Till Lindemann (German: Till Lindemann; born January 4, 1963, Leipzig, Germany) - musician, poet. He is best known as the vocalist and author of almost all the lyrics of the famous German industrial metal band Rammstein. Also took part in the recording of some songs Apocalyptica groups and Puhdys. In 2002 he released his collection of poems “Messer” and acted in films several times. He can play the drums, guitar and harmonica.
Brief overview
Full name: Till Lindemann
Date of birth: January 4, 1963
Place of birth: Leipzig, Germany
Height: 192 cm
Weight: about 100 kg
Children: daughter Nele - b. in 1985, daughter Marie-Louise - b. in 1992, although he is not the girl’s father, but the band’s guitarist.
Education: sports school (swimming), secondary vocational education (joiner-carpenter), has a diploma in pyrotechnics.
Worked: basket weaving workshop, carpentry work, pyrotechnician
Musical background: First Arsch (drummer)
Biography
Thiel spent his childhood in a village called Wendisch-Rambow, near the city of Schwerin in northeastern Germany. It was there that he began working - he ran a basket weaving workshop.
Regarding the family in which he grew up, we can say the following: father - Werner Lindemann - artist, writer, poet (wrote 34 books), with whom Thiel had a very tense relationship. In his book “Mike Oldfield in a Rocking Chair” (“Mike Oldfield im Schaukelstuhl”), Werner Lindemann describes, as in a diary, a conflict with his 19-year-old son Till (though in the book the hero’s name is Timm). Til's mother, soon after the divorce, when her son was 12 years old and his sister was 6, married a second time to a citizen of the United States of America.
On February 4, 1993, Werner Lindemann died. A gravestone with his name is located in the Zickhusen cemetery. Death was the result of heavy drinking. Oddly enough, he died in church. What he did there, or what brought him there, is unknown. Til, for some reason, never visited his father’s grave. There is also a version that the song “Heirate mich” is dedicated to him, or is somehow connected with him. In Rostock, a school is named after Werner Lindemann. During his lifetime, the father wanted his son to become a poet, and in essence, that’s what happened; Not only is the vocalist the author of songs for the group Rammstein, but he also released a collection of his poems “Messer” (“Knife”).
Thiel was involved in swimming; At the age of 10 he entered a sports school that trained reserves for the then GDR national team, which he brilliantly graduated from in 1979-1980. In 1978, Thiel was a member of the GDR team at the European Junior Swimming Championships. He was supposed to compete at the '80 Olympics in Moscow. But he failed. His swimming career ended, soon after arriving in Italy for the competition, he left the hotel where the team was located, together with his girlfriend, in order to see the capital of Italy - Rome, since before Til had not had the opportunity to freely travel abroad . The next day he returned to the hotel, but trouble could not be avoided; he was summoned for interrogation by the Stasi (the security service of the GDR). But this is not the only reason why Til leaves swimming; the main reason was an injury to the abdominal muscles during training.
At that time he was communicating with his friend Richard Kruspe. It was Richard who invited Til to sing in a new group, which he had long dreamed of creating. Moreover, Til himself was very surprised by such a request, because he never noted that he had any special vocal abilities.
However, Richard said that he often heard him sing while weaving baskets, and was sure that he would make an excellent vocalist. Til did not refuse the offer. So he became the frontman of the newly created group Rammstein. Before that, Thiel played drums in the punk rock band First Arsch. At the moment, Til has a divorce behind him and two daughters (the eldest is Nele, born in 1985 and the youngest is Marie Luise, born in 1992). Vocalist Rammstein- a mysterious person. This is what he says about himself: “I really like big baby- ill-mannered, but harmless. People think I'm always strong and explosive. This is wrong. I am sensitive and easily vulnerable, and in love I am romantic and passionate...” -
If you ask any person what he associates with Germany, the answer of the majority will be simple: one will say that it is Oktoberfest, another will give the example of national German cuisine, and the third will definitely name the group whose frontman is Till Lindemann. Indeed, this metal band shaped a semblance of German culture: Ramstein appeared in 1994 and still surprises fans with new albums.
Ramstein frontman Till Lindemann
The vocalist of the group, Till, is an interesting and multifaceted personality who combines the image of a brutal and daring man with an expressive disposition and the character of a kind family man who adores his children and grandchildren.
Childhood and youth
The frontman of the popular German band was born on January 4, 1963 in the territory of the former German Democratic Republic in the city of Leipzig. The zodiac sign under which the future metal star was born is Capricorn. Till spent his childhood in the village of Wendisch-Rambow, which is located in East Germany (Schwerin).
Lindemann's mother and father were creative people: Brigitte painted pictures and wrote books, and Father Werner was a famous children's poet, after whom they even named a school in the city of Rostock. Till also has a sister who is 5 years younger than his brother. My father collected a rich library, so early years Lindemann became acquainted with the works, Till especially liked literary works.
It’s interesting that the future singer’s mother loved songs. There were a lot of records in the house musical works Soviet singer-songwriter. The German singer became acquainted with Russian rock music only after the fall of the Iron Curtain.
The nationality of the star of the metal scene haunts his fans. Some argue that Till is German, others - that the idol has Jewish roots. The singer himself did not comment on the issue of his origin.
According to the memoirs of the vocalist of the Ramstein group, he had a conflictual relationship with his father: Werner even describes in detail a quarrel with his 19-year-old son in the book “Mike Oldfield in a Rocking Chair.” True, the son’s name was replaced with “Tim”.
Till’s father had a difficult temper, so the frontman does not like to remember this man. What is known is that he was an alcoholic and divorced his wife in 1975, and in 1993 he died due to alcohol poisoning. By the way, they say that Till did not attend the funeral and never visited Werner’s grave. Brigitte later married a citizen of the United States of America.
When the boy was 11 years old, he attended a sports school in the city of Rostock, and from 1977 to 1980, the future singer studied at a boarding school.
The musician could have a sports future, since he was an excellent swimmer and showed himself at a sports school as a physically tough guy. He was even included in the GDR team that competed at the European Championships. Later, the frontman was supposed to go to the Olympics, but he pulled his abdominal muscles and had to give up his sports career.
According to another version, Till did not compete because he was expelled from the sports school in 1979 due to the fact that the guy ran away from a hotel in Italy: the romantic young man and his girlfriend decided to take a walk around the capital of the sunny country, because this was the first opportunity boy to visit abroad. The frontman later recalled that he was called in for questioning as if he had committed a real crime. Then he realized that he lived in an unfree and spy country.
According to Till, he did not like being in a sports school, as it was intense. “But in childhood you don’t have to choose,” added the singer of the famous group.
When the young man was 16 years old, he refused military service and almost ended up in prison for 9 months.
Since Lindemann and his family spent his childhood and youth in the village, he mastered the carpentry profession and was especially successful in the craft of basket weaving. According to the frontman’s recollections, his first place of work was a peat company, however, the guy was fired from there after 3 days.
Music
Lindemann's musical career began during the GDR, when he was invited as a drummer in the little-known punk band First Arsch. In Schwerin, Till meets, the future guitarist of Ramstein. Then they began to communicate closely, and Richard suggested to his friend the idea of creating his own music project. By the way, Till did not consider himself a talented musician and was surprised by Kruspe’s persistence.
Since childhood, Till, while singing, heard his mother say that instead of musical sounds It only makes noise. But, already a musician in a rock band, the young man interned for two years in Berlin with a German star opera house. To better develop the diaphragm, the opera diva forced the rocker to sing with a chair raised above his head, and also to do push-ups while singing. Over time, the singer achieved the desired sound of his voice, and strength training while singing taught the artist to hold his breath for a long time, which was useful to him later during concerts using pyrotechnics.
Soon Oliver Reeder and Christopher Schneider joined the team, and in 1994 the group Rammstein appeared in Berlin, winning a competition for young bands that took place in the German capital, although until mid-1994 the guys played only at friendly parties. A year after its founding, the group included guitarist Paul Landers and keyboardist Christian Lawrence.
Till Lindemann and the group "Rammstein" The group began collaborating with Jacob Helner and recorded the first album, Herzeleid, which gained worldwide popularity. Despite the fact that most popular groups sing songs on the "world" English, Lindemann insisted that Ramstein would perform only in German. However, the group's repertoire also includes English songs, for example, a cover-up of the band Stripped. Upon listening, it becomes obvious that the frontman has trouble with English pronunciation.
The release of Sehnsucht's second album was preceded by the release of the single "Angel" and its video. Subsequent singles were also successful, which immediately affected the profits of the music label and the salaries of the musicians.
Rammstein - "Angel"Till Lindemann writes all the lyrics for Ramstein himself. It turns out that the musician fulfilled the dream of Werner’s father, because his son partly became a poet: he even has poetry books “Messer” (2002) and “In stillen Nächten” (2013).
The lead singer of the Ramstein group has the amazing qualities of a romantic, but at the same time open and daring person. For example, he has a love song (“Amour”) and sad lyrics about the polluted Danube River (“Donaukinder”).
But, as fans of “Ramstein” who are far from the German language joke, it is better to listen to some songs without translation, because several works contain “terrible” and “adult” things. Also, some Rammstein videos, for example, the song “Pussy,” are censored by TV channels and do not show spicy moments.
At concerts, a man 184 cm tall and weighing about 90 kg also behaves frankly, delighting the audience with a fiery pyrotechnic show. In 2016, at the band’s concert, the musician came on stage wearing a suicide vest, scaring visitors to the Rock in Vienna festival. Another bright image, which the artist used for his shows - a blond man in a pink fur coat.
Till Lindemann - "In Silent Night"In 2016, a collection of poems by Till Lindemann “In a Silent Night” was published, which was accepted in the German literary circle - the frontman of the German group received positive reviews. The book was also published in Russian by the Eksmo publishing house. Despite the fact that Till has long said that he will retire when he turns fifty, the vocalist admits that Ramstein has everything ahead.
Movies
Till Lindemann is also known to fans as an actor; from 1998 to 2011, the frontman of the German band appeared both in episodic roles and in full-fledged biographical films, where he plays himself: “Rammstein: Paris!” (2016), “Live aus Berlin” (1998), etc.
In 2003, Till played a foolish villain in children's film"Amundsen's Penguin", and in 2004 he starred in cameo role animal rights activist in the gothic film Vincent.
Personal life
Lindemann's acquaintances claim that the singer has an easy-going character, is quiet in life, and most importantly - kind person, ready to lend a helping hand. Till restores a state of harmony in his soul in nature; he loves fishing and walks in the forest. The musician is interested in breeding fish, but at the same time, his hobby also includes pyrotechnics. The singer had to pass an exam to get permission to carry out explosions. Lindemann was not spared by the fashion for tattoos in piquant places. At the time of active creative activity the singer got a tattoo on his buttocks.
The frontman of the German band first married early, then the guy was only 22 years old - from his first marriage the vocalist had a daughter, Nele, but the couple did not last long, although Lindemann maintained contact with his ex-wife and tried to raise his girl. After the relationship with Till ex-wife Marika went to the band's guitarist Richard Kruspe. Later, Till’s grandson Fritz Fidel was born into the family of the adult Nele. According to his grandfather, the boy shows interest in the music of the Ramstein group.
At the age of 30, when Till was popular with fans, the man married Ani Köseling for the second time, and from his second marriage the vocalist had a daughter, Marie-Louise.
The couple separated from loud scandal: Lindemann’s ex-wife claimed that the musician constantly cheated, drank alcohol and beat her, and also did not pay alimony. After this incident, the man was reluctant to talk about his personal life, but the name of the frontman’s new chosen one became known: she was the model Sofia Thomalla. In an interview, Lindemann admitted that he was ready to spend the rest of his life with a new passion. But the novel ended four years after it began - in 2015.
Till Lindemann with his wife Sofia Thomalla By the way, according to rumors, the Ramstein vocalist also has children “on the side”, from women who were present in the musician’s life.
Till Lindemann now
Now news about the musician can be found out thanks to Till’s fans, who run Instagram, where they post photos of the idol’s recent events. The musician also has a profile on Twitter, which is maintained on his behalf, but the page is not particularly active. Rammstein vocalist does not welcome communication through social media.
In 2017, the public started talking about possible romance Till Lindemann with Ukrainian singer. The musicians met at international festival“Heat”, which takes place annually in Baku. Reporters immediately noticed that Svetlana and Till devoted themselves to each other special attention. Subsequently, the public’s interest in this topic was fueled by the singer herself, posting photos with touching comments on Instagram.
And when Loboda announced in 2018, while refusing to name the child’s father, fans and reporters unanimously started talking about the artists’ romance. Although the musicians do not comment on rumors about their relationship, the name Tilda, which Svetlana Loboda gave to her daughter, was another confirmation of the sympathy between the singers. In addition, in the summer, Till Lindemann unofficially arrived in Kyiv. The singer did not tell reporters the purpose of his visit.
Discography
As part of Rammstein
- 1995 - Herzeleid
- 1997 - Sehnsucht
- 2001 - Mutter
- 2004 - Reise, Reise
- 2005 - Rosenrot
- 2009 - Liebe ist für alle da
- 2011 - Made in Germany 1995–2011
As part of First Arsch
- 1992 - Saddle Up
As part of Lindemann
- 2015 - Skills in Pills
At the end of the 90s there was a big revolution in rock music and the entire music industry as a whole, which gave rise to many new directions. The rebellious mood of young people, protests, and the desire to gain new experiences led them into subcultures and introduced them to the corresponding new music. Industrial rock and metal had the greatest impact on the world of heavy music from the 90s to the early 2000s. Rammstein is perhaps one of the most popular bands in the genre, and rock bands in general, everywhere. This German band has conquered the whole world and is familiar to everyone who is even slightly interested in music. Poems related to the vices of people and topical topics, large number pyrotechnics, unusually heavy sound - all this led to inevitable popularity among his contemporaries. The antics of the musicians and the shocking behavior of Till Lindemann personally also contributed greatly to the resounding success of the group. In fact, one of the most charismatic musicians of the 21st century will be discussed in the material presented below.
Brief profile
Till Lindemann was born on January 4, 1963 in Leipzig. He was born into the family of Werner Lindemann - German artist and a writer who wrote 43 books, including about his son. Till's mother was a journalist.
Till's singing voice is bass-baritone. Instruments include guitar, bass guitar, drums and keyboards. Main musical genre is industrial rock. He played and sang in the band Rammstein, and later founded a solo project called Lindemann.
Biography of Till Lindemann
Till spent his childhood in northern Germany in the small town of Schwerin. When he turned 12, his parents divorced. Spending a lot of time in the countryside, Till mastered many rural professions, including carpentry and carpentry.
Young Till also showed great promise in sports. He was engaged in it from the age of 10, but his career was interrupted back in the 70s due to the fact that he broke the rules and left the hotel where all the athletes who arrived at the Olympics in Italy lived. Also, the reason for giving up his swimming career was an injury to the abdominal muscles received during training.
In the mid-90s, Till's friend invited him to become the vocalist of his new group, which he had long wanted to create. Till was surprised, as he had never considered himself good singer, but Richard Kruspe (a friend of Lindemann) insisted, because, according to him, he had heard Till sing more than once, and it seemed to him that he was the best candidate. This is how the Rammstein group was born.
Personal life
The musician first got married at the age of 20. Till Lindemann's young wife was delighted with him. The ambitious and uninhibited Lindemann captivated the lady, but the woman soon became tired of his aggressiveness and dependence on the images of a murderous maniac. His first wife left him for guitarist and founder of Rammstein Richard. At first, the daughter, born in his first marriage, lived with Till, but the musician’s constant tours and developing alcoholism prevented him from being a worthy father, which is why the daughter began to spend more time with her mother.
Lindemann later married a second time. At that time, Rammstein were already quite famous, Till was a star. The musician's character became even more frightening. Lindemann drank a lot, cheated on his wife without hiding it, and became more arrogant. One “beautiful” day, Till crossed the border and physically injured his wife. The musician's wife did not tolerate such behavior and filed for divorce. Since then about new connections lead singer of Rammstein little is known; Till intensively hides information about his personal life.
On at the moment Lindemann is divorced. He has two daughters: Nele and Marie-Louise. There is a grandson named Fritz Fidel.
Career
Lindemann was originally a drummer in the punk rock band First Arsch, with which he recorded only one album. Later, in 1995, the first release of the group Rammstein was released. The group immediately hit the top charts, their sound was interesting and new for that time, completely different from what other groups were doing. It was a breakthrough. During the work, 6 albums were recorded until 2009, then the band members took a break. Lindemann began work on a solo project of the same name. The provocative album Skills In Pills was released in 2015.
Till also tried his hand at films. He played in the film "Pola X" in 1999, received a cameo role in XXX, and also played an animal activist in the film "Vincent" in 2004. Till, being a poet, published his own collection of poems. Till Lindemann's book “In the Silence of the Night” sold out its entire edition immediately after its release.
Antics at concerts
Every Rammstein performance always turned into a perverted show, which not everyone liked. One day, Till took his keyboard player by the collar and dragged him onto the stage. Together they began to simulate sexual intercourse using dildos filled with liquid, which at the end of the action was supposed to gush out of them, simulating ejaculation. This was repeated many times, including in Russia, where the group was accused of promoting homosexuality for such antics. For such shocking performances with arson, simulated sex and scenes of violence, the group members more than once received fines and were put on trial. Photos of Till Lindemann during particularly sophisticated performances were often prohibited from publication.
Attitude to the music industry
In 2015, Till gave an interview for one of the famous music magazines. Lindemann's opinion on modern music similar to that of other old-school rockers. He also doesn't like modern metal, believing that producers don't give newcomers freedom by forcing them to churn out digital junk processed with software. This position does not apply to electronic music. The lead singer of the band Rammstein believes that this kind of music is the future and projects like Skrillex are much more interesting than newfangled rock bands. Till concluded by saying that there would never be another band like Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath, and he would never start a band in this day and age.
Future plans
Many fans will be immensely happy, because Till has already announced that Rammstein is back and he is not ready to give up musical career. Initially, the new disc was planned to be released in 2017, but the release may be delayed. The most important thing is that work is already underway, and on a solo project too. This means that everyone who breathes unevenly in the direction of Till Lindemann will soon be able to fully enjoy the new round of his work. Well, all that remains is to wait for the conquest of new heights.
The name of Till Lindemann has become known since 1994, when the metal band Rammstein was formed. This musical group enjoyed wild popularity not only in his native Germany, but also far beyond its borders.
The band's vocalist has always attracted fans with his creative abilities And unusual biography, since Lindemann, in addition to music, wrote the lyrics himself and also published two collections of poetry.
Childhood and youth passion for sports
Till was born in 1963 in Leipzig, but spent his childhood in Schwerin. His father is the German poet and writer Werner Lindemann, and his mother was a journalist and worked on radio for several years. He also has a younger sister. When the future singer turned 12 years old, his father left the family. Later, my mother was able to remarry after meeting an American. The young man did not get along with his father, often coming into conflict with him. His father dreamed of him following in his footsteps, but in those years Till was involved in sports and wanted to become a professional swimmer.
Pictured is Till Lindemann in his youth The boy worked diligently at a sports school, preparing to become a member of the German national team. The young man managed to take part in the European Junior Swimming Championships, held in 1978, however, soon the future frontman of the Rammstein group left the sport, having received a serious injury during training.
Musical career: participation in groups and stage image
Over the course of several years, Lindemann changed many professions, working as a carpenter, loader, and technician. In 1986, he was invited to play drums in a punk rock band, and then the musician began writing his own lyrics. At the same time, Richard Kruspe, with whom Till was in close contact, invited him to be a soloist in new group Rammstein. Soon the team members took part in music competition in Berlin, having achieved prize place. Rammstein's songs were loved not only by German but also by foreign music lovers. During my musical activity The group recorded seven studio discs and shot several video clips. In 2015, the artist created new team– Lindemann.
Lindemann always changed his appearance and also got tattoos. At one time his hair was blue and silver, then he dyed it black. Till's hairstyle also constantly changed: either he had a mohawk on his head, or he had his hair cut long bangs. Very often his hair was tousled, but in recent years the artist bleaches them and cuts them short. The singer's height is 184 cm, and his weight varied - from 90 to 100 kg.
Personal life: family and failed marriages
Despite the created image of a brutal and uninhibited man, the artist behaves differently in his personal life. He loves peace and tranquility, speaking quietly and without strain. Family and children appeared in his biography very early: at 22, he became not only a husband, but also the father of his first daughter, Nele. Family life things didn’t get along with his young wife, and he broke up with her. Despite tours and concerts, Lindemann raised and raised his daughter himself, since his ex-wife lived with another man, however, later she took the baby to her place.
In the photo Till Lindemann with his family: mother and eldest daughter Nele 
The musician and his youngest daughter Maria-Louise The artist’s second wife was Ani Köseling, a teacher by profession. She gave birth to his second daughter, Marie-Louise, however, their relationship also did not go well, and the couple separated. The singer does not like to talk about his family and his lovers, but it is known that he had a relationship with model Sofia Thomalla, which ended in 2015. In 2007, his eldest daughter gave birth to a son, and now Till likes to spend his free time with his grandson.
Rammstein German rock band formed in January 1994. Their musical style combines elements of industrial metal and the traditions of the German heavy scene (Neue Deutsche Härte). Rammstein is one of the most popular rock bands in Germany, widely known in Europe and the USA. Almost all the group's songs are performed on German. Rammstein also became famous for their stage shows and outrageous lyrics.
The group was founded by guitarist Richard Kruspe, an emigrant from the GDR, after his return to his homeland in the city of Schwerin. All members of the group are from the former German Democratic Republic, in particular East Berlin and Schwerin. Kruspe, a Kiss fan, was looking for an opportunity to combine his favorite hard rock with the electronic sound of industrial. To do this, he joined forces with his neighbors Oliver Riedel (bass guitar) and Christoph Schneider (drums). Later, Richard met the aspiring athlete Till Lindemann, who sang well and knew how to write poetry, and invited him to join the group.
The name of the group was composed of the words Ramm (ram) and Stein (stone), and at the same time refers to the name of the city of Ramstein-Miesenbach, where an accident with many victims occurred at a NATO military base during an air show in 1988. The song “Ramstein” of the same name to the city (but not to the group) tells about this accident.
In 1994, the four of Rammstein won a competition for young bands in Berlin, receiving the right to record in a professional studio. A year later, second guitarist Paul Landers joined the group, and then keyboardist Christian Lorenz, who played in the punk band Feeling B. Herzeleid's debut album was recorded with this lineup and with producer Jacob Helner. All lyrics on this album, as well as on most subsequent ones, were written by Lindemann. After several unsuccessful attempts to write lyrics in English, as required by the label, Thiel insisted on writing songs in German. Released on the Motor Music label, Rammstein's first disc gained wide popularity and went gold.
Rammstein was noticed by Nine Inch Nails leader Trent Reznor, who recommended two of their songs for the soundtrack to David Lynch's thriller Lost Highway. This brought the group additional fame. In 1995, in support of the album, Rammstein toured Europe as the opening act for Clawfinger. Rammstein concerts featured spectacular pyrotechnic shows. This was facilitated by old job Tilya as a pyrotechnician.
At this time, the press in some countries began to spread rumors about the group that its members were Nazis. The reason for this was the defiantly brutal aesthetics of the Rammstein show. Because of such rumors, several concerts in Poland and the Czech Republic were canceled. The musicians were outraged by such slander. However, their notoriety only added to their popularity. In 1997, Rammstein performed for the first time on MTV.
The band enjoys great success both in Germany and abroad, and after the release of the album "Reise, Reise" they became one of the most popular group of all times, singing in German. Several Rammstein singles reached the top ten in Germany.
French astronomer Jean-Claude Merlin, a fan of the group, discovered a minor planet in the asteroid belt in 2001. Asteroid #110393 was named "Rammstein" in honor of the group.
Style
Music
Rammstein's style of music, which the musicians themselves jokingly dubbed "dance metal", is predominantly industrial metal in the spirit of the Neue Deutsche Härte (New German Heaviness) scene. However, he mixes elements of electronic industrial, alternative metal, and other genres. Among the bands that influenced Rammstein are Laibach, Kraftwerk and Oomph!.
Lyrics
Rammstein's lyrics cover a wide range of topics. Many of them are provocative and provocative. The group often touches on the theme of society (Amerika, Links), sex and perversion (Mein Teil, Mann gegen Mann, Bück dich), violence, but there are also love lyrics (Ohne dich, Wo bist du, Amour).
Almost all Rammstein lyrics are written in German. The texts often contain puns based on the different meanings of certain German words. In this regard, literal translation of them into other languages is almost impossible. For example, Links means both “on the left” and “left” (two-three-four), Los “without”, “to finish”, etc., Du Hast Mich is translated both as “You have me” and as “ You hate me”, Mann gegen Mann as “Man against man” or “Man on man”. The band members themselves believe that their music sounds only together with German lyrics.
However, the group has several songs in other languages. For example, the English versions of the songs “Du hast” and “Engel” are called “You hate” and “Angel”, respectively. It is interesting that even after these versions appeared, the English-speaking audience did not stop listening to the original versions. In addition, a number of cover versions are performed in English (Stripped Depeche Mode; Pet Semetery Ramones; Sad But True Metallica). Also, the unofficial album “Kein Engel” (2007), created by listeners, included the song “Calm” Russian group"Aria" performed by Rammstein in Russian.
Image
Rammstein maintain a vibrant image in their concert shows and video clips.
The group has more than a dozen video clips to its credit, most of which are staged and playful with a coherent plot. Among the clips there are notorious ones, which show violence or nudity, and there are also several ironic clips.
At Rammstein concerts, in addition to abundant pyrotechnic effects, costume shows are often staged, often with provocative content. Musicians often perform and are photographed half-naked, for which they have even been accused of a “cult of power” and “propaganda of German superiority,” comparing their aesthetics with the aesthetics of the Third Reich. The musicians themselves are outraged by such comparisons. The song Links is dedicated to their refutation, where they disavow ultra-right (fascist) ideology:
They want my heart to be on the right.
But it’s enough for me to lower my eyes:
It hits from the left.
Always on the left!
Cover versions
Rammstein have repeatedly performed songs of other groups:
- The Kraftwerk song "Das Model" was recorded in 1997 as a separate single.
- The Depeche Mode song “Stripped” was released as a single in 1999 and a video clip was shot with excerpts from Leni Riefenstahl’s sports documentaries.
- Ramones "Pet Sematary", recorded together with the Swedish group Clawfinger during the Mutter tour, was included on the single Ich Will.
- The Metallica song “Sad But True” was recorded for one of the Metallica tributes and was not released on the official Rammstein albums or singles.
- Aria "Calm". The single "Schtiel" with a cover version of the song was released in 2003 by Richard Kruspe and Till Lindemann in honor of the Harley Davidson 100th Anniversary event. Since this recording was not approved by the Universal Records record label, the disc was classified as pirated and prohibited from mass release.
- Besides everything else, the last song at a concert in St. Petersburg (2001) was “Song of Anxious Youth” (music by Pakhmutova, lyrics by Oshanin), performed by the group in Russian.
