I’m still surprised that I took me this long to do reviews from the first ever band I covered in my overview series. Rammstein is a band that just about anybody who’s a fan of Industrial Metal in the United States, and to not cover them after giving them such a big look at the start of 2015 is a crime in my opinion. Last week I covered the album that brought me into the Rammstein fold, and today I’m taking a look at the record that gave the band some new energy. So get your survival gear & compass, make sure you’re bundled up, and enjoy my review for the 2004 hit Reise Reise......or more specifically......the 2005 Japanese Edition of Reise Reise. Let’s begin!
Background
With the release of Mutter, Rammstein had become a smash success. With many of the songs become fan favorites here in the states, it would seem likely that the band would be stronger than ever. Sadly, there were issues within the group: tensions seemed high, and at times it appeared as if they were moments away from breaking up (It was during this time that Richard Kruspe began to form the basics of Emigrate, which I’ll cover in it’s own mini-overview eventually). To prevent this, they decided that a break was in order so that splitting up wouldn’t occur. And so for a small few years they went their separate ways, but never forgot that the fans were out there. Getting back together, they made their way to El Cortijo Studios in Spain, and from 2002 to 2003, recorded what would become their next release, and on September the 24th, 2004, Reise Reise was released.
Taken from Wikipedia:
“The album was recorded in Spain (El Cortijo Studio, Malaga) and produced by Jacob Hellner and Rammstein. The band recorded several songs during the sessions for "Reise, Reise" which were omitted from the album's final track listing and were later released on their follow-up album Rosenrot. A statement from the band's management regarding the upcoming collection reads as follows:
After the production period of the album, there were many songs which did not find a place on 'Reise, Reise' due to dramaturgical reason but are now completed. This is not unusual. As 'Ohne Dich' derived from the production of 'Mutter', many songs have been sitting to be completed for a year and shall now come to light. Which songs remains to be seen and is up to the band only.
The record company stated:
"When we were introduced to the tracks of "Reise, Reise", many fascinating songs were among them, which were suddenly missing on the album. Among others I remember one song, which we all believed to be the first single of the album. The song was "Rosenrot", and when we had to realize that the band changed their minds and it did not even make it on to the album, we were speechless. The album was perfect nevertheless, but their enormous self-confidence surprised us."”
The reception for Reise Reise was mixed from music critics. David Jeffries from Allmusic gave the album 3 out of 5 stars, stating that the content "is more of the same: the same grit, the same growl, and the same dramatic, orchestra choruses" and that “the lead single, "Mein Teil" is no "Du Hast" but the damning "Amerika" almost equals their breakthrough track”. He goes on to say that there was a bit more ingenuity in the production and a little more focus in the songs but it wasn't "enough for the nonfaithful to pick up on". Vaz Malik from the BBC also gave Reise Reise a mixed rating, saying that the band could probably be "a lot bigger" in the United States if they opted to sing in English, but "German sounds a lot more threatening and it's done them no harm in their homeland". PopMatters writer Tim O'Neil gave the album a favorable review and said: "for those with the patience to look beyond the "Teutonic bluster" and punk insouciance, "Reise Reise" will be a uniquely rewarding experience."
Reise Reise managed to sell 26,716 copies in the United States in its first week of release in November 2004, managing to snag the no. 61 on The Billboard 200 chart. It also managed to get into the top 10 charts in several European charts and reached number one hit in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Iceland, Finland, Estonia and Mexico. As of February 2006, Reise Reise has shipped 1.5 million copies globally.
Background (Part 2)
Okay, here’s where things get dark.....really dark.
Rammstein typically gets their inspiration from a lot of sources. Famous lunatics, politics, and many other more grim & serious things. However, with Reise Reise, they got their travel & exploration theme from the disastrous Japan Airlines 123 crash. On August 12th 1985, the flight in question would suffer a serious catastrophic malfunction due to faulty repair work (The plane in question got into an accident 7 years earlier). The faulty repair work in question would cause rapid decompression, ripped off a large portion of the tail, and caused the loss of hydraulic controls to the entire plane. The plane would crash into the area of Mount Takamagahara, Ueno, Gunma Prefecture, 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Tokyo thirty-two minutes after taking off. All of the crew were killed, and 505 out of the 509 passenger would die as well. It was considered one of the worst aviation disasters in Japan’s history (The 2nd was the 1977 Tenerife airport disaster), one of the worst Boeing 737 disasters, and is still considered the worst aircraft disaster in all of flight’s history, even in 2018. So what else does this have to do with Rammstein you ask?
In addition to using this disaster, the band used the final 30 seconds of 123's black box, and made the album cover to look like a black box (With the words “Do Not Open” on the front of the cover). Not necessarily wanting to cause a stir in the land of the rising sun, they took out the 30 seconds, replaced the album artwork with a slightly modified version of Rosenrot’s artwork (Which they would reuse again on Rosenrot itself), and put on 2 remixes of songs to replace what was taken out. Ironically, Reise Reise would get re-released in 2009, complete with the original artwork & 30 seconds of audio, but keeping the remixes on. That version I’ve never been able to find. Here's what the American/European one looks like:
Familiar yet different.
I found it strange listening to the American & Japanese edition back to back. Outside of some small elements, they’re practically the same. The same songs, the same amount of songs, and for the most part the same running time (More on that below). If they’re so similar, then why do I seem to like this version more? I’m not exactly sure. I didn’t feel any different listening to the Japanese version when I compared it to the American version.....but it’s the little things that charmed me. Using alternate artwork, taking out some audio, and replacing said audio with special songs, almost makes it feel like I’m listening to a completely different album. It’s really something to experience oddly enough, and I challenge anybody who reads this to listen to both version back to back. Maybe you’ll feel the same way I did when I was done.
Best Track
I gotta give some love to Amerika for being the best track. Though I especially enjoy the English translated version (Which you can listen to here), I admit that the original version still charms me on occasion. For the longest time, I always thought that this song was a positive look on the United States. Sure some of the imagery was a little odd, but overall I thought it was positive. After doing some research, and brushing my ignorance off, I realized that I was a negative look at the U.S., or more specifically how the U.S.’s culture can overwhelming many other cultures of the world. I admit at first I was offended, but getting some flashes of our then president George W. Bush shortly after......that offense quickly went away.
Amerika
Since I’m covering the Japanese edition of this album, I gotta talk about the two bonus tracks. Since the 2005 Japanese version had the black box audio taken out, some other material was put in as a substitute. For starters, we got a funky remix of Meil Teil done by the Pet Shop Boys (An iconic group in their own right), and a alternative edition of Amerika. Called the “Digital Hardcore Mix”, this version seems a bit more aggressive, and is a little more likely to go for the jugular than the original. Like I said earlier, taking out some audio, replacing it with different material, and creating a brand cover really does make for something new. While these two remixes do make for a slightly longer album, it’s strangely worth it.
Meil Teil (Pet Shop Boys Remix)
Amerika (Digital Hardcore Mix)
Worst Track
Absolutely nothing! Whether it’s the American, European, or Japanese edition, Rammstein really crafted a perfect album. From top to bottom, every song is great to listen to, even if some aren’t my favorite. The only real fault lies with the Japanese Edition, and I think you all know where this is going. Coming out in 2005, this edition is well over a decade old (It’s 13 years old at this point), and finding it online for purchase is next to impossible, especially in an American market. I was fortunate to find a few copies on Amazon way back in 2010, and my Grandmother on my Mom’s side bought it for me for I think close to 40 dollars (That’s with tax included I believe), which is actually cheap considering how expensive other Japanese releases of western albums can be. Finding a link to download this version isn’t impossible, but finding a reliable link can be tricky.
Apart from that, the only other thing one could complain about is that the Japanese Edition is basically the same as that of the American and European. Some fundamental aspects are most definitely different, but overall nothing is really different about the music. To be honest, the only reason to get this version besides the extra tracks, is purely for collecting.
Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then check out the links below:
Reise Reise (1 Song Is Missing)
Overall Impression & Rating
Reise Reise in and of itself is a great album. Rammstein really felt like a refreshed band when they released it, and it shows by how incredibly well aged it is. The Japanese Edition is pretty much in the same both. Despite basically being the same thing, it’s the little stuff that was tweaking & changed & added on that really give it an identity of it’s own. If you’ve got the cash to buy a copy, or at the very least know of some music sites with a possible download link, it really is worth pursuing.
Reise Reise: Japanese Edition gets a 9 out of 10.
So this was the last review of Industrial Metal Insanity, and it ended on a high note. Reise Reise has really become the gold standard out of all of Rammstein’s albums, and there’s a reason you hear the title track at their shows. Whether it’s the American, European, or Japanese edition, you’ll have one of the 2000s’s best metal albums period. I’ll see you all next week, when I’ll show off some Industrial Metal albums that are essential for one’s collection. See you then!
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If you’re curious about the events that led to the crash of Japan Airlines 123, along with the subsequent black box recording, then check out the links below:
Japan Airlines Flight 123 (Wikipedia)
Japan Airlines Flight 123 Black Box (Youtube)(The Final 30 seconds is what’s on the American/ European album)
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