They were socialists punks & goths from east germany who would regularly get in fights with reactionaries in their youth??? I genuinely did not see this coming. Maybe it would have been obvious if I spoke german but I don't and I am shocked. Genuinely expected chud behavior
Don't get too excited cuz the members of Rammstein had some allegations not that long ago about sexual stuff. But yes Rammstein has never been a Nazi band. The song "Links" which means "Left" is kind of about this. Tons of their songs and imagery and music videos and concert stuff also are like...gay sadomasochism stuff. Watch the music video for Mein Teil (which means "my part" which is slang for "my dick") or the music video for Sonne or watch some of their concert footage where they have like a giant dick that they use to spray faux jizz all over the audience. They're not like Nazi Germans they're like the weirdo sex Germans.
As a card-carrying weirdo sex German, i object to being compared to Rammstein.
But yes, it shouldn't surprise anybody that people who spent their youth as punks and goths in East Germany regularly got into fights with nazi skins, the fash basically tried to conquer that place immediately after the DDR fell and that has always included lots of street violence. Basically every leftist space there has been won by punching nazis in the face until they mostly gave up on the area, and after more than 30 years of fascist organizing and downright settlement policies, and tons of leftist or just not-fascist people moving away from dying towns ravaged by neoliberal shock treatment, there aren't many of these places left.
after more than 30 years of fascist organizing and downright settlement policies, and tons of leftist or just not-fascist people moving away from dying towns ravaged by neoliberal shock treatment, there aren't many of these places left.
I have never considered how this might be the case. Is there anything written about it? Sounds like an interesting rabbit hole if there's ever been a deliberate effort and any similarities to like west bank shit or whatever.
Tons of their songs and imagery and music videos and concert stuff also are like...gay sadomasochism stuff.
I actually saw rammstein in concert (part of the family values tour) and while haven't seen many live shows, it was easily the most unforgettable show I've ever seen anybody put on.
I still remember:
Lead singer comes out for the opener with a laser eye and a metal jacket they then set on fire.
Missile launcher shot over the crowd
Laser show
Simulated gay sex with giant flashing robot strap-on
Same strap-on then sprayed water over the crowd (a blessedly cool relief in the pit honestly)
Pretty shitty in other ways but not nazi yea - I never listened to em much but I remember liking Deutschland from a few years ago. The music video had nazi imagery which caused some controversy which I thought was odd because...the entire song was about not being able to love the concept of "germany" because of all its horrid shit - hell the nazi imagery in the video had the band being executed in a camp. Didn't strike me as an endorsement lol.
For real? I never checked out KMFDM because I saw their name translated as "No mercy for the majority" and assumed they were on some "might makes right, crush the weak" fash shit.
I dont know why, but for a while as a kid, I was convinced it stood for “Kill mother-fucking Depeche Mode” someone probably told me this and I didn’t understand it was a joke.
Woah, what an odd coincidence for me. I haven't listened to Rammstein for literally years (I was never much of a fan or anything, just liked some of the stuff they did and knew they were cool as far as politics). But just last night I happened to think of one of their songs and decided to loop it a few times for nostalgia's sake. Crazy. Anyway, as everyone has said, they are pretty decent politically, but I had no idea there was any SA stuff, so that's a major disappointment but not totally surprising. The song that I happened to remember and that made me want to listen to them for the first time in years was "Amerika." It goes even harder with the video.
[Chorus]
We're all living in America
America is wonderful
We're all living in America
America, America
We're all living in America
America is wonderful
We're all living in America
America, America
[Verse 1]
When we dance I want to lead
When you turn yourself around alone
Let us control you a bit
I'll show you how to walk right
We create a lovely round dance
The freedom plays from all violins
Music comes from the White House
And in front of Paris stands Mickey Mouse
[Chorus]
We're all living in America
America is wonderful
We're all living in America
America, America
[Verse 2]
I know the very useful steps
And I will protect you from missteps
And who does not want to dance at the end
Does not know that he must dance
We create a lovely round dance
I will show you the direction
To Africa comes Santa Claus
And in front of Paris stands Mickey Mouse
[Chorus]
We're all living in America
America is wonderful
We're all living in America
America, America
We're all living in America
Coca Cola, Wonderbra
We're all living in America
America, America
[Bridge]
This is not a love song
This is not a love song
I don't sing my mother tongue
No, this is not a love song
[Chorus]
We're all living in America
America is wonderful
We're all living in America
America, America
We're all living in America
Coca Cola, sometimes war
We're all living in America
America, America
I only knew them at all because a Hexbear or federated user told me about Amerika — that song definitely has a good point. Shame to hear that about the creator.