Richard Kruspe's NYC based industrial metal band Emigrate dropped a new album earlier this month titled "The Persistence of Memory", and being the Rammstein and RZK fan that I am, I just had to check it out. This album is absolutely fantastic!
Right off the bat we get a semi - hard hitter with a slow burning build. "Rage" is a very emotional song with some gorgeous lyrics. I love the interesting keyboard work, great riffs, and beautifully done vocals. The acoustic interlude with the whistling was a really nice touch as well.
The second track "Always On My Mind" features Rammstein vocalist Till Lindemann, which I thought was really cool. He doesn't sing songs entirely in English very often, but I definitely love it when he does. It's a very catchy and upbeat love song. It's without a doubt one of his best vocal performances in awhile. I think it's just so nice, especially when the RZK and Till sing together and harmonize.
After that we get a very industrial sounding and heavy song, "Freeze My Mind". I have to note that the order of the songs on this album is very well done. They flow from softer to harder almost seamlessly, while changing it up enough that it isn't at all monotonous, and keeps you constantly engaged. I think that this really shows the skill and versatility of this group. This song has one really cool touch that I noticed, the synth sound when the chorus says "Freeze My Mind" is very reminiscent of early 2000's pop, and definitely something I really like.
"I'm Still Alive" was the first single I heard off this album, and is definitely one of my favorites. It's just so catchy and such a good song. I could easily see this one getting a lot of radio play. RZK's vocals in this one are a bit different than the others, they almost have a classic grunge sort of sound to them, and I'm all about it.
As much as I'd love to write this track by track, that would be a bit much. I'm skipping ahead a few tracks to "Hypothetical" which is definitely the heaviest track on the album. It has some killer riffs, distorted vocals, and a great beat. It's also just so dark and sexually driven, sort of a Nine Inch Nails "Closer" vibe to it. I absolutely love it.
The final track "I Will Let You Go" took me slightly by surprise with the jazz horned instruments, cymbal heavy drumming, and mysterious sound. It sounds like something that would be played on a jukebox in an old murder detective type film. I think it's a really cool song and has so many elements that make it stand out.
I enjoyed this album immensely! It's got so much variety in sound and things that make it unique. I think that as much as I love RZK's playing and backup vocals in Rammstein, it's great to hear how much creativity and other things he can bring to the table. Hearing his side project is an absolutely delight. I highly recommend this album. ~Gangis
