Rammstein is back!!! Those insane, Teutonic, metal-spewing, fire engulfed Germans are back and with quite a bang!!! This cd is definitely a change of sound for the Industrial Metal band that made it big in the states a few years back with Sehnsucht (their second album). Rammstein, in Mutter, shows their audience that they can really put forth the goods and not be repetitive, as most metal bands are.

Peppering Mutter with a large dose of orchestral influence blended with eerily voiced lyrics and a healthy dose of grinding guitars, creepy samples, and superbly formatted songs, the group from East Germany manages to step up in their creative ladder and form a refreshing sound that brings memories of their past albums but does not become a stereotypical cd.

In this album Rammstein address the public/critics' views of their music in the song Links 234 (the critics once accused Rammstein of Nazism, this is their cleverly disguised retraction to the false claims). Gothic, classical influence is pleasantly explored in Sonne(Sun) and Nebel(Fog)to extremely good results. A sense of fantastical horror is meticulously threaded in the tunes, Mein Herz Brennt(My Heart Burns) and Spieluhr(Music Box)which, in my personal opinion are the paragon of the album. Fast metal, with a new and crunching melody, can be found in fascinating Zwitter(Hermaphrodite), Rein Raus(In Out), Adios(a very successful punk sound is played out here), Feur Frei(Fire!!), and the incomparable Ich Will(I Want). A very dramatic mode of metal is accomplished in the title track Mutter(Mother) which seeps with sorrow and a heavy pessimism but also has a very important message behind it.

Overall this album proves Rammstein's most intriguing work as the band delves into musical lands they had yet to uncover and do so with no failure. Fans of the past will find the album refreshing and most astounding. Newcomers will discover Rammstein as no one has ever seen them before, fully matured in their music and at their height(so far, at least) of their talent. Mutter has been waited for for nearly four years and Rammstein did not fail their fans in delivering the goods. A definite MUST BUY!! Even for those who are not particularily partial to German music this proves to be an album on which to make an exception. Fantastic, overwhelming, and spellbinding, don't miss it!!!

In Mutter, Rammstein breaks away from the almost one-dimensional onslaught of their previous albums to create a powerful, diverse album of exceptional musical quality.

The opening track, Mein Herz Brennt, is a ripper. The lyrics speak of demons, ghosts and black faeries creeping through children's bedrooms and is backed up by a powerful melody that just blows you away once it gets into full swing.

Almost every track on the album from here on features something that makes it memorable. Just a little change in pace here, a little change in melody there, some powerful chorus sections on most and you soon find this album growing on you every time you listen to it.

Tracks like Links 234, Feuer Frei and Rein Raus will satisfy fans of Rammstein's pacy metal style used in their previous albums, while Sonne, Zwitter, Ich Will and the foot-stomping head-banging delight that is Adios oozes with a classy assembly and finish that are often lacking in this genre of music.

Rammstein also shows a gentler side with the tracks Mutter and Nebel, slower paced but no less brilliant.

For me the best song on the album has to be Spieluhr though. Superb, yet eerie lyrics talk about a child being buried alive by accident with a music box in his/her hands. The chorus is fantastic, just about the catchiest thing I've heard in any form of music in a long time, and the whole song is just brilliantly put together like all the other tracks on this album.

To summarize:

Best tracks: Mein Herz Brennt, Sonne, Spieluhr, Adios

Worst track: Rein Raus, if you have to push me for one

Mutter as an album delivers an incredible musical experience and every song deserves its place on the album - no fillers here. The deep, thundering sound demands a pair of decent speakers - turn up the volume and prepare to hear the windows rattle.

Rammstein is a band on the rise, that's for sure. The mere fact that they broke away from their one dimensional metalish sound on the previous two albums and ventured into a smarter, more orchestral and melodic, yet still pleasurably hard and heavy sound (yep, the parents will definitely worry about you if they find you listening to this lot in a dark room!) for Mutter shows us that this is a band with massive potential. I can't wait to hear their next effort - hopefully they stick to German. Rammstein in English just won't be the same.

Check out [URL] for English translations of the German lyrics.

I do not know where to start. There is not a single bad track on the entire album.

The first thing you will notice when you listen to Rammstein's "Mutter" is the outstanding musical discipline used to achieve an incredibly "tight" and ammaculate sound.

Mutter is also very melodic. Every song has a definable theme, rather than just a messy sounding jumble of guitars, bass, keyboard and drums.

I might also mention that this is Rammstein's first album to include orchestral strings sections.

[1]MEIN HERZ BRENNT (My Heart Burns): What an opening. The strings provide a deeply cinematic feel, as lead singer Till Lindemann opens with "Nun lieber Kinder, gebt fein acht", translating to "Now dear children, pay attention...". The strings deeper sections come in before bursting into guitars and drums, while the strings, still playing, perform an series of fast scales, coinciding with Rammstein's familiar industrial-sound. This contrast works remarkably well.

[2] LINKS 2 3 4 (Left 2 3 4): The political song of the album, contradicting claims that the are supporters of the Right Wing, or Nazism (The title represents a march). The guitars provide a surprisingly catchy theme and, in my opinion, is one of the most energetic songs on the album.

[3] SONNE (Sun): Rammstein created a guitar riff with this song that always makes me think "why hasn't this been done before?" A beautiful sampling of a wailing choir is heard towards the end, as "the world counts loudly to ten...", and the strong vocals emphasize the song just that much more. Wow.

[4]: ICH WILL (I Want): The song that got me into Rammstein. Within 20 seconds of hearing this song, I decided to buy all their albums! And I am very picky about music! Prior to hearing this, only classical was for me. The guitars and keyboard work together producing a monstrous, but obviously melodic sound.

[5]: FEUER FREI! (Open Fire!): Ok, a calm synth sound. Sounds quie nice I suppose, then, holy crap, KA-BOOM! The guitars, bass and keyboard hit you so fast, you really need to be aware of when it will arrive! Im my opinion, the "messiest" song of the album, but even so retains it's clean and "compact" sound.

[6]: MUTTER (Mother): The album song. Beautiful, anthem like guitar theme, different from any other song on the album. This song, like Mein Herz Brennt, includes the orchestra and creates a very powerful song. Right towards the end of the sogn Till's voice fades in before hitting the final chorus and ending with "Mother! Oh give me strength".

[7]: SPIELUHR (Music box): A very story-like song. Opens with just Till's voice. One can visualise him reciting a fairy-tale to children. An awesome chorus, very expansive-sounding. Also includes another odd combination of guitars and music box and sounds really, quite wonderful.

[8]: ZWITTER (Hermaphrodite): Now we reach the more sinister of songs. This song has one of my favourite choruses and has downright hilarious lyrics. I suggest you check them out!

[9]: REIN RAUS (In Out): As can be guessed by the ever-so-subtle title, this is a song about sex. Understandably, people might be turned off by this, yet I find the composition so damn awesome! Right towards the end a frentic keyboard section flies up and down various scales performing loops and such creating a bizarre "circus effect"! Just perfect!

[10]: ADIOS (Goodbye): Yes, this is Spanish and was dedicated to a drug addict (I forget his name). Great guitar solo (I'm using these "great" adjectives a lot, I know...), and great chorus. Great great great!

[11]: NEBEL (Mist): Quite possibly my favourite song of all time. If you get the chance to hear this, please excuse the rather slow introduction and give it a chance. The song is about a man's last few moments with the girl he loves before she passes away. Set on a beach, the chorus sings "And then he kissed her, where the sea ends...". Don't mistake this for another cheesy pop song, please.

After the first few verses, the drums come in, as though you are expecting the guitars. Instead, what you get is lush, astonishingly beautiful strings flooding everything out. A cymbal clash concludes the string's part and back to the verse. If the chorus doesn't move you, the concluding words to the song will, as the it ends amidst a dissonant clash of strings and keyboard, and then resting on a long orchestral note. It ends, just as it begin. Beautifully.

So there you have it. Any industrial metal band that can successfully pull off a romantic song without being cheesy is a worthy band. And that is Rammstein.

This album is excellent. It has all the elements of a great CD. Musically it is very well organized and textured. Lyrically, it is wonderful even though it is also in German. They have dropped the crude subject matter of before with the exception of zwitter which pokes fun at homosexuals which would offend homosexuals much more than eminem because it is much funnier; whereas eminem is just plain stupid. The lyrics of the other songs are pure poetry. No, I am not talking about the "i'm lonely and my parents hate me poetry" of american rock bands like godsmack and cold. This has style and beauty. Let me give a review of each song with a rating on a scale of 4.

Mein Hertz Brennt (My heart burns)-4/4-fun to listen to. violin arrangements and a nice beat accompanying the melody.

Links 2 3 4 (left 2 3 4) -3.5/4- An amazing industrial-metal song. Reminds me of KMFDM. Awesome riff.

Sonne (sun)-4/4-Melodic song with Till Lindemann going from an angry voice to a powerful melodic voice in the chorus. It also uses a cool sample of a female voice singing.

Ich Will (i want)-3/4-Typical Rammstein song with a strong edge and good angry vocals.

Feuer Frei (fire!)-4/4-Heavy, violent, tough song. enough said.

Mutter(mother) - 4/4-A song about the singer's mother. Heartfelt and powerful.

Spieluhr(game of time)4/4-Gloomy feel and good music.

Zwitter(hermaphrodite)-4/4-Awesome riff and funny lyrics make this a winning song.

Rein Raus-2.5/4-I forgot what the lyrics were about and what the song title was in english. This is a decent song, but doesnt stand out among the other great songs on here.

Adios (spanish for 'bye)-2/4-Most generic song on the cd. It still rocks though.

Nebel(fog)-4/4-Great closing track!!!!!!!!!!

This album is a masterpiece. No songs are bad and every time I listen to it I listen to the whole thing. I strongly advise you to buy it now.

I've listened to alot of music in my time, I listen to everything from Led Zeppelin to Korn to Nightwish and I can safely say that this is one of the best albums ever. I can name 2 or 3 that can even compete with it and none that clearly beat it. Unlike other Rammstein albums, this album has no weak track and it never EVER gets old.

1. Mein Herz Brennt (10/10) A great starting song with an epic chorus filled with string effects. Rammsteins first use of strings is amazing and gives the song a great dynamic. Rammstein lets the listener know immedeately that this album is amazing.

2. Links 234 (9/10) A catchy song with cool guitar that has important lyrics. Alot of people accuse Rammstein of being Nazis (only because they are German and ignorant people cant comprehend that all Germans arent Nazis) This song is a cleverly concealed message to those people.

3. Sonne (11/10) Best song on the album. The chorus to this song is among the best choruses in music and the riff will be stuck in your head for days. The female voice at the end is actually a keyboard but it sounds beautiful none the less. Incredible song.

4. Ich will (11/10) Another amazing song. The chorus, like Sonne, is unreal and will be stuck in your head forever. It also has a great bridge section that really builds up to the epic final chorus. Probably the best concert song ever.

5. Feuer frei! (9/10) This song is seen in XXX and helped Rammstein gain popularity. Its a pretty simple song with crunching riffs and a catchy chorus. Very heavy.

6. Mutter (11/10) This song is a power ballad, and probably the best I've ever heard. Till's emotion when singing this song is one of a kind. The bridge section is amazing and the guitar is great. This is a classic.

7. Spieluhr (9.5/10) A fun song with an awesome chorus featuring a robot voice. The music box keyboarding sounds and awesome and adds a great dynamic. The most underrated song on the album.

8. Zwitter (9/10) A funny song with an annoyingly catchy chorus. A German person probably wouldn't sing this song aloud...Just a fun song overall.

9. Rein raus (9/10) A heavy song with pretty good instrumental work. Another song a German person wouldn't sing aloud. The ending is great.

10. Adios (9.5/10) Rammstein does punk. This is a fast song with catchy guitar and great drumming. Someone who reviewed it called it a slow song, obviously they didn't listen to it. Awesome chorus.

11. Nebel (10/10) Very slow song that starts off kind of boring buts so strongly it gets a 10. The chorus of this song is amazing and the keyboard work is superlative. Good ending