Knallmetall (Pop metal): While their show is heavy on spectacle, it's worth mentioning that Rammstein is actually pretty talented when it comes to writing catchy metal songs. Their music meets nicely in the middle of a spectrum that features Metallica on one end and Depeche Mode on the other.
There's a reason that "Du Hast" caught on with American audiences: It's catchy as hell, even if you have no idea what the song is about.
The set was heavy on the hits, from as far back as their first album for "Du Riechst So Gut" (You Smell So Good) up the '00s' "Amerika" (America) and "Pussy," with stops for "Links 2-3-4" (Left 2-3-4) and "Mein Teil" along the way. The newer songs, which had never been played live in Houston before, sounded even bigger and heavier than the studio versions.
It was a rare show where the crowd energy was up the entire time. There were no down moments where everyone took a seat to wait until the next crowd-pleaser came along. Fans weren't just dedicated to staying on their feet, either; a lot of people knew all the words to all the songs, even during non-singles such as "Mann Gegen Mann" (Man Against Man).
Eine Böe haben (Having a blast): Between the language barrier, the darkness of their wardrobe and the pseudo-industrial style of music they play, it's easy to forget that Rammstein is a very silly band. Although there are "serious" songs in their discography, they spend a lot of time writing about sex and violence.
Before the show, Rocks Off met up with some friends who commented on their fashion choices for the show. They wore green and gray because they assumed it would be easier to find each other post-show in the black-shirted mass of people exiting the building.
Before the doors opened, this was a pretty smart assumption because most of the crowd was in fact rocking all black, be it shirts or fetish gear.
But then that giant, foam-spewing penis shows up for the finale of the show, covering the front of the audience, and by extension all that black clothing, in white. It made for a good laugh and a hot mess on the arena floor.
