Reise Reise

Taking three years to release their follow-up to MUTTER is a good idea since REISE, REISE is more of the same -- the same grit, the same growl, and the same dramatic, orchestra choruses. There's a bit more ingenuity in the production and a little more focus in the songs but not enough for the nonfaithful to pick up on. Unfortunately the lead single, "Mein Teil," is no "Du Hast," but the damning "Amerika" almost equals their breakthrough track. Whether or not Rammstein's label has the guts to release the band's acerbic "Coca-Cola/Sometimes War" view of the States as a single is another question, but it's the key track to the album, an album that has a couple more, minor surprises. The loose, bluesy guitar on "Los" adds some quirk to the band's stern, Teutonic palette, while the sinister "Stein Um Stein" creeps more than stomps in parts. That's it for twists and turns, but few bands can industrially grind as convincingly as Rammstein. Same as it ever was, REISE, REISE won't do much to increase the band's fan base, but being a tight, free-of-filler album, it'll satisfy the faithful. ~ David Jeffries