F & M

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The end of the 2010s was a bountiful time for Rammstein fans. In addition to another set from guitarist Richard Z. Kruspe's Emigrate side project, the industrial metal titans returned with their first album in a decade. All the while, frontman Till Lindemann was busy working on his own artistic endeavors, teaming with Lindemann co-conspirator Peter Tagtgren on 2018's modern stage adaptation of Hansel und Gretel. Songs from the appropriately dark and perverse retelling later found new life on Lindemann's sophomore effort, F&M ("Frau & Mann," German for woman and man). As on 2015's Skills in Pills, F&M allows both men to spread their wings away from their main duties with Rammstein and Pain. However, unlike that shock-hungry and often absurd debut, F&M balances the twisted camp that Lindemann is especially known for and infuses it with emotional heft. Part of the appeal this time around might owe to the fact that Till is in his natural element, performing and writing lyrics in his native German. Thus, the songs sound less forced and campy, while the lyrics benefit from his underrated poetry (Skills' "Yukon" and "Home Sweet Home" were just hints at what was to come). The most compelling of the bunch happen to come from Hansel und Gretel. These highlights include the pounding "Allesfresser" ("Omnivore"), the explosive "Knebel" ("Gag"), and the beautiful "Schlaf Ein" ("Go to Sleep"). Both theatrical and emotive, the tracks blend seamlessly with the songs written for the album, injecting atmospheric dread, touches of drama, and a depth that just wasn't found on Skills. For the Rammstein fans, the non-Hansel und Gretel songs are familiar enough to pretend they are lost Rammstein B-sides (the pulsing industrial-disco "Platz Eins" takes it all the way back to the synth-washed glory of Herzeleid), though Tagtgren puts enough of his own wild spin on the production to separate this material from that of its much bigger cousin. The riotous title track -- which rides the repeated cries of "aye-ya-yay!" -- and the slinky tango of "Ach So Gern" ("Oh So Much") provide an interesting mid-stretch distraction, but overall, F&M sticks to what Till and Tagtgren do best: crushing riffs and towering theatrics with a wink and a smirk. Taking the initial promise of such a musical union, the duo's collaboration finally pays off with F&M.

© Neil Z. Yeung /TiVo