Explosive Rammstein, great metal plays in Turin

Arsonist, ‘cook’, sexually explicit and even sadistic. Yes he can tell everything about Till Lindemann, leader of Rammstein. Except that it is, along with his band, the contemporary symbol of industrial metal. A genre traditionally considered indigestible to the masses but that the German band has been able to popularize. Proof of this is the impressive series of sold out in all arenas of the tour of ‘Zeit’, the eighth studio album, at the top of the European charts. And the proof of this is the public at the Olympic Stadium in Turin, which after two years of postponements due to Covid, has finally returned to enjoy over two hours of pure show, between cinematic sets and pounding sounds. Those who know them know what Rammstein are made of, an iron band that, despite the obstacle represented by the German language, knows how to drag the public with its martial gait to the sound of granite guitars and – literally – incendiary performances. In Turin, it was just after 9pm when the first notes, those of ‘Armee der Tristen’, echo in the stadium, on a huge stage that recalls in its features a hybrid between Fritz Lang’s ‘Metropolis’ and a brutalist building in Germany’s East. The spotlights on the audience, the Italian flag projected on the maxi screen. ” Good evening Turin ” says Lindemann. It begins. Power and precision. Hard but accessible sound. Like ‘Zick Zack’, the ironic single from the latest album that laughs at the horrors of cosmetic surgery. Till and associates on stage do not spare themselves. Each has a very specific role, between rock star poses and theatrical entertainment: Lindemann directs, Christian ‘Doctor Flake’ Lorenz, main shoulder, performs, in the role of ‘sacrificial victim’ of his cruel games. Lorenz does not stand still for a moment, he has a treadmill to run too while he plays. Richard Kruspe on lead guitar, Paul Landers on rhythm, Oliver Riedel on bass and Christoph Schneider on drums: let the show begin. ‘Links 2-3-4’ starts and the stadium becomes a rhythmic clapping of hands. Everyone sings, dances and moves marching on the tanz metall, a combination of metal and electronic sounds in the Rammstein way. ‘Sehnsucht’, ‘Zeig dich’ and ‘Heirate mich’ are an explosion of fire and flames, ‘Deutschland’ makes the audience tremble with the band mimicking krautrock wearing bright rompers. Each piece is massive, epic. For ‘Puppe’ a gigantic metal wheelchair enters the scene which is then set on fire. ‘Mein Teil’ is a show within a show. As expected, Till Lindemann becomes a horror cook, butcher’s apron, cutlass and flamethrower, drops the keyboard player into the pot to cook it to perfection. But that’s just the beginning of their Granguignolish show. On ‘Du hast’, the band’s first great success, Lindemann spared no effort between fires and continuous explosions. Then the crescendo with ‘Sonne’, ‘Engel’, ‘Ausländer’ and ‘Du riechst so gut’. The stage seems to catch fire. On a scenic level, there are no equals in the world. The grand finale with ‘Pussy’ and Lindemann’s infamous ride on the phallic cannon that floods the front rows of the audience with foam, then ‘Rammstein’, ‘Ich will’ and ‘Adieu’ do the rest. Raw and direct, in Rammstein lives there is no trick and there is no deception and the fans know it. There are those who slept in tents in front of the stadium, those who crossed seas, took flights and trains, drove thousands of kilometers in order not to lose them. Incredible, right? As a historical follower says at the end of the concert: ” It’s always worth it ”. Seeing is believing. (by Federica Mochi)