Reise, Reise
Reise, Reise gives Rammstein more room without losing their familiar impact. The guitars remain heavy and the choruses large, but the band more often find a different setting for those established elements. The album consequently offers more than the rigid industrial stomp so often associated with the group.
The title track opens on a broad scale. Its melody gives the weight a ceremonial quality, while accordion supplies an unexpected colour. Mein Teil then makes the sound much harsher. That contrast works because the voice and clear song structures preserve a recognisable identity. The differences expand the style while staying connected to it.
Los makes the most striking detour. Acoustic guitar and harmonica give it a bluesy movement that feels much looser than the heaviest material. Ohne dich also uses a different texture, with mandolin adding to its emotional setting. Neither song requires the band to abandon their feeling for a strong melody.
Amerika puts immediate appeal first. Its chorus is difficult to miss and gives the record an obvious landmark. Elsewhere, full bass and sustained keyboard notes help the music remain threatening. There is enough weight beneath the careful production to prevent the result from becoming merely a tidy rock album.
The variety does not produce equally strong songs throughout. The middle section holds attention less easily, and the shared atmosphere is less tightly connected than on Mutter. The melancholic finish may also disappoint anyone expecting one last surge of force. Most of the departures nevertheless feel convincing. Reise, Reise has a familiar centre and enough fresh colours to make that familiarity interesting. Its quieter instruments find a place alongside the heavy guitars, rather than feeling like a decorative extra. That relationship gives the album much of its lasting appeal.
