Most rock fans will best know Till Lindemann as the leather-wearing, shock-provoking, letter “R” rolling frontman of German metal band Rammstein. But under the guise of Lindemann, Till joins forces with Swedish death metal’s Peter Tägtgren (of the bands Hypocrisy and Pain). With his side project, Till wears leather, provokes for shock effect, and rolls his Rs. Some habits are hard to break.
In late November 2019, Lindemann (the band) will release its sophomore full-length. But unlike the band’s 2015 debut, this one features lyrics in the German language. So this month, let’s raise those devil horns high and learn German with the music of metal duo Lindemann.
Get to Know This Rammstein Side-Project
The pair released their first music together as Lindemann in 2015. But the partnership goes back further. The two met around 2000 in a Stockholm rock ‘n’ roll bar. Fast-forward to a Rammstein hiatus in 2013 when the side-project really took shape.
When the pair did decide to collaborate, Tägtgren revealed in an interview that they worked separately for the first six months. They relied on telephone and email for communication. When they did finally end up in the same room and ready to record, the pair flew through the process.
The Music of Lindemann
Fans of Rammstein likely will find Lindemann familiar. The lyrics can be brutal. The accompanying music videos can be even more graphic. They often challenge censorship laws, especially in Lindemann’s native Germany. But even with this heavy-handed and often violent imagery, there is still a pop-aspect to the music. Sometimes it is a swirling melody while other times it is a catchy chorus or hook. Regardless, the duo is two musicians with decades of combined experience and success and it shows.
In 2015, the duo debuted with Skills in Pills. What is especially interesting is that the songs of the album are completely in English, which isn’t the native tongue for either Lindemann or Tägtgren. The album hit the top of the charts in Finland and Germany. Not to be outdone, it broke into the top ten in nearly a dozen further European countries.
When the dynamic duo return in 2019 to follow up Skills in Pills, they do things decidedly a little differently. Most notably F&M is eleven tracks (or thirteen on the deluxe edition) in German. As with their debut, Tägtgren also acts as producer on the album. The tracks from F&M are largely taken from a score the pair did for an adaption of the play Hansel & Gretel.
But don’t take my word for it. Lindemann shows are already scheduled for February 2020 across Europe — and in many cases, they’re already sold out! However, with this kind of demand, surely they will schedule additional shows, right?
Looking for another Ohrwurm to help you learn German? Check out previously featured musicians and bands!
Photo by Jens Koch, courtesy of Lindemann’s Facebook page. This post contains affiliate links.
