Customer Reviews

Liebe Ist Fur Alles Da

5 star:		(79)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

The New Rammstein album. All the fans have been waiting for ages for the album to come out. But, finally: Here it is. Should we be happy; I would say: yes! Worth waiting for. Let's start off with the review of the tracks. At first I would like to say that I also would go into the lyrics(luckily I master German), which are great! Very solid album, worth 4.5 stars.

1. Rammlied
The improved version of "Rammstein"(the track of Herzeleid). More aggresive, faster, sounding better and it "works" better. The intro is great and the lyrics show you that your waiting was not for nothing. "Wer wartet mit Besonnenheit; der wird belohnt am rechten Zeit. Nun das warten hat ein ende"(Who waits with composure, will be rewarded. Well, the waiting has come to an end). YOU as listener are rewarded for your patience. In the track they also mention that they are BACK! At the Bridge Till Lindemann is shouting out his "EIN RICHTUNG!!!" etc. verse; it sounds a bit like Hitler's Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Führer, but I'm sure as heck that Rammstein did this intentionally: They WANT to be controversial, even though they are NOT nazis.

2. Ich Tu Dir Weh
I hurt you; I don't feel sorry, it feels good to me, when you're screaming! That's essentially what the chorus says. It's "funny"; so absurd; just great. The main riff is catchy as well as the whole song. One of my personal favorites of the album. It's about someone who loves him; but he doesn't love the other one. Actually the person Till sings about is being torture badly. "Bei dir hab ich die Wahl der Qual"; a nice word play. Usually in German it is "qual der wahl"(the problem of choice; which one to pick??), in this case it's the other way around: which way should he choose in order to hurt the person in question. Anyway, back to the song itself: the production of this song is very solid; one of the tracks you would listen over and over again!

3. Waidmann's Heil
A song about hunting in my opinion since "The Creature must die!". It sounds a bit heroic and the beginning, coming to the riff, which is so good compared to Rosenrot for instance. Just a quick moment of reflection; if you would place this album into a time period I would place in the gap between Sehnsucht and Mutter(according to the style of music etc.). The song is solid with some nice drum accents and Flake with his keyboard.

4. Haifisch
Not a bad song, nor the best. It's about sharks; crying into the sea. You can't see the tears since they are in the water and it is the reason why the sea is salt. It's quite an empty song, with a quite easy riff and some accents of Flake. The chorus is quite good with vocal back-up like we know from Rammstein(a bit like Morgenstern, but more on the background).

5. Bückstabü
The word is basically made-up and it stands for nothing; just like Till says: "Don't do it, Let it be, don't touch it, just say no", coming down to the same point. The song starts a bit "dark". The riff is great with a good bass guitar and same dark piano accents. The chorus is wild and raw: GREAT, Rammstein like we used to know them! The chorus is backed up with great guitar intervention at the end. The bridge is also vocally very strong. The solid production comes forward once more.

6. Frühling in Paris
At first I thought that Rammstein would nick the "Springtime in Paris" rhythm of the Jazz song, but no. An unplugged intro. The lyrics are in French and German. The main thing he(Till) says is that he doesn't feel sorry for anything. Personally I think this is the weakest track of the whole album. I don't want to spend much of my words to this song because I like to move on the good tracks!

7. Wiener Blut
Blood of Vienna basically. It's about the story of a young girl, trapped under the house of a certain Austrian guy(Jozef Fritzl). The lyrics are truly with a double bottom. It's sound all great(love nest beneath the house etc.), but the chorus reveals the true nature of the song: "Welcome to the darkness, the solitude and the sadness; for eternity. Welcome to reality!". The song is built up great. With an intro of: Come with me to my castle into my basement of love etc.. Then the song starts off properly, showing the reality of the story. Pure musical strength in my opinion; being able to mix everything together and expressing the correct feelings with the music, the way they intended it, and the way it should be.

8. P*ssy
It's not just a bad song, with a vulgar music video. It HAS a message. It's about people getting out of the country to have cheap sex in countries like Thailand etc. Mercedes Benz, the freeway. "Driving abroad on my own, travel travel, driving pleasure. I just want to have fun, I don't wanna fall in love. Just a little bit, be my little b*tch". The text is ironic as well; I can't get laid in Germany. Some double bottom lines like: lightning war with the flesh gun, stick my sausage in your sauerkraut and so on! You can see that this is the single. It's maybe the most accessible track of the album and the lyrical content is not that hard(a lot of chorus).

9. Liebe Ist Für Alle Da
Love is there for all. The album title track. Not the best track in my opinion. The chorus is good though. The lyrics are quite confusing. Love is there for all; not for me, but later on he says the opposite. It might be that he's telling stories from different perspectives. The music is less good than the rest of the album, the normal riff doesn't go like an oiled machine. The guitar solo is typical Rammstein.

10. Mehr
More! To me this sounds like the culture of grabbing everything there is to grab, even when it has no use. This song is inspired on the global economic crisis, so I think. The song is built up like it should be. Intro, drums and the "violence" rolls on! Quite a good song.

11. Roter Sand
Red Sand. It starts of with someone whistling. When you've heard it once, you'll whistle it yourself. Then some dark guitar tunes pop up. It's a love story with a dramatic end. They both had guns(Two pistols, two rounds), but one pulled quicker, one died, the other one survived(It's deep in my chest). The song is great in his simplicity. The song just expresses the correct feelings once again. It just fits all together somehow. Just great!

And now... CD 1 has ended, but luckily you've bought the DLX version, so you will be rewarded even more. 5 More tracks await you. At first, a quick review of disc one. Solid, the old Rammstein seems to be back. Even Rammstein themselves call it a comeback. This album is the one that will make Rosenrot dissapear. With all due respect, the album Rosenrot was just made up from album take-outs of Reise Reise and some other recordings that didn't make it to an album. The normal version is worth buying but the 2 disc version(for just a couple of bucks more) is even worth more. With a nice booklet and deluxe cardboard package(which works quite complicated though; you have to practice how to fold it back).

Now disc two; five more tracks. Führe mich(Lead me) is first. It starts of mysteriously dark again. This really is a good track with some subtle details and a really (vocally) good chorus. Some "opera" features are in it as well. Donaukinder comes next(this track has some dark lyrics as well. Missing kids, a river, rats satisfied with food, poisoned water springs...this suggests that something happened to those kids(probably decomposing) at the Donau river; but like the chorus says: "where are they? Nobody knows what has happened here" ), also a good track which will give you the feeling you want more. This truly sounds like Rammstein from the days of wayback somehow. Halt is up next; sounds dark(again!), good track once again. Good chorus and again (sorry for mentioning this over and over again) sounds like the old Rammstein! The Roter Sand orchestra version is not very different from the normal version and could be more differing in order to make it better in my opinion. Still, it is a good track. Last one; Liese. Starts of with the whistling theme again. Has the same intro as Roter Sand(Orchestra) but with different lyrics. Also good, good vocal work!

Concluding to this; if you are only slightly interested or "made warm" for this album, do NOT hesitate to buy it; because it will be worth your money. This album can be played over and over again without getting boring. The only drawbacks are Frühling in Paris and the fact that the second disc only contains 5 tracks. For the rest of it: Great. Four and a half stars: ****+

RAMMSTEIN IST WIEDER ZURÜCK!

Regards,

Tom from the Netherlands

"Liebe ist fur alle Da" is just as surprising as the early critics said it would be. Rammstein comes back with more talented drumming and vocals than I ever expected. The guitars are still simple and straight-forward, but that doesn't mean the music isn't full of personality.

The music is the most mature and professional that Rammstein has played so far. Till goes out there briefly with short death growls in a couple tracks and in intervals throughout the album he showcases very melodic singing even better than in "Mutter". The rest of the vocals are all "Herzeleid" and "Reise, Reise"-style shouting.

The production on this album is the greatest thing. The music is the clearest and cleanest that I've heard from an industrial band. The bass guitar is clearly audible, the snare and bass drums have that authoritative, sensual pounding again and Till's vocals, while occasionally swallowed by the guitars, fit perfectly with the music.

It's impossible for me to compare it with other music because... it's Rammstein. They don't really fit in with other bands. But within Rammstein's own discography, if this album isn't their best it's a tie with the best.

The catchiest songs with the most replay value are "Ich tu Dir Weh", [...], "Weidmanns Heil", "Wiener Blut", "Frueling in Paris" and "Mehr". [...] is silly and obnoxious, but when it's stuffed in with the rest of the album, it becomes fun, and the sense of humor shows. The way you felt about the songs "Reise, Reise" and "Ein Lied" is probably the way you're going to feel about "Rammlied" and "Roter Sand" respectively.

"Rammlied" deserves a fair chance to be considered as a creative and brooding, updated themesong for the band. The bits of choir and Gregorian-esque delivery of the opening lyrics are very stylish and add atmosphere to the opening track.

"Frueling in Paris" has a great, heart-warming melody, and while it may not be Beethoven, coming from Rammstein it's a special song.

"Fuehr Mich" and"Donaukinder" on the second CD are very melodic and moving (and hey, there's even a slow solo on the latter), and "Halt" is a good song to round the second cd out with.

Every song on this album is classy, and dark, in spite of the strangely bright and vibrant choruses. Again, the production is beautiful.

I recommend spending the extra dollar (I mean seriously...) on the 2 disc version versus simply buying the regular package... The re-hashes of "Roter Sand" weren't that interesting to me but "Fuehr Mich" and "Donaukinder" are gorgeous and indispensible songs that I loved after one play-through.

Summary: Buy the album. It sounds great, but expect changes in the band toward a more "melodic" aggressiveness... and the 2-Disc edition is definitely worth the extra buck. Oh, and play this on a nice sound system if you can, you're robbing the music otherwise. Youtube sounds nothing like this. =P

<3,
-yardy249

Of all the "highly anticipated albums" released this year, by the likes of "Alice in Chains" (don't even get me started there)... by Pearl Jam... and so on... which were TERRIBLE (and yet somehow each has reviews stating "album of the year")... THIS album, Really does fit that bill.

Rosenrot (their last album) was a bit of a mis-step for the band, in my opinion. I didn't like it anywhere near as much as "Mutter" or "Reise, Reise"... but with this release, Rammstein is back to showcase their true ability & talent.

The 1st track, "Rammlied", can be best described as "Rammstein" (from "Herzeleid"), on Steroids! Seriously, it's what that song would've sounded like, had they written it during "Mutter" instead of "Herzeleid" (their 1st album). So literally, they start the album off strong... and it just gets better from there.

I was pretty nervous about this album... not only because of the direction "Rosenrot" took; but because I've been SORELY disappointed with EVERY release this year. Thankfully, they delivered... and did so in typical Rammstein fashion. Melodically & Lyrically, one of their best albums (though Mutter will always be my Favorite, as "Ænima" will always be my fav. Tool album)....

You should definitely get this album... especially the Deluxe 2 Disc edition! There are 5 non-LP Bonus tracks (1 instrumental)... none of them are crappy "Remixes", which Artists so frequently these days, include as "bonus tracks". Nope... full fledged, well written songs, that for whatever reason, didn't make the actual album. It's definitely refreshing to see that Rammstein "still get it" in that regard... as too many Artists just "throw away" their unused album songs because they feel they're "not up to par"... and then stick the fan/customer with crummy remixes, or Live versions, as "bonus tracks". (most of which aren't good, or of good quality) Again, thankfully, Rammstein "gets it"... and has rewarded us yet again, with some awesome "B-Sides"!

Also, Vocally, Till just sounds MUCH better on this album than he did on most of Rosenrot & (some of) Reise, Reise. I really can't say enough good things about this album... & it's a shame I can't give it 10 Stars... because like I said earlier, after all the JUNK that's been released this year... this one truly Towers above the Rest. And while I know they'll Never get "album of the year" by any US Awards Show... they sure as heck deserve it.

*side note*: This album is Not edited. The Track List on the back does "asterisk" out the words P*ssy & another (which I'd have to assume is the b.s. word?)... but the music isn't edited By any means. (also, it's weird that the Lyric Insert, also "asterisks" out the "B*********" word... everywhere it's stated (title & chorus); but doesn't do so for P*ssy?... found that, weird, to say the least) Anyway... Get This (Deluxe) Album, I promise, you wont be disappointed. (and if you'd like to read my reviews of Alice In Chains' "Black Gives Way To Blue", or Pearl Jam's "Backspacer"... click on "read my other reviews". Those albums were SO terrible, & yet the reviews SO Pro-Biased, I had to speak up!) Cheers... and Enjoy!

PS: maybe it's just me; but (to me), "P*ssy" comes off as a regurgitated "Te Quiero Puta!" (from "Rosenrot")... just w/o the Tex-Mex 'flavor'... & I wasn't a big fan of that song to begin with. That's my only "complaint" about this album... though technically it's not a "complaint" as P*ssy is far more enjoyable to listen to.

Let me start of by saying that I have loved every Rammstein album even though some have taken time to grow on me. I got into the band when I was younger... 11 years ago and at that time Herzeleid and Sehnsucht were perfection. I loved the heavier and faster stuff back then. When Mutter came out I wasn't sure of it as it was a little slower but it after a few weeks of listening the album eclipsed Rammsteins first two releases. I loved the epic quality of each track. The slower tracks really had a quality not seen before and it just made the album feel a lot more solid through out. I got a little older and my taste in music mellowed and the heavier stuff just didn't have the same feel. I still love Herzelied and Sehnsucht but after Mutter I had seen what a more rhythmic Rammstein could do.

Then came Reise, Reise and I loved it. But like before it took a little while for me to realize its quality. Don't get me wrong Rammstein was as heavy as before but they were now experimenting with ballads and me being a little older really appreciated that. Not every song needs to be a head banger. Ohne Dich really demonstrates how Rammstein can put out an epic ballad. It is a perfect track... my favorite track of all their albums. Mein Teil also shows that Rammstein didn't forget about thier earlier work and its just shows they can rock out when they want to.

Rosenrot, an album that you either hate or love, I think gets an unfair rep. Its an album that just shows that Rammstein are a little older now and not every track needs to be a Ich Will Flamen Sehen. I loved the album personally. It has more ballad's then their previous work and I like that a lot. I don't need so much heaviness all the time. Its an album that relaxes me.

Now with the release of Liebe Ist Fure Alle Da Rammstein have combined the best of their works. You have the tracks that harken back to Herzeleid and Sehnsucht, tracks that bring about the emotional rawness of Mutter and the ballads of Reise, Reise and Rosenrot. It is a great album through and through. Every track is just great. This one took no time for me to really get into. Every track could be a potential single. My favorite is actually on the bonus CD; Fuhre Mich. The chorus is enchanting and the guitar riffs really get you pumped. Tracks like Ich Tu Dir Wen and Waidmanns Heil remind you of the earlier and rawer Rammstein. While tracks like Donaukinder remind you of Mutter with the emotional quality.

This is just a great album by a great band.

There was a lot of hype built up for Liebe Ist Für Alle Da. Band members and representatives have for a while said this album is as hard as Rammstein's early albums (Sensucht), with all of the experimentation of the band's more varied albums (Mutter), while at the same time incorporating all of the maturity of the later albums (Rosenrot). That's a very tall order, but this album really delivers. Note however, this album is actually pretty experimental. No single song sums up the album, so don't judge it based on one single. And with all the complexity, I'd also caution you to give the album at least a second listen-through before passing judgement. This is a very full plate- don't feel bad taking seconds.

The album opens up with "Rammlied". Many reviewers have been accurate in saying this is something like the older track "Rammstein" remade with the band's full maturity, without losing any of its edge. Of particular note for long-time listeners is Christoph Schneider's drumming. He's been mic'ed up to 11, and he's even sneaking some double-bass throughout the album. Overall, a great opening. "Ich Tu Dir Weh" begins the experimentation in earnest- there's actually a lot of clean singing where Till drops the growl during the power portion of a song, and I can't help but feel some influence from the nu-metal genre. It adds up to an odd but very effective mix that I really enjoy even though I hate nu-metal.

"Waidmanns Heil" (Hunter's Call) has the band having a lot of fun with a theme- Till even gets down into panting like an animal. "Haifisch" follows up on the side of fun, sounding something like the icebreaker that was the theme of "Reise, Reise" is crashing through a bordello. Bückstabü (B********) has till grinding out the lyrics until they're virtually puke metal in parts, making a play on language- Bückstabü is an imaginary word the band intentionally blanked out on the cover so people read more into it than is there, just the sort of language play the band is famous for. These tracks are all solid, and all rocking in their very different ways.

And then, "Frühling in Paris". Wait, hold on, a song about a city that's not deeply satirical? "Frühling..." sounds hopeful and crisp. It's positively refreshing. You want to roll down the windows and enjoy the summer sun with this one. The band must be setting us up for something- and that something is "Weiner Blut". The icebreaker has turned up the hill and is mowing down a gothic castle, apparently. "Frühling..." and "Weiner Blut" form a duo that show the range of the album, from beautiful and hopeful and light to dark and foreboding and heavy.

"P****". Yes, the word is pussy (the cat, I swear... fingers crossed). I'm not sure how so many negative reviews take this track so seriously- the band hits a dance beat partway through that sounds straight from Ibiza. They're clearly just having a lot of fun again, complete with some of the worst sexual metaphors you've ever heard (stick bratwurst in the sauerkraut). If you're really taking this track seriously and being offended that the band is singing such silly lyrics, you've missed the bulk of Rammstein's career and probably just aren't used to hearing the translation so directly. "Liebe Ist für Alle Da" is a fast and yes again fun track, with a lot of clean singing and catchy guitars. "Mehr" ranges from some heavy electronic sound in the keyboarding to hard as an anvil metal guitar to melodic singing- it's all over, yet it all comes together like a hammer coming down.

"Roter Sand" is an incredibly interesting change of pace. Acoustic guitars and whistling, in my metal band? This song is incredibly emotional and evocative, surpassing even "Ein Leid" in terms of frankness. It sounds like the theme for the best western ever filmed, and frankly I was nearly moved to tears at one point from the beauty of this track. It's that good.

I'd seriously encourage everyone to get the Special Edition digipack. Not only is the digipack great quality, but it's not much extra money ($1 as of writing!), and you get great bonus tracks. "Fuhre Mich" contains more experimenting between heavy as hell guitars and very clean, simple singing for the chorus. "Donaukinder" sounds like oldschool Rammstein, with simple but wailing guitar backed by massive keyboarding. "Halt" has the band on overdrive, with Till screaming over raucous guitar. "Roter Sand [Orchester Version]", and "Liese" are both takes on "Roter Sand", and sound like they're mixes of the song rejected in editing. It's very interesting to get some insight into the band's process. The final pieces, especially the orchester version, sound very complete and solid even if I still think the final version is the best.

Overall, this is a great album where I love every single track (the "Roter Sand" edits don't count). My favorite tracks so far are "Roter Sand", "Frühling in Paris", "Ich Tu Dir Weh", and "Pussy" (like a cat, remember?). Not that the harder tracks aren't excellent, but it's great to hear a band this established really playing around with their sound and trying new things. I happily hold this up to any of Rammstein's other releases, and track-for-track, I have to say this is a strong contender for the band's best album to date.

I've been waiting for this ever since Rosenrot came out, which seems like a century ago. Though mislead with the single P****, the downright worst song on the album, I was a bit weary of buying a full length album because of the single. P**** didn't seem like something they'd do, but I must say that the 11 song album is redeeming.

1. Rammlied has a likeness to it from their earlier song 'Hallelujia' (not sure how it's spelled). This has a lot of synthesizer sound to it, choir, organs, classic of the band. I'd probably rate this song as average/ possibly above. Good, fast beat.

2. Ich Tu Dir Wen. This song starts a little slow, then builds well. Chorus sounds great (even though I don't know German lol). I really like the singer's voice in this one, pitch changes, etc. Steady, drumy beat. I'd have to rate this song above average. One of the best on the album.

3 Waidmanns Heil. Starts out at a banging, sprinting pace and has that electronic drum beat to it that's used well for this song. Till (the singer) sounds pretty evil here, especially at the chorus, where he shouts the lyrics (without overdoing it, of course). I'd rate this song same as number 2

4.Haifisch: Starts off with a weird synthesiser sound, then singing. Not fast, not real slow. Bassy drums. Chorus then explodes! Then goes back to the same medium beat, slows, and explodes again. Love that choir in the background, which makes it sound like spiritual music ... a long drum chorus with slight guitar, slows, then explodes! I gave this song above average. 4 of 5 stars.

5. B******** : Begins with a wicked guitar riff, drums, and roaring guitar. Till's voice is soft and meek at first, but you can tell he's serious. Then chorus, which is loud and kinda annoying. I don't like this song. I rate it 2 of five stars, five being best.

6. Fruhling in Paris: Starts out with a peacful guitar strumming. Soft, pretty voice of Till's. Sounds like a melody, reminecent of Seemann. Builds a little, but is never heavy. I'd classify it more as a ballad. One of my favs of the album. If you like Seeman, Sonne, Ohne Dich, Stirb Nicht Von Mir, you will probably like this. I'd rate this 5 of five. At least worth one listen, anyway.

7. Wiener Blut: Starts a little like Mein Herz Brennt/Speeluhr, then blows up with fast music, stops, explodes, stops, then goes all wild. Lyrics are loud and unable to make anything out of them. Just yelling. I dislike this tune. 1 and half of five stars

8. P*****. I'm sure you've heard this one; if not, you didn't miss anything. Lyrics are childish and corny. I'd rate one of five stars. My LEAST fav song on album.

9. Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da: Cool drumming, fast, then the wail of guitars. Very heavy.
Chorus is serious-sounding with a wicked tone. Builds, builds, and finally climaxes. I'd rate a 3 out of five. Maybe higher Pretty good song.

10. Mehr: Starts with electronic guitars. Slow, but cool. Not slow like the Paris song. Especially not till the chorus comes. When it does, it becomes a good, bang-your-head song. Remindes me of something off Sechensuch (I know, my German spelling is bad). I'd give this song 3 and a half stars

11. Roter Sand: Stars with whistling, like Engel. Another ballad. Soft guitars, sweet lyrics. Most mellow song on here, probably moreso than the Paris song. Also reminds me of Seemann. I'd rate this four or five stars. I'm a sucker for the softer Rammstein's songs.

All in all, I thought this was a pretty good CD. I think the single P**** ruined it for some people, but I don't think any Rammstein fan would be dissapointed with any of the songs on this album, save the single. It's not their best album, and definitely not their worst. I wouldn't know what to say their best album is if I had to. The weakest ones for me was their very first and probably Reise Reise. Their best is either Sechensuch or Mutter. A lot of people didn't like Rosenrot, but I found quite a few songs on there I liked. Anyway, I'd recommend this. I just wish I would have gotten the extended album instead. Oh well.

This is easily their hardest album ever, or at the very least in years. Also it was excellent from end to end as far as I'm concerned, I personally like the lighter songs sprinkled about, you can't keep a hard tempo up forever, and lets the harder songs maintain their impact. Rammlied is a declaration the band has returned from an overly long absence with only Volkerball to comfort hardcore fans between Rosenrot and now. I can easily picture this song as the opener for the current round of touring, hopefully Reise Reise will still be used as the encore opener.
A solid row of hard grinding songs follow with "Ich Tu Dir Weh" being a harder faster song but still along the lines of Wo bist Du, the raucous Waidmann's Heil, and slows a little with Haifisch (Shark) a very danceable tune. Buckstabu, a song who's title is a word the band made up (to mean anything) is another hard one. The first break is with Fruhling in Paris a melodic tune that is very enjoyable in its own way, and provides a break for the dark, slow building and structurally interesting Wiener Blut, a song based on the Fritzl case in Vienna about a father who turned his own daughter into his personal sex slave (not exactly a new direction for the band given the inspiration for Mein Teil).
Pussy is an interesting song, popish, crude, most of the lyrics in English, yet very enjoyable, a debauched ditty about sexual tourism (fitting given that the Ukraine is advertising its legal prostitution and great exchange rate with the Euro recently) From here till the finale of Roter Sand its more hard, grinding and grand Rammstein. Roter Sand follows a pattern of a softer finish, a haunting western ballad, the whistling and guitar work being immediate clues to the setting its sending you to, also some background keyboards which actually reminded me of Wall of Voodoo's "Call of the West".
Easily the most enjoyable Rammstein Album since Mutter, and I really liked Reise Reise (Dali Lamah and Keine Lust being favorites) and Rosenrot (the title track, Benzin, and Wo bist Du greatly enjoyed to boot). This is a must have for any serious Rammstein fan.
The bonus disc features 2 more songs that follow the pattern of the album, though Donnaukinder hints to earlier songs from previous albums with its dark fairy tale like melodies, the last two are a more orchestral version of Roter Sand, and Liese is really Roter Sand with different lyrics, and gave the impression of a much different setting to the song.

If you're going to buy this album, you MUST buy this 2-CD edition. This is truly one of those rare times where the extra songs meet or exceed the songs that were included on the "real" album. Fuehre Mich and Donaukinder are both classic Rammstein, Halt is also very good. The other two songs are the only true "extras," being alternate versions of Roter Sand (the first being an "orchestral version" with the same lyrics, and the second having completely different lyrics), though these too are not throwaways.

Ironically, the absolute worst track on the album (and really the only just plain bad one) is the first single, Pussy. When I heard it streaming on its launch date, I honestly thought, "Oh, great. Rammstein have just completely given up even trying." Just a really, really bad song, musically and lyrically. They could have improved the main album immeasurably by replacing it with any of the extra tracks. It's like they painted the Mona Lisa and then said, "Nope, needs something... more. How about throwing some bird droppings on there?"

Schneider's drums in particular have never sounded better, evidenced by any of the heavier songs (though especially Rammlied, Waidmanns Heil and the title track), but a real gem for me is the softer Fruehling in Paris; it's really quite straightforward, without much musical complexity or lyrical depth, yet nevertheless simply a very pretty, melodic and evocative song.

The main album gets 4.5 stars ("thanks" to Pussy), while the extra tracks bump it back up to a full five.

It's strange to be moved so emotionally by music without understanding the lyrics. Between the time this album started and finished, I was literally moved to tears twice, and was brought to clenched fists and headbanging which I could not contain. I have not felt like this since Mutter was released in 2001. This one is slightly better than Mutter, which for me makes it their best one ever, and I hope best one yet. With a title like Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da (Love For All Of You), it's easy to feel like this might be their last. If it is, then they went out on top. This is the album that I feel like Rammstein was always trying to make...a strange and exotic blend of theatric, gothic, and industrial elements which form something that sounds unique unto itself. While their first two releases (Herzeleid and Sehnsucht, respectfully) focussed primarily on the industrial elements, with some moments in Sehnsucht hinting at a more gothic tone, the release of Mutter saw Rammstein at the top of their game. Mutter was an adaption of Rammstein's sound without being a departure, a simple addition of string and choir effects on top of their pre-existing sound, with more emphasis on melody from the synth sounds and Till's vocals. This "simple change" as I call it, resulted in a dramtic difference in something that still felt so familiar, and resulted in their best album so far. Presumably excited by the results which this addition brought, the band used their next two albums (Reise, Reise and Rosenrot, respectfully) to go further with this element. While I did feel Reise, Reise to be a slightly weaker release than Mutter, the sake of exploration and the stronger tracks of the album more than justified what I felt was a journey away from some of their core elements. This journey however seemed to go too far with Rosenrot, which I suspect was a B-sides album of sorts being that Rosenrot was originally rumored to be the title of Reise, Reise and that it was released only a year later. If these were B-sides it is clear to see why, but as an album this release did not stand up for me and was the weak link in their chain. However, if Goldilocks taught us anything, it is that sometimes you have to go too little, then too much, before you find what's just right. This, I feel, is what explains Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da. Much like Mutter felt like the simple addition of strings and choirs to achieve a more pronounced gothic element than Sehnsucht and Herzeleid, Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da seems like the return of their industrial sound and rough heaviness to this primarily theatric style of late. The fantastic production blends these sounds into an inseparable mixture. This is why I say it is the album they've always been trying to make, and did to a certain extent already with Mutter, which along with this album makes the only two where I feel all the elements combined and were equally represented. What puts this latest just a bit ahead of Mutter is the inseperable nature...while listening to most of the tracks on Mutter you can assume fairly easily which elements were part of the original draft of the song and which were added later. This simply is not true of Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da, which neither neglects nor emphasises the ugly over the beautiful, or the soft over the rough. If there are two weaker tracks, they are B********* and Pussy, but I honestly feel after the emotional journey of the first seven tracks I was ready for the lighthearted single which had me rolling my eyes but still moving and getting into it (a strange combination). The album feels and flows like an opera, with each track falling at a logical point, never shattering the overall feel (as I said, Pussy merely cleanses the pallate for the final act). The first three tracks are there to park your ass and make you realize that this is something big, while track 4 acts as an anchored wade into different waters. The emotional climax of track 6 leaves Tracks 7 to be more of an atmospheric affair, with track 8 clensing the pallate for the more intricate Tracks 9 and 10. Track 11 feels, partially because of my Western thinking associated with the whistling, like a walk off into the sunset after the good fight has been fought. If this is true, then the fight was won, and the day belonged to Rammstein.

The first Rammstein album proper (excluding 2006's Volkerball which was just a bunch of live recordings and a DVD) in four years will obviously have a lot of expectations for die-hards who have been following the Teutonic pyromaniacs from the beginning, as well as those of relatively new listeners. Speaking as one of the latter (I started listening in 2006) and as someone who owns all of their studio albums, Liebe is probably Rammstein's best album since Mutter. That album saw the band diverge from synthesizers and samplings on the previous album [Sehnsucht] and focus more on bludgeoning guitars with more power chords than an Alice In Chains record. It was a fine way to diversify their musical portfolio but the two albums released after it [Reise, Reise & Rosenrot] stuck with the album's successful formula but began to stagnate since there wasn't anything different than what was on Sehnsucht or Mutter, with the exception of a few dubious experimentations that polarized many fans (remember Stirb Nicht Vor Mir?). Following this pattern, Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da should be another bunk recording exclusive to the faithful, right? You'd be inclined to think so, but something happens by the time you've finished unwrapping the plastic cover and pulling the CD case out of its cardboard confinement to lay eyes on a cover art of the band members decapitating a woman; you realize that this is, indeed, a Rammstein album.

If the previous two releases sowed the seeds of skepticism in your mind, be comforted knowing that the boys mean business this time, a notion they stamp onto your face with the gut-busting opener "Rammlied". It recalls the decade before when Rammstein made their big major label break with Sehnsucht and earned worldwide recognition (and disapproval by concerned parents everywhere) as the band chants their glorious return to the limelight ("Bist du einsam und allein/Wir sind hier schalte ein") assuring their fans that they're not about to throw in the towel so readily.

The band hasn't lost their touch for controversy and romanticist, Gothic musicianship. And the band certainly sounds like it. Check out the single "P****" (censored to Amazon's convenience) as the band belts out their excitement of traveling around the country just to experience new kinds of sexual intercourse. You'll see a lot reviewers on this page slamming it for its juvenile lyrical meaning but would you expect them not to do that? For God's sake, this is a band that made a song about a little girl who played dead and was buried alive only to alert everyone that she was still breathing by using - of all things - a musical box! It's a solid choice for a single with industrial keyboards, machine-like drums, and guitars mingling with Till Lindemann's as-always commanding, guttural vocals. The entire albums seeps with juicy cuts like this to sink your teeth into, including "Waidmann's Heil" and the title track. The band also continues to show their darker side of fascination for Western horror-themed tales on "Wiener Blut" which is actually based on a real event that I won't go further into. The band DOES reveal their softer side on this album (if you're so worried about any musician playing in anything but drop-D tuning) with "Fruhling In Paris", so if you find that irritating, I'd advise you to skip it.

As some may have pointed out, Liebe comes in two flavors: the single CD edition and the double CD edition. The single edition contains 11 songs while the double edition has a second CD which contains 16; that includes five "bonus" tracks and I use that word lightly because I don't imagine it would be impossible to fit all 16 songs on one CD and sell it like that, which makes me question whether those five songs have any place on this album at all. I recommend the double CD editon IF you can find it at a reasonable price. Otherwise, buy the single edition and download the other five.

In summary, this album pulls no punches. It's still Rammstein, the guys who like to glorify homoeroticism and doomsday, among other subjects, brutalize their instruments with barbaric strength, and suck you into their world with carefully placed samplings. It's not as uneven and erratic as Rosenrot, or as heavy and stale as Reise, Reise, but it doesn't quite reach the magnificence of Sehnsucht or Mutter. It's wedged somewhere comfortably in between and is a sure-fire way to reassure their dominance in the worldwide market of music. Parents beware; the flamethower-wielding Kommandants are back!

Top tracks: Rammlied, Haifisch, P****, Roter Sand