souls' Day
The melody in God's field played
So then they disinterred it
The child's heart, they preserved it

Hoppe hoppe Reiter
Down from high no angel sweeps
mein Herz schlägt nicht mehr weiter
On this grave only rain weeps
hoppe hoppe Reiter
With a melody on wings
mein Herz schlägt nicht mehr weiter
From the cold ground a child sings

There are some pretty serious problems with the rhythm, but I'll sort it out. Note the child's lines remain in German. That isn't going to change.

[lyrics][discuss]

SOOOO sad

I've started work on Spieluhr today, and it made me cry. It's never done that before, but then I've never had to get inside it like this. It's an intense song, but previously I've been able to listen to it fairly impartially. Working with the lyrics this way makes a hell of a difference to my experience with the music.

Of course, it doesn't help that I'm very tired and worn down this week, but seriously, if you want a more intense Rammrush try to really get inside Till's head. It makes a big difference.

[discuss]

Machinery

TG has talked to Robb Flynn from Machine Head about his mix of Rammlied. I seriously want to hear this track!

[discuss]

LILT: Spring 3.0

Promoted:

Atop a tall bridge way up high
A man stands up feeling small
He stands there with his arms held wide
A mob forms below his pedestal
And I don't want to miss out here
I want to get in really near
I move myself close to the scene
And scream

He is now ready to climb back down
The rabble show a new-found hatred
They compress into a tight crowd
It won't allow him to escape it
So he finds that he must return
And the mob then begins to stir
They're wanting him to vent his spleen
And they scream

Fly
Fly
Fly

Fly
So I'm alright
Fly
Don't spoil my night
Fly from spite
Fly to the light
Fly

Now the man begins to weep
A cloud moves silently in
He can see what he has reaped
Before the sun and it dims
I just want to be at the scene
The people start to surge and teem
And to look up into the evening
And they're screaming

Fly
Fly

They're screaming
Fly

Fly
So I'm alright
Fly
Don't spoil my night
Fly from spite
Fly to the light
Fly

A cloud moves silently in
Before the sun and it dims
A thousand suns're burning just for him
Up there behind him I draw near
From there I kick him in the rear
I am his redemption
Yeah, I scream at him

Fly
Fly
Fly

Fly
So I'm alright
Fly
Don't spoil my night
Fly
Fly from spite
Don't spoil my night

[lyrics][discuss]

LILT: Mein Herz Brennt 3.0

Promoted:

Come darling children, attend me
From 'neath your pillows my voice arrests
I've brought you all a special treat
I extracted it from my own chest

With this heart I have the power
Where your wee eyelids are concerned
I sing until the night's last hour
And glowing light on high returns
My heart burns

They come after you after dark
The blackest fay and ghosts and demons
They creep out from the cellar shaft
And look under bedding where you're hidden

Come darling children, attend me
From 'neath your pillows my voice bestirs
I've brought you all a special treat
The glowing light on high returns
My heart burns
My heart burns

They come after you after dark
And steal your heated little tears of pain
They wait until the moon awakes
And put them into my twisted and cold veins

Come darling children, attend me
From 'neath your pillows my voice recurs
I sing until the day relieves
The glowing light on high returns
My heart burns
My heart burns
My heart burns
My heart burns

[lyrics][discuss]

LILT: Rammlied 3.0

Promoted without change:

We honour those who keep the faith
Those who will hold strong and can wait
Well, your wait is come to an end
Please lend your ears now to the legend

Ramm! Stein!

Many lead, more come in tow
From heart and soul, hand in hand
Onward, forward, be on the go
Sense and form you understand
If your joy leads to heartache
If no stars shine from the dark
If you have felt forsaken
We have returned, so tune in...

Ramm! Stein!

Many lead, more come in tow
So get your wicked Ramm-face on
Devouring and being devoured
We take a gram and give a tonne
If you do not know the drill
What is right is what's right still
If you have felt forsaken
We have returned, so tune in...

Ramm! Stein!

One way
One zeal
One intent
Ramm! Stein!
One direction
One heart
Of flesh and blood
Community

We honour those who keep the faith
Those who will hold strong and can wait
Well, your wait is come to an end
Please lend your ears now to the legend

Ramm! Stein!

[lyrics][discuss]

LILT: Hilf Mir 1.1

I am alone in the house
Both of my parents have gone out
Then I hear calling out to me
The little box I hoped to see

So I say “What is this joy
This is the very best of toys”
I only need one match alight
I ape my mother as she'd strike

Every time I am forlorn
To fire's light I become drawn
Why can't I break from its spell
Oh why don't I get well

It grabs at me and I don't fight
It flies at my face with delight
It bites and hurts me a great deal
About the room I dance and wheel

Oh dear, the fire licks my clothes
My jacket burns so hot it glows
My hand is burnt, and so's my hair
Now I am burning everywhere

Every time I am forlorn
To fire's light I become drawn
Why can't I break from its spell
Oh why don't I get well
The fire loves me
Help me
The fire loves me not
The fire loves me

I have burned up entirely
There's nothing at all left of me
To sunshine I now emerge
From the ash to which I burned
The fire loves me
The fire loves me not

Help me

[lyrics][discuss]

Studio Report II

Part two of the studio report has been tagged onto the end of part one on the official site. Part three to come...

[discuss]

New Article

Arndt from Radio Goethe has posted an article here, which is worth a looksie.

[discuss]