Brief History

Here is a brief history of the band thanx to VH1 :

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Formed in 1994 in East Berlin, Germany, this confrontational alternative rock band first came to international prominence when film and television director David Lynch ( Twin Peaks ) declared his admiration and commissioned them to work with him. By this time, Rammstein's explosive, unhinged live shows had already made them famous throughout mainland Europe. The band comprises former Olympic swimmer Till Lindemann (b. 4 January 1963, Leipzig, Germany; vocals), Richard Kruspe (b. 24 June 1967, Wittenburg, Germany; guitar), Paul Landers (b. 9 December 1964, Berlin, Germany; guitar), Christoph Schneider (b. 11 May 1966, Berlin, Germany; drums), Oliver Riedel (b. 11 April 1971, Schwerin, Germany; bass) and "Flake" Lorenz (b. Christian Lorenz, 6 November 1966, Berlin, Germany; keyboards). Their pyrotechnics earned them comparisons to Kiss, but their frenzied industrial metal sound and dubious lyrics were less obviously commercial. Those lyrics, touching on subjects including child molestation and natural and man-made catastrophes, at first saw them attract a right-wing audience - although the band strenuously deny that this was their intention. Rammstein, allegedly named after the 1988 air show disaster that killed 80, although the word translates directly as "a battering ram made of stone". They made their debut in September 1995 with Herzeleid, produced in Sweden by Jacob Hellner (previously a veteran of work with Clawfinger ) on a modest budget. Nevertheless, the record sold in excess of half a million copies in Germany alone, and established the band as a potent commercial force. By the time Sehnsucht followed in August 1997, they had extended their popularity via a clutch of headlining appearances at European festivals. Following Lynch's inclusion of two Rammstein songs on the soundtrack to his 1996 movie Lost Highway, US gore-metal fans, who followed controversial acts such as Marilyn Manson and KMFDM, were also won over. Like Manson, the band were forced to defend themselves after becoming embroiled in the moral outfall from the infamous Colombine High School killings - the two teenage killers had namechecked Rammstein after shooting 15 of their classmates in April 1999. Although they sing in German, all the band's lyrics are translated in accompanying CD liner notes, adding to their growing international appeal.