Rammstein's 10 Biggest Controversies
5. Mutter Causes A Stir
The album that may well go down as Rammstein’s magnum opus, Mutter contains an opening salvo of five chart-topping, dancefloor-filling, stadium classics that any band would beg to have just one of in their back-catalogue: “Mein Herz brennt”, “Links 2 3 4”, “Sonne”, “Ich Will” and “Feuer Frei!”. It also represents the band ascending to a new height after their initial success in the Americas, capitalising on their potential and pushing the envelope.
Naturally, the controversies followed. The album’s title track was a strange, sombre affair that comes from the perspective of a motherless child and was a further foray into the dark, haunting mind of Lindemann’s lyrics. It was only fitting that the album art for Mutter reflected it.
Germany was very reluctant about the cover-art and the press exclaimed that the band “could not release an album that featured a dead baby”. The photo, taken by Daniel & Geo Fuchs, indeed is of a dead foetus floating in formaldehyde. It is not a violent or mocking choice - it is a still, delicate and heart-breaking image. Alongside it, in the album’s inlay, the band chose to contain a photoshoot of themselves also floating in chemicals.
Despite the outcry from the often easily-unsettled Germany press, the album could not be stopped. It was a number one selling record in various countries including their bands’ home. This, however, would not be the last of Rammstein’s album art controversies.