RAMMSTEIN REISE REISE ALBUM MOTOR, UNIVERSAL RELEASE: SEPTEMBER 29, 2004 REVIEW: OCTOBER 4, 2004

Some say you either love or hate Rammstein. That there is no in-between. That’s not true.
Of course their aggressive sing-along industrial heavy metal inspire hatred and dislike from the same people that think Wagner is too pompous and then buy albums with The Kings of Convenience. Quiet is the new loud, like. And of course there is a small correlation between some people who love Rammstein and have an unhealthy tendency to dismiss everything that you can’t bang your head to.
Of course there is also a wide grey scale in-between love and hate. And "Reise Reise" makes it even easier to slide in to that scale and realise that you don’t have to buy everything about these German boys, but that their music is kinda cool.
"Reise Reise" is by far the most diverse album Rammstein has put out. In some ways it is a step backwards to the masterpiece "Sehnsucht" but at the same time three steps forward. Last album "Mutter" lacks in almost every comparison. The most die hard fans (the ones who think you should be able to get whiplash from good music) will not like the latino guitar-driven "Los" and might yawn their way through heavy and sort-of-sensitive ballad "Ohne dich".
But for the more broadminded fans of Rammstein, this is a Reise (trip) of pure delight, from epic numbers like opening "Reise Reise" to the closing slow and brooding "Amour". The first single "Mein Teil" with its homo erotic and cannibalistic lyrics isn’t all that it’s cranked up to be. The second single, the almost Pet Shop Boys-ish heavy pop track "Amerika" with its critique of USA and lines in English (!), is much better. "Moscau" – with female vocals in Russian – is also an asskicking song in grand style.
"Reise Reise" might actually be an album that gives Rammstein some new fans – it is that diverse – but it might also be an album that makes them lose some old. It's not a question of love or hate – feel free just to like it.

KALLE MALMSTEDT