Emigrate - Silent So Long

When Richard Kruspe tells you he's gonna rock, all you can say is "Alles klar, Herr Kommisar".It's kind of cool how Rammstein is so beloved by hard rock and metal bands. And even cooler that founding guitarist Richard Kruspe's alternative metal band Emigrate, having released its debut album back in 2007, continues to provide an outlet for his creative energies.

And it's a tribute to the fabled German work ethic that Kruspe doesn't choose to sit around on his main band's laurels. He recorded in his own Berlin studio and played host to a nice assortment of guest vocalists such as Lemmy from Motörhead, Korn’s Jonathan Davis, Canadian born Berlin-dweller, Peaches, and Frank Dellé from chart-topping German collective Seeed.

There's a nice mix of sounds on this album, ranging from the familiar industrial metal sound of Rammstein on tracks like Hypothetical and Get Down, to more punkish rocking (Rock City), to more traditional metal sounds (My Pleasure). There's a great energy evident here, as if Kruspe is enjoying every minute of doing this, and it translates to the overall vibe. Aushezeichnet.

The Bottom Line: Herr Kruspe continues to pour his songwriting energies into projects that benefit from him having so many fans in the business. The guest vocals and collaborations in Emigrate are thoughtfully decided, and it shows. Nice work.

- Genghis doesn't pull off that eyeliner thing so well...