Herzeleid (; "Heartbreak") is the debut studio album by German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein, first released on 25 September 1995 via Motor Music.
Production and writing
After signing up with Motor Music, the band was instructed to search for a producer, a position they didn't even know about since it wasn't usual in East Germany. They first suggested Bob Rock and Rick Rubin, but the label asked them to be less ambitious. The role was ultimately assigned to Jacob Hellner, known for his work with Clawfinger.
Guitarist Richard Kruspe recalls the band's struggle during their time in Stockholm, Sweden, where the album was recorded at Polar Studios and Hellner's own studio, BomKrash. Because there wasn't a language that both members and producer could speak, the band couldn't properly express their disapproval of the way Hellner was making them sound. This was solved with the help of Dutch engineer Ronald Prent, who served as a middleman between Rammstein and Hellner.
It took them seven days to finish the first song, due to the band's constant disapproval of Hellner's and Prent's inputs. In a 2019 interview to Metal Hammer Prent said every time there was a decision to be made, the members would host what he called a "German Conference" – outdoor meetings that could last from ten minutes to two hours until all six members reached an agreement. Despite the minor setback, Hellner continued to work with Rammstein for 14 years, producing five more albums until 2009's Liebe ist für alle da.
The first song written for this album was "Rammstein", which was also the first song ever written by the band. The last song to be written was most likely "Asche zu Asche" since it was not played at their concerts in 1994, unlike all the other songs. A few songs were written in English before they were translated into German. There are also songs from that era that did not make it onto the album, including:
"Jeder lacht" (the lyrics of the first verse were later re-used for the chorus of "Adios" from Mutter) "Schwarzes Glas" "Wilder Wein" (later released as a demo version on Engel: Fan-Edition, a finished live version appeared on Live aus Berlin) "Alter Mann" (later released on Sehnsucht with new music and slightly different lyrics) "Feuerräder" (later released on Engel: Fan-Edition, still in demo phase) "Tier" (1994) (also referred to as "Biest", a fanmade title. Not to be confused with the later released "Tier" from Sehnsucht) "Tiefer" (working name for "Jeder lacht") "Sadist" (performed once under this name, at a concert on 11 October 1996 in Magdeburg, Germany; was released under "Tier" on the album Sehnsucht)
Title and Packaging
The album's title translates as "heartbreak", and it reflects personal problems that every band member was going through around the time of the album's preparation, particularly Kruspe and vocalist Till Lindemann, who were breaking up with their respective girlfriends.
The original cover caused controversy when it was originally revealed. It shows the band topless and sweaty. The press said Rammstein depicted themselves in this image as "Herrenmenschen". Guitarist Kruspe said: "Das ist völliger Quatsch, das ist einfach nur ein Foto" ("Totally stupid. It's just a photo"). He did however express his embarrassment in 2016 saying that the band looked "gay...like an ad for a gay porno film." Lindemann added, that it was a quick shot on a parking lot somewhere in Berlin. North American versions had a different cover, consisting of the band members' faces from the inside of the original booklet, placed side by side.
Rammstein's first commercial logo was made for Herzeleid by Dirk Rudolph. This variation uses a thinner "T" character than what is used in later logos.