Quick review (if anyone still cares):
Reise, Reise as an album doesn't mix well. Its easier to think of it as 11 seperate tracks of audio-experimentation. Overall Rammstein keeps is signature sound (Vocals mixed loud so the frontman doesn't have to scream his lyrics, guitars turned down so they don't compete with drums, and a keyboard used mostly to sample strange synthetic instruments: harmonica and accordian for this album. Lots and lots of 'fuzz' for the guitars.Also you get a background "choir" in most of the tracks). Overall a polished and compressed mix, don't expect this to be mistaken for a live show. If you're familiar with the material,
Reise Reise is more
Mutter, less
Herzeleid.
Now that we're all caught up and on the same page, I can give track-specific notes. As I said; this album is really more of a collection of different "sounds". None of the tracks really have anything to do with anything else.
Track 1.
Reise Reise, also the namesake of the album, is a catchy heavy metal tune. Featuring the 'afore mentioned "chorus" and a moderate pace. I'd say this song is closest to
Mutter stylistically.
Track 2.
Mein Teil, is the albums Nu*Metal headbanging song. Expect it to be popular with 17 year olds in mosh pits.
Track 3.
Dalai Lama, the albums 'throw-away' song. Its just not very catchy.
Track 4.
Keine Lust, Is the thrash-metal track. Danger! Excessive guitar wailing beyond this point! Oddly reminds me of Megadeath's
Train of Consequence
Track 5.
Los, Rammstein works with a properly tuned guitar and a harmonica! A moody Goth-Rockabilly jingle in German. I'd buy a whole album of this
Track 6.
Amerika, Rammsteins snarky message to trans-global corporations and the westernization of the globe. I'd have included the Mtv music video as a CD-rom extra on the disk. frontman also has a great accent for saying "Coca-Cola"
Track 7.
Moskau, If an Industrial metal band ever tried to be a Glam-rock band. This song would result.
Track 8.
Morgenstern, Despite a slow start, we get something that sounds like a lost Stadium-rock classic. Pretty good, would make for a killer live song.
Track 9.
Stein um Stein, The ballad, by way of Leonard Cohen's 'The Future' album and mix in some Type O Negative.
Track 10.
Ohne Dich, The weepy ballad. Expect at least one suicide to this song somewhere in the world.
Track 11.
Amour, And to finish the album off we get "Amour".Which is what happens when Heavy Metal crossbreeds with Alt-Rock, circa 1995.
What you end up with is an ecclectic jumble of 'stuff'. Your regular chuckleheads would do well to stick with Sehnsucht and herzeleid. Hardcore fans will buy this as a matter-of-fact, and everyone else I give the suggestion to take the tracks that sound most-appealing and download them individually (From a legal e-store of course).