...So I was reading a tidbit from a different source, that Rammstein keyboardist Flake (aka, Christian Lorenz) recently called the LIFAD indexing 'a petty misunderstanding of art and a gross violation (or something to this effect) of civil rights'.

...So I found out through an informative tweeter, that as of this coming Wednesday Germans will be required to present proof of age (ID) in order to buy the new album. This was decided because the cover art images were deemed too graphic by whoever's in charge of this stuff; also, the lyrics to 'Ich Tue Dir Weh' were mentioned as 'having explicit references to sadomasochistic behavior'.

I was just wondering, if anyone else has any thoughts pertaining to Till Lindemann's recent 'all-black' wardrobe. Nowadays it seems he only wears black: black pants, black shirts, black shoes, black jackets.

This will probably be the last time I ever write anything about Rammstein. It is all over for me...

Let me make this very clear:
I will die first before supporting anything even remotely associated with advocating porn, prostitution. sex trafficking or violence against women. PERIOD - NO EXCEPTIONS.

Just when we thought it was safe to come out of the closet...
For a gut-wrenching, stomach-turning, 20- second racy video, see the new promo ad this band's got out for their upcoming single called 'Pussy'.
Aber aber aber! This new stuff makes 'Mann Gegen Mann' look like the Princess Diaries (you thought THAT one was saucy, wait till you see this new stuff)!

Since it should be common knowledge at this point that Rammstein's (potential) US shows will not be carbon copies of those that are done elsewhere, I have come up with a few ideas as to what these 'other' shows could be like.
I am envisioning Rammstein's collective energy and music in combination with a dark, gothy, spooky visual backdrop. Think it could work? Here are a few more details...

From the outset of this blog entry I will acknowledge, that I realize I may not win new friends by making such a bold statement. But there are several reasons for me taking this position, and I hope my thoughts will at least be considered by those interested in this topic.

...Of all the new titles (11) from Rammstein's forthcoming new album, I would have imagined that the track 'Pussy' would rank among the last of their picks to shoot a video for. The title alone suggests pulling from the mind's more primitive archives; and yet according to recent reports, 'Pussy' is indeed slated to become the band's first video release.

With a major tour about to kick off for Rammstein this coming November, a looming question remains: Will they come to the US this time around?

...Still thinking about the recent leaks of the new single, and wondering how it's all going to play out. I don't care what I hear or read, I still think it's going to turn out OK. Just have to wait and see on it, though.

For the most part, the Internet is a wonderful invention; it is a communication tool, a place to learn and explore things, and a source of entertainment. But, like everything else, the Internet also has a dark side... and recent news out of Rammsteinland just brings this more into focus.

...So I am thinking about this today, I seem to remember reading on one of the Rammstein forums that Till was thinking about opting for early retirement (age 50). I got a good laugh reading that - because even though his plans are probably well-thought out in advance, I really don't see that happening.
As a matter of fact, I don't see him retiring anytime before his 80th birthday!

...Just popping in, to say that I am glad there are no upcoming birthdays in my fave band for awhile. Richard was kind of 'a tough customer' for me; I had to write several drafts in advance for him, and in fact my supervisor at work wrote me up recently (!) because he caught me working on one of those drafts.

Whenever Rammstein is talked about, it is impossible to ignore the German elements involved in the group's style and presentation. But for those of us who understand their overall message, nothing in the world can be sweeter.

There are only two weeks left before Richard Kruspe's birthday, and my mind is a complete blank as to what to write for him. This is a mystery to me, because you would think with him being the 'founding father' (and principal songwriter) of the group, he would be the easiest one to say something to on a blogspace (or a chat forum).

When it comes to the exciting world of drumplaying, I look for a few specific things. I look for the drummer to display individual style, versatility in his playing and also a clearness of sound. To me Chris Schneider, Rammstein's drummer, has all three elements going for him; he can be hotter than an inferno one minute, then drop out completely the next.

Although it isn't talked about much, the bass player's position in a rock group is such an important one. The bass is the mediating, go-between force that connects the percussion to all of the other sounds; so if the bassman isn't a sharp listener, if he isn't able to connect and link up his instrument to all of the other ones, the overall sound is affected.

As it stands, things look good for R- stein right now... but I wonder: are you a true R-stein fan?? would answer 'yes'... but I wonder, how many of you young people think beyond your immediate reality??

Herr Kruspe is a bit of an enigma, isn't he? On the surface of it he appears to be an individual who has achieved much success in his life (with Rammstein and his daughter, as two examples). And yet, if we scratch a little deeper, look a bit more closely into those crystalline eyes of his, we may glimpse a different scenario.

When the Berlin Wall came down in the fall of 1989, there was this romantic notion that the two sides of Germany would coalesce back into one nation again, after nearly forty years of separation. There was a popular sentiment that the past could be shovelled away with the rubble, and that two different nationalist ideologies could be blended into one new one.