Sehnsucht [11 Tracks] (CD - 1998)

First introduced to the public in the soundtrack to David Lynch's LOST HIGHWAY, Rammstein produces a unique brand of menacing Teutonic rock, reconciling forebears (and admitted influence) Kraftwerk with the sonic assault of Nine Inch Nails. SEHNSUCHT manages to come on strong enough to get the Germans to forget about David Hasselhoff--at least for a while.

As the eerie Arabic sample which introduces the opening title track dissolves into a crushing electric guitar attack, the listener descends into the dark sonic dungeon that is Rammstein. Vocalist Till Lindemann growls atop the group's twin guitar force, intoning the band's strangely romantic lyrics with snarling menace; the result is brutal drama of the highest order. From the exotic sonic experimentation of "Tier" to the tight crunch of "Buck Dich," SEHNSUCHT is a heavy, scary thrill ride, pausing for breath only with the comically soft "Klavier." minimize