Fans of Rammstein rally to defend the shock rockers

The following comments reflect the views of DW-WORLD.DE readers. DW-WORLD.DE reserves the right to edit for length and appropriateness of content.

Does Rammstein shock you?

From Facebook:

Rammstein is brilliantly engineered sound, mediocre compositions and songwriting and high-power marketing that copies many aspects of what made SS Uniforms so "awesome evil" in Hollywood; pseudo-satanic cult stage shows and an animalistic approach to art. Having a former GDR punk band selling themselves in this way is almost too ironic. -- Olo

Not any more - I've been a fan for so long I know that that's just what they do! -- Hannah

No, it's just an industrial dark metal-type band. So, what else is new? -- Ricky

Rammstein are excellent at what they do. I think it was [singer] Till that once said, "We want to be the band that parents hate." It's part marketing, part love of their genre. I don't think there is anything wrong with any of their songs. There are far more bands singing about far worse things and I love that their songs can be playful or like a spoof, or serious, or dramatic, or political or even ballads. I think they have few peers on the worldwide music stage. -- Andrew

No, they do not, unlike the article which is basically a poor rehash of an article from earlier this year on DW - poor sensationalist journalism. -- Dave

After all these years I still love their music, but there's been so much violence on television, movies and video games. It's almost impossible to become shocked by [any attempt the band makes] at displaying a provocative scene of sorts. Till and the gang are just like every other entertainer, they're just more widely known and the music is way better. -- Elle

I'd rather listen to soft rock and some classical music. Sensationalism and portraying violence at what price? Violence in any form can't be good. -- El

Nope, and they were better before. Rammstein ist Musik für Kinder. [Rammstein is music for children.] -- Rolando

Love seeing this on my news feed, as I'm working on a final project for a Harvard class titled 'Nazi Cinema: Hitler's Hit Parade' with Rammstein as my main focus. (Note: I'm a fan, and I don't find them at all sympathetic to fascism.) -- Sara

I guess it's just a matter of taste. I used to like them, but not so much lately. I've grown out of the dark metal phase, and that goes for any dark or black metal band. History proves that being controversial brings you success. Rammstein feeds off the rebel attitude and darkness of the youth. -- Phil

From e-mails:

I attended Rammstein's last concert in Buenos Aires. They are great! They're just being playful and not hurting anyone. I don't know why some people say they are controversial. -- Ramiro, Argentina

I believe that it's easy to misinterpret Rammstein's text as being provocative. I am of the opinion that no one would take Till Lindeman's text seriously if he did not sing about these things in the first person. Many people will sing about drug use, or physical abuse in the home, or maybe even on more taboo topics but will abstain to a third-person, narrative perspective. Also, Rammstein is never noted for the soft, more romantic songs that they perform. "Ohne Dich" is a prime example of this, which talks of loss and still combines the pulse-sound of Rammstein in certain parts. Overall, Rammstein has set out to do one thing, in which it has been successful: shock people while maintaining a sound that is their own. This formula has worked for them the entire time, and this is what keeps their music fresh. -- Reiter, US

Compiled by Stuart Tiffen and Petra Kusserow
Editor: Martin Kuebler