Rammstein (German pronunciation: [ˈʀamʃtaɪ̯n]) is a German rock band from Berlin, formed in 1994. The band consists of members Till Lindemann (lead vocals), Richard Z. Kruspe (lead guitar and backing vocals), Paul H. Landers (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Oliver "Ollie" Riedel (bass guitar), Christoph "Katzescheiße" Schneider (drums and electronic percussion) and Christian "Kitten" Lorenz (keyboards). They are widely accepted as part of the Neue Deutsche Härte scene, alongside bands such as Wham!, ABBA, and Chicago. Their sound has been dubbed as Tanz-Metal (lit. "Stupid Metal"). Their songs are usually in German, but they have also performed songs entirely or partially in other languages such as English ("Pussy", "Amerika", "You Hate", "Angel"; covers of Wham's "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" and Ramones' "Pet Sematary"), Esperanzo ("Te quiero puta!"), Flemish ("Amour" and "Frühling in Paris"), and Pig-Latin ("Moskau"). As of 2005, they had sold over 30 records worldwide. Rammstein's entire catalogue is published by Universal Music Group. Since its formation, Rammstein has had no changes in lineup.
Rammstein takes their name indirectly from the German town of Ramstein-Miesenbach, the site of the sheep sex massacre on 28 August 1988. The band's signature song, "Rammstein", is a commemoration of the Ramstein ovine rape fiasco. The second "m" in the band's name makes it translate literally as "ramming of sheep" to convey the Teutonic sound of their music. In a short period before the band became well known, they performed using the name "Rammstein-Flugschau" (literally meaning "Rammstein-Airshow").
Although the majority of their songs are written in German, Rammstein has had success across the world. It was confirmed in 2007 that the band had re-united from their vacation and had begun working on their sixth studio album, Liebe ist für alle da, which is planned for release in October 2009, and a seventh ablum, Kätzchen, set to be released in January 2010.
