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.