Rammstein - Zeit (2022)^{Release ID: 36290}

After 2019’s self-titled/untitled album, Rammstein were well and truly one of the biggest metal acts on the planet, joining the elite few that made it out of the arenas and into stadiums. With their stage show known for its huge spectacle, they were on top of the world.

Then COVID happened, and the world came to a standstill, and with nothing to do but write and rehearse (socially distanced, I’m sure), it meant that the German industrialists were quick to release a follow-up to their previous album, and that brings us to 2022’s ‘Zeit’.

 With huge amounts of hype, its speculative, cryptic name and controversial music videos (so, all the usual Rammstein traits then), ‘Zeit’ is, admittedly, a pretty average affair. I mean, don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a bad album, but it’s quite a mixed bag, with a fair number of tracks sounding like the band are just on autopilot.

But the good songs? Oh boy… When they get it right, they sound incredibly focused and on point. With their classic blend of heavy, crushing guitars, bright keyboard melodies, humorous lyrics and vocalist Till Lindemann’s deep, baritone voice, the band show that they are indeed still the same Rammstein we all know and love.

While ‘Zeit’ isn’t likely to be anyone’s favourite Rammstein record, tracks like ‘Angst’, ‘Dicke Titten’, ‘Armee Der Tristen’, ‘OK’ and the melancholic closing track, ‘Adieu’ are all good enough reasons to own this album, and ultimately, fans of the band will enjoy the album regardless.

The virus can be considered both a blessing and a curse. Bands everywhere couldn't tour, but a few bands use the opportunity to make another album such as Trivium and, of course, Rammstein. The most famous Neue Deutsche Härte band has finally settled the pace back down to 3 years between albums after that long 10-year gap between the previous two. Zeit shows the band's resilience from this global trauma as they continue their larger-than-life journey...

Zeit (Time) has some sonic strength that fits well for the band's identity. The guitars and vocals that are significant points of the band's sound are still running. I wouldn't say the formula is f***ed, but a few tracks have a bit of roughness.

The ride opens with "Armee der Tristen" ("Army of the Dreary Ones"), in which the band plays their typical sound, adding in some synths from Depeche Mode and a KMFDM-like mid-tempo pace. Though the tempo would really drop in the next two songs... Mourning this virus-ridden cruelty, the title ballad has soft piano and vocals, sounding restrained while still beautiful and remarkable. The sorrowful "Schwarz" ("Black") gets you hooked with more of the piano.

"Giftig" ("Toxic") is a mechanical stomper that's almost like a remake of "Du Hast". That I like! The single "Zick Zack" ("Snip Snap") mixing their usual riffing with a dance-beat, picking up what they've been doing since their previous album. The fantastic highlight "OK" ("Ohne Kondom" ["Without a Condom"]) full-on rages in the vein of their early 2000s work. The soaring choir and Pantera-like groove is what levels up my enjoyment. Another power ballad "Meine Tränen" ("My Tears") sounds more strained while keeping the dynamics in place.

"Angst" ("Fear") stomps away the anxiety that the band has written about in the lyrics. After that, we have "Dicke Titten" ("Big T*ts") adds in the Oomph!-like sound in the riffs and refrain while adding circus-like brass and lyrics praising large-breasted women without causing a perverted fetish. While that doesn't shock me, I can't say the same for "Lügen" ("Lies"). It starts with a slow harp intro that makes me think it would lead to another ballad. Well, it does, but once Till Lindemann starts singing instead of speaking, the vocals sound autotuned like a bass/baritone-sounding T-Pain. A nice try at experimenting, but it makes that song perhaps the worst stinker here. The marching finale "Adieu" ("Farewell") has reflective piano and a sign-off message, "You have to go the final way alone".

Despite the madness of the early 2020s, Rammstein unleashes their force in different layers in Zeit. They've fearlessly battled on with their strength, and the journey was only scarring in a couple places, shown quite well throughout this well-fought offering....

Favorites: "Armee der Tristen", "Zeit", "Giftig", "OK (Ohne Kondom)", "Angst", "Adieu"