Till Lindemann 's second solo album , in partnership with Peter Tägtgren , was surprising in two ways. First, it would come a few months after Rammstein , the interval between which the previous one was ten years. Second, unlike his debut, Skills In Pills , the album would not be sung in English, but in Lindemann's native German.
A double dose of the eccentric vocalist, then, might seem repetitive. And, at first, that's indeed the feeling. Skills In Pills was recorded in English to differentiate Rammstein's work and transformed the album into a satire of the perversions of the singer's public persona, taken to the extreme by the easy understanding of the language. Those unfamiliar with the German language should immediately associate F & M with the band that popularized Lindemann.
“Steh Auf”, the opening track, could be a song straight out of Rammstein, but it quickly becomes clear how the two works differ: Peter Tägtgren. The Swedish musician's somewhat robotic compositions, somber mood, and grandiloquent piano fit perfectly here and are present throughout the album.
The fact that it's a songwriting duo helps the album explore unimaginable paths within the democratic and overpopulated Rammstein. "Knebel," for example, is almost a folk ballad dominated by acoustic guitar. Until, in the second half, Lindemann's screams completely transform the track into industrial metal.
"Ach So Gern" changes direction again with a kind of tango featuring a very groovy bass. It's as if the German and the Swede took a trip to Argentina for one of their banquets fueled by wine and sex.
Each track on F & M explores new territory for the duo, without losing their trademark sound. Thematically, the album is loosely inspired by the Brothers Grimm's " the Germanic "João and Maria." The subjects are perfectly suited to Till Lindemann's style: fear, hope, poverty, abundance, cannibalism, and death.
Another aspect that helps the work become cohesive despite its eclecticism are the music videos the band has released. Here, indeed, strictly following Rammstein's commandments, each video is better produced and crazier than the last. The one for "Knebel," in particular, was censored on the YouTube version , with the original version ending up on Reddit and featuring oral sex, menstruation, and Lindemann eating a live eel. That's right.
F & M , in the end, proves to be the opposite of what it seems at first glance. Despite the German lyrics, it should appeal to a wider audience, as it transcends musical genres and maintains a unity precisely in the creative eccentricity of the Lindemann/Tagtgren duo. And it shows that Lindemann's madness, even in double dose in 2019, is never too much.
