martindavey87 My introduction to Rammstein originally came when I heard their song 'Engel' on the 'Mortal Kombat: Annihilation' soundtrack sometime around the year 2000. I was 13 years-old, I shamefully loved that film at the time, though I realize now how terrible it is (but the soundtrack sure does kick ass!). With that said, I initially mocked the band. I thought 'Engel', with its German lyrics, sung in a ridiculously deep, baritone voice, was bloody hilarious.

I was wrong.

1997's 'Sehnsucht', Rammstein's second album, is a huge improvement upon it predecessor. The compositions are much more polished and the overall performances are more confident than before. Here is a band who have their sound, they know who they are and what they're doing, and they fully embrace every aspect of their music. The guitar riffs are much weightier than before, and the keyboards play a much more integral role. Vocalist Till Lindemann's deep, raspy vocals, despite sometimes seeming fairly repetitive, fit the music perfectly.

There's plenty of elements here that gives the album a more "industrial" feel, and with its improved production, darker lyrics and continuing Rammstein's trend of shocking and sexual imagery, 'Sehnsucht' gives the band the "bigness" their music needed.

With hits such as 'Tier', 'Engel', 'Bestrafe Mich', 'Eifersucht' and one of the groups most famous songs, 'Du Hast', 'Sehnsucht' isn't just a landmark album in industrial metal, but in heavy metal in general.

siLLy puPPy SEHNSUCHT (yearning) is the album where RAMMSTEIN really got their sound and image honed perfectly. The metal riffs are much tighter and more interesting than on their debut album and a new burst of creativity finds all kinds of interesting ways to usher those metal riffs in. Starting with the very first cut which is the title track we hear some cut-off yodeling followed by a high-energy synthesizer ushering in some serious danceable metal guitar riffing, electronic sounding percussion and ominous growling vocals in the German language! Although this formula pretty much stays the same throughout the album, many of the sounds that usher in the metal vary. On “Engel (angel)” for example, it starts out with a whistling melody, “Tier (animal)” with a snazzy drum riff with a cool guitar intro and so forth and so on.

One could argue that this is a metallization of what the industrial band Einstürzende Neubauten came up with over a decade earlier as many of the frenetic synth lines are right out of their playbook and for anyone familiar with their style it’s hard to miss, however despite the influence in the synth industrial section of RAMMSTEIN, they manage to pack a powerful punch with the metal hooks and creepy Third Reich type vocal style as well as with their occupied Germany type marching style of the rhythms. All in all they crafted and honed their sound to exemplify a robotic and cold emotional state that is glossed over electronica frosting. Metal disco maybe? You sure can dance to this shit.

This was my first RAMMSTEIN album and so enchanted by this unique sound that I have played this to death. The mix of the aggressive metal with the sensual additional sounds is very entertaining to say the least. You get the strange layering of growling aggressive male vocals with beautiful female background ooo's and aahhh's and full on metal riffing with heavenly melodic synth lines often reminding me of Kraftwerk as well as the Einstürzende Neubauten influence. This album has some really strong tracks but unfortunately not all are created equal bringing it down as a whole. My version has a twelfth hidden track called “Stripped” which is a Depeche Mode cover sung in English. A huge step up from “Herzleid.”

Warthur A big, stompy beat, a danceable rhythm, mildly sterile industrial-tinged guitar riffs and German vocals chanted like a sentence of death. Rammstein's formula is not a complex one, but it's fun for about the running time of an album, and Sehnsucht is a decent enough implementation of that. If you've heard Du Hast - and if you remember 1997 you're probably very familiar with it - you've basically heard the formula the rest of the songs here follow, so add a star if you really, really loved Du Hast and take one a way if you absolutely cannot stand the track - and don't go in expecting a wild variation in sound.

AtomicCrimsonRush A sensational album that stunned me from the opening industrial onslaught to the end. Tier, Engel and du Hast have some of the best riffs you will hear. The precision razor sharp riffing is hypnotic and then those German growling lyrics take it to a new level. had heard nothing like it. I have no idea what they are saying but it sounds dark and angry.

The machinated riffs really drive like nails into a coffin and the lid is hammered shut. This is new metal and I like it. After this the band became more commercial and had fans reaching for their German translation manuals. They had a grotesque but captivating image back then too. Make no mistake, these riffs will stay in your brain. It is simply brilliant guitar work.

Matt Recorded in November 1996 and not released until August 1997 this is the album that put the Rammstein on the map and reached number one in Germany after only two weeks in the charts. Produced by Jacob Hellner as the prevous album Herzeleid was. Same band with Till Lindemann leading proceedings with vocals and their first Industrial Masterpiece was created.Two singles were taken form the album, the first being Engel previous to the album release and the 2nd Du Hast came out in August the same time as the album.

As with all Rammstein's productions driving rythmn is the key with one full on approach and this album is no exception Predominately sung in German which is half the magic with the band as the dialect just seems so natural for Metal. The title track Sehnsucht begins the album and with an electronic opening which quickly gives way to a driving guitar riff and that rythmn is pushing the whole thing along,with the chorus at a different Tempo but not rythmn, voices backing up with the Chorus ending with the repition of Sehnsucht you have one serious Metal tune as every other is on this album. Engel the first single follows along and almost just as driving with the voice of the female singer Bobo ( full Name Bobolina) really giving the song texture.Tier is third and is more hard driving music and what would you expect but in amongst all this full on Metal attack you have quite moments often placed into tunes which perhaps makes the music so interesting for me and distinct. Track 5 Du Hast is just another perfect Rammstein moment as every track is on this album.

If you are a Rammstein fan you would own this essential album from their catalogue but if not this is one great Industrial Masterpiece and your life will not be complete if you do not hear Sehnsucht. Seriously this band has enbraced modern Metal as this reviewer has and what a welcome style has been created. Masterpiece of course.