Good – art for cheap

RAMMSTEIN by Rammstein

RAMMSTEIN (or the untitled album) is the seventh studio album from German metal band Rammstein. It is composed of six members– Till Lindemann, Richard Z. Kruspe, Paul Landers, Oliver Riedel, Christoph Schneider, and Christian Lorenz. Needless to say, this is not the band’s first rodeo, as they have been making music for the last 25 plus years. Though they are famous for their controversial lyrics, themes, and performances, it would be a mistake to discount the German band as mere mindless shock metal. Combining elements of dancehall metal, gothic, and symphonic metal, Rammstein’s latest album is a testament to this.

The Bad: The most glaring error in RAMMSTEIN is the far weaker second leg of the album. Excluding the finale, “HALLOWMANN”, the last half is underwritten and rather boring compared to the dynamism displayed in the first half. The energy seems lost by “WAS ICH LIEBE”, and Rammstein never seems to fully regain their footing. The drumming on many songs is rather underwhelming, especially on the otherwise great “ZEIG DICH” and the less fun “TATTOO”. Many songs drag on for a bit too long (only two songs clock in shorter than four minutes), leaving a few good choruses and instrumentals feeling a bit dry by the third visit.

The Good: It is hard to not nod along to any of the infectiously aggressive songs of RAMMSTEIN. Lindemann’s vocals border on operatic at times, his deep-throated voice carrying many instrumentals to their landing point. I really enjoy his cocky, masculine inflections—the songs really wouldn’t feel the same without it. His emotionally charged performances on “DEUTSCHLAND” and “PUPPE” are high points on the album. The instrumentals, especially on the first leg, are majestic and surprisingly catchy. “DEUTSCHLAND”, “RADIO”, and “AUSLANDER” are immensely satisfying tracks that employ synths and keyboard well. The bass is clear but gritty, adding a sense of blunt sharpness. Guitars snarl and vibrate, taking their time to sink in. But the most surprising, and most commendable aspect of RAMMSTEIN was its lyrical and thematic depth. Far from the run of the mill shock rock lyricism, Lindemann paints vibrant and dark pictures of issues like nationality, abuse, religion, and hypocrisy. The band never shies away from their truth, a trait I find impressive. “DEUTSCHLAND” is a great example of this. The band looks at their country in shades of gray, presenting a conflicted feeling of pride, guilt, and anger toward their motherland. “ZEIG DICH” is another great cut that really displays the atypical poetry of Rammstein. “ZEIG DICH” displays a saddened disgust for the hypocrisy of modern day religion in an interesting way. Instead of condemning it as a whole, Lindemann seems to really attack the hypocrisy of much of the clergy. As a catholic, it is not hard to admit the failures of my church’s authority in recent years. An echoing choir accompanies the song throughout, creating not only an interesting statement lyrically, but also sonically.

Conclusion: Throughout RAMMSTEIN’s 46 minutes of vocal aggression and thundering instrumentals, there were many standout moments. I only wish they didn’t all appear in the first 25. I found myself returning to “AUSLANDER”, “SEX”, and “RADIO” more than the rest of the track list. It is disappointing that Rammstein’s combination of NDH, Gothic, and industrial could not keep pace throughout the album. I really did enjoy this album, and I hope that next time, Lindemann and company can summon the same bravado and masochistic magnetism through a whole project.

I give this album 7 UBERS out of 10. Thanks for reading.

Review: Eternal Atake by Lil Uzi Vert

Eternal Atake is the second studio album from Philly rapper, singer, songwriter Symere Woods aka Lil Uzi Vert. It has been about three years since the last album, LUV is Rage 2, came out. This was an album that I enjoyed quite a bit, with songs like XO Tour Lif3, 444+222, and 20 min really standing out to me as catchy, infectious cuts with a lot of really enjoyable vocals. More than a songwriter or lyricist, Uzi’s main contribution to his songs come in the shape of his unique vocals and above average flows, which he displayed fairly well throughout mixtapes like Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World and The Perfect LUV Tape. Now, after years of hype, years of excruciating label drama, the wait is over. I went into this album with high expectations. After nearly three years in the lab, and more resources than ever before, I wanted an opus, and I’m sure many other fans of Uzi did as well. I wanted a Rodeo, or a Die Lit, or a Jeffrey. I enjoyed the singles leading up to the release, Futsal Shuffle and That Way. Long story short, this album was anticipated as a game changer, at least by me. And, after listening to it almost selectively for the last two weeks, I can’t help but be a little disappointed.

The Bad: The immense excitement that I had going in was nearly all gone by the halfway point of the project. Tracks in the first half are produced well, and Uzi does a good job switching flows and delivering some really sticky moments (Balenci Balenci Balenci Balenci) but they remain a little underwhelming. One of the main problems with the first half is how little sonic variety there is. The first six tracks are almost identical. None are bad by any means, but after a few listens, the 3:30 plus tracks can feel dragged out and underwritten, a little repetitive and sometimes, kinda boring. I’m Sorry is honestly kind of annoying, and so is Urgency (which has the only feature on the entire record for some indiscernible reason). The real problem is not what’s there, but rather, what isn’t: a historic moment for trap rap or pop hip-hop that has long been the anticipation for Atake.

The Good: When I first saw the 19 song track list and hour plus length, I balked a little. But Uzi does a great job of commanding attention throughout the entire record. Silly Watch, You Better Move, and Homecoming are pretty good, classic Uzi, and while they don’t have as much staying quality as some other songs from Eternal Atake, they are solid, if repetitive, bops. Chrome Heart Tags, Prices, and Venetia contain a bit of the personality from cuts like XO Tour Lif3 and Scott and Ramona. And P2, the concluding track (not counting the bonus tracks) is a sequel to Uzi’s biggest hit, Tour Lif3. TM88 does a great job of essentially remixing his own track, bringing in some new elements while still retaining the emotional grip of the original. There are some spectacular moments like the Travis Scott sample on Prices, the last verse of POP, the Chief Keef produced beat for Chrome Heart Tags, and the song outros that tell a short story of alien abduction and escape adding a level of mystery and intrigue to an otherwise pretty typical trap project.

Conclusion: Uzi’s personality and flamboyance lift Eternal Atake above other otherwise similar trap projects. He sticks to a theme of extraterrestrial adventure surprisingly well, and commands attention all through the long album. Unfortunately, EA still is just an Uzi project—and struggles to pull itself above trap clichés and occasionally boring songwriting. Perhaps this album was doomed to fail at least a little. After three years of radio silence from such a beloved figure, it was hard to not expect a groundbreaking, classic level album. Instead of a Rodeo, we got an Astroworld—not bad by any means, but heartbreakingly underwritten, unable to rise above the artist’s past music. The worst thing about this album is, despite how good it is, Atake is still unable to get over the bar it set for itself. I would not hesitate to recommend this album to a fan of Uzi’s past work or trap music in general, but Eternal Atake still plays it a bit too safe.

I give this album 7 close encounters out of 10. Thanks for reading.