Rammstein - Sehnsucht (1997)^{Release ID: 1654}

My introduction to Rammstein originally came when I heard their song 'Engel' on the 'Mortal Kombat: Annihilation' soundtrack sometime around the year 2000. I was 13 years-old, I shamefully loved that film at the time, though I realize now how terrible it is (but the soundtrack sure does kick ass!). With that said, I initially mocked the band. I thought 'Engel', with its German lyrics, sung in a ridiculously deep, baritone voice, was bloody hilarious.

I was wrong.

1997's 'Sehnsucht', Rammstein's second album, is a huge improvement upon it predecessor. The compositions are much more polished and the overall performances are more confident than before. Here is a band who have their sound, they know who they are and what they're doing, and they fully embrace every aspect of their music. The guitar riffs are much weightier than before, and the keyboards play a much more integral role. Vocalist Till Lindemann's deep, raspy vocals, despite sometimes seeming fairly repetitive, fit the music perfectly.

There's plenty of elements here that gives the album a more "industrial" feel, and with its improved production, darker lyrics and continuing Rammstein's trend of shocking and sexual imagery, 'Sehnsucht' gives the band the "bigness" their music needed.

With hits such as 'Tier', 'Engel', 'Bestrafe Mich', 'Eifersucht' and one of the groups most famous songs, 'Du Hast', 'Sehnsucht' isn't just a landmark album in industrial metal, but in heavy metal in general.