Why are Rammstein so popular?

BetterThanThou

Lately I've noticed Rammstein is a hugely popular metal band among English speaking people, on the same level as the likes of Slipknot and in some ways the likes of Iron Maiden and Metallica.
But why is this? you'd never see any other foreign band with such prominent vocals become so popular in English speaking countries, so why Rammstein? Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Rammstein's music, but why are they so popular?

symbolic

Marketing, air time, mtv playing Du Hast, known for putting on an impressive live show.

Also du hast in popular culture from Wikipedia:

Featured in The Matrix: Music from the Motion Picture.
Appeared in Gilmore Girls (TV Series, 2001) 2x06 'Presenting Lorelai Gilmore'
Appeared in Bam Margera's CKY2K movie.
The intro to the song appeared on the HBO series Entourage, in reference to Stellan Skarsgård's character on a warpath.
Featured in the music game Rock Band 3 and Guitar Hero 5.
Appeared in an episode of the MTV series Daria, Episode 301 "Through a Lens Darkly", just the intro of the song is played.
Played when the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers come out to the ice to start the game

That's gonna help :-)

Nea

Fire and Flake are the main reasons imo

Links234

Because they're awesome?

Wrongway1985

symbolic wrote: »

Marketing, air time, mtv playing Du Hast, known for putting on an impressive live show.

Also du hast in popular culture from Wikipedia:

Featured in The Matrix: Music from the Motion Picture.
Appeared in Gilmore Girls (TV Series, 2001) 2x06 'Presenting Lorelai Gilmore'
Appeared in Bam Margera's CKY2K movie.
The intro to the song appeared on the HBO series Entourage, in reference to Stellan Skarsgård's character on a warpath.
Featured in the music game Rock Band 3 and Guitar Hero 5.
Appeared in an episode of the MTV series Daria, Episode 301 "Through a Lens Darkly", just the intro of the song is played.
Played when the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers come out to the ice to start the game

That's gonna help :-)

Didn't think music fans watched MTV, they're popularity certainly isn't down to one song,The Matrix was a good platform for it alright but snippets in TV shows? and at this stage what known artists havent been featured in Rock band/guitar hero?

In a music genre where the use sometimes of incoherent vocals even in english is largely accepted the use of the bands native tongue is not worlds away from this however the vocal is usually delivered in a crisp and melodic way once put by band member French may be the language of love but German is angry and suits metal music,movies of another language can be appreciated same goes for music, although a different style of music didnt Sigur Rós pack out the O2 recently?

I think I'd be here all day if I was to give a proper explaination but heres only some reasons; Doctors of music,qualified pyrotecnics,pyro,torture of keyboardist for amusement,rubber dinghy,exploding babies,snow white,controversial,treadmill,fat suits,Angel wings,bandmates on a leash,Willy cannon,coca-cola,wonderbra,porno film,bow & arrow,flame throwers,beach party,the matrix,mortal kombat,XXX,lost highway,mortar hits,strobe lighting,Live aus Berlin, its not even the half of it!! oh did I mention some fire?

Oh and go see them live by the way

GLaDOS

Musically they do the simple things brilliantly.

Add in a superb live show around it, and you have a recipe for success.

Somnus

Wrongway1985 wrote: »

In a music genre where the use sometimes of incoherent vocals even in english is largely accepted the use of the bands native tongue is not worlds away from this

I think this does have a big part to play. I know in my case, the actual lyrics in the vast majority of music I listen to don't really matter to me. It's more about the music and the vocal delivery. And I think that the majority of metal fans are more concerned with the music rather than the lyrics.

And as ScienceNerd said, they write simple,catchy songs. In fact I nearly feel they get away with a level of simplicity that most other metal would be challenged over!

Live, they are amazing. And the shock factor they like to bring to their music does what they intend it to, attract them attention.

Also love Sigur Rós :P

GreeBo

ich will
und
sonne

weisses

Its the only band i saw live that made me forget to drink my beer during the show

Lawrence1895

It speaks for itself

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e502auOnLuA

Napper Hawkins

Was never completely sold on them, though I do like a handful of their songs.
I suppose it's the voice that I could never get my head around, I'm not the biggest fan of the German language.

mr lee

they rock

DrumSteve

I've seen them live twice.

If you have to see any band before you die, go see them.

Their songs are a somewhat acquired taste (kinda like a german metal depeche mode) but they are utterly brilliant live.

PTH2009

Volbeat are another band that are fairly big around europe but not really known in Ireland

Arghus

First and foremost it comes down to the music. Whether they sing in German or any other language, their songs, at least the ones that are well known, are great. Heavy but yet always hooky. Someone said elsewhere in the thread that they know how to do the simple things well and I think that's true. They don't write songs that get more intricate the more you listen to them but I think they're great musicians in their own way. They have a unique sound without sounding exactly the same in ever song. They can sound monolithly heavy but also have a lightness of touch. Also a very consistent band, their whole discography is pretty solid.

Another aspect of their sound which is a big factor in their awesomeness is the manner in which they make use of the non "metal" part of the band. Flake, with all his synths and whatever else, keeps it interesting and varied. Listen to Engel. It's not their heaviest song but it's so damn catchy. That haunting part with the female/child vocals- I don't have the foggiest what they are actually saying but it gets stuck in my head every time. The riff is simple but fantastic. And that whistling melody is pretty unforgettable.

It's been said everywhere that they are an incredible live band. It's completely true. I only saw them the once, the gig back in February 2012 but it was probably the best live experience I've ever had. You know the story- pyros, dinghys, giant penis cannons, flamethrowers, simulated sodomy. Fun for everyone. It'd all feel a bit stupid if it wasn't for the brilliant songs but thanks to them it goes beyond that, into the realm of demented genius. I remember the silly grin everyone had on their faces after the spectacle had finished. A grin that said; money well spent. I remember a few people I knew baulked at the price of the tickets. I pitied those fools back then and will continue to do so for quite some time

Reading about it is one thing and feeling the unexpected heat of a raw jet of flame is another, you should really check them out if you get the chance.

Lastly they have my respect for being true to themselves. Aside from singing in German it's pretty amazing that they've become this huge of a band. Their sense of humour is so warped and their videos, for the most part, are so grotesque it's amazing that they have garnered the exposure. Sure there's probably hundreds of metal bands who write darker material but I can't think of many that have dealt with so many taboo subjects whilst selling millions of records. It doesn't mean that I think to shock people is great in and of itself, but rather that instead of selling out they've remained a fairly provocative band throughout their career. I think that they are intelligent satirists as well as being an awesome band.

What's not to like?

RobbingBandit

Amerika would be my reason, love that song both the original and the English dubbed version.

DazMarz

The Matrix introduced me to Du Hast. That was in 1999, when my musical tastes were being formed, and I loved it. It was angry, heavy, orchestral, grandiose and was just brilliant. I heard it, and I wanted to hear more.

To my eternal shame, I've never seen them live. But from what I've seen/heard/been-told, it is one of the best live shows from any metal band. Just a spectacular visual feast, backed up by songs that, as someone else mentioned, are simple but brilliantly done.

I think the German language is up there amongst the most sinister and naturally evil sounding languages in the world (Russian might be up there too). Try screaming something angrily in English. It's ok. In French, it sounds like a recipe. In Dutch, it sounds like the world's best stag weekend. In German... it's straight from the bowels of hell and conjures up images of mental screaming soldiers. No offence intended to any Germans; I think it's a cool language because it sounds so sinister and could make anything sound so heavy metal. Even the Metal-umlaut was born from the German language (probably).

They were also coming onto the consciousness of the metal masses in the mid-1990's, when heavy metal was changing irrevocably and anything went. But unlike some metal trends (grunge, nu-metal, etc.), Rammstein transcended it all and rose slowly and inexorably further. They are immensely popular.

It also has to do with power; the power in their songs is unbelievable. The guitars, the drums, the bass, the synths and the jackhammer vocals. All combine to create songs that will make the windows rattle in their frames and can help to wake the dead. Sure, all metal tries to be powerful and loud, but Rammstein's is just a step above in terms of pure aural power.

I'm not their biggest fan, but I love most of their songs. They are a talented bunch of lads who hit the nail on the head at the right time, in the right place and in the right way. And now they're reaping the rewards. They're also dedicated to their craft and appear to love what they're doing.

I also love that unlike other seminal German metal acts (see: Scorpions, Accept, Helloween, etc.), they sing in their native tongue. Risky, bold and ballsy. And it worked. While it was amusing sometimes to see some of the aforementioned bands having a good time mangling the English language (and Klaus Meine's vocals could make a Jehovah's Witnesses pamphlet sound sexual), it was really cool to see a band make the move to sing in their own language. I bet you some record exec somewhere thought it was career suicide to do so. But I think it only added to their appeal.

In honour of this thread, I've been listening to Mutter as I'm writing this. Yeow, it's awesome! Forgot how good it was!

sham69

Friend gave me a loan of an album back in '97, it blew me away, thought it was amazing.
Only got to see them live 2 years ago or so and wow, what a gig.
Definitely the best SHOW I have ever been to.
As said before, one of the bands you have to see, simply stunning.

Ash.J.Williams

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Musically they do the simple things brilliantly.

Add in a superb live show around it, and you have a recipe for success.

i agree...even the drums..they sound so simple but they are rock solid. Also the fact they are the most exciting live band in the world...and the songs are f**ing good!!....oh and their sense of humour!

MetzgerMeister

It's all down to the fact that they are genuinely one of the best bands in the world if not THE best. They were unheard of outside of Germany and surrounding countries until Du Hast came out but they really hit it big with Sonne and Feuer Frei and got loads of publicity through the Vin Diesel film xXx.

I've been into them since I was 11 through seeing Lost Highway. I'm 28 now and they are still my number 1 band. I've memorised the lyrics, done translations on fan sites and kind of study the several ambiguous meanings of the songs all in aid of starting a tribute band. Alas, I never found 5 others as dedicated as I am

Rammstein are a huge part of my life (I did German for JC, LC and in college because of them) and in years gone by, a lot of people are catching on. If they played the Point in say, 1999, a handful of people would have gone. They filled the O2 last year (the best night of my life) all thanks mainly to Mutter.

Rammstein für immer

hellyeah

Have to say i saw them at download festivel this year and without a doubt they blew me and the crowd away. Was not a fan before this festivel apperance( i knew a few songs) Have seen every band you can imagine(im 38) going to gigs for 20 years, but this was the best show/live performance from any metal act period. To do a full set at donnington in your native languege takes some balls, but they defo won the crowd over that night. 10/10.
Go see them before its to late.