Rammstein Album Cover Banned From Display In Germany

11/10/09 2:32pm

by Kate Harper (CHARTattack)

Rammstein seem to be completely open to causing trouble and controversy with Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da, their recently released sixth studio album.

So far they've raised eyebrows with a box set that includes six dildos and handcuffs and a pretty raunchy video for a track dubbed "Pussy." But now, the German government has deemed the cover art for Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da too racy to be shown in stores because it depicts sado-masochism.

German retailers will not be able to display the album as of Wednesday (Nov. 11). After that, they won't be able to advertise it or show it in any way so anyone under the age of 18 can see it, according to Billboard.com.

The website reports Petra Meier, deputy president of the Federal Office For The Examination Of Media Harmful To Young People (Phew! That's a mouthful!) cited the album cover, which shows guitarist Richard Kruspe with a masked, nude lady on his knees, in the ruling. Meier also said the track "Ich Tue Dir Weh" ("I Want To Hurt You") was also problematic and promoted sado-masochism.

The German Federal Office For The Examination Of Media Harmful To Young People in Bonn, Germany also said "Pussy" was potentially problematic since it seemed to encourage young people to have unprotected sex. It wasn't part of the ruling against the album cover, though.

Of course, this isn't the first time Rammstein have gotten themselves in trouble. In 1999, they spent a night in jail after using a liquid-ejecting dildo during a show in Wocester, Mass. Their military imagery has led people to accuse them of being fascist sympathisers.

Rammstein's 2004 video for "Mein Teil" ("My Part") got Germans very upset when it came out in 2004 because it's about Armin Meiwes, a German man who made headlines worldwide in 2004 after he was convicted of manslaughter for eating a voluntary victim he found over the internet. The video depicted drummer Christoph Schneider crossdressing while holding the other members of Rammstein on a leash.

The band's video for "Mann Gegen Mann" ("Man Against Man") got them into trouble in 2006 because most of Rammstein are naked in the video and there's full frontal nudity at one point.

You can see Rammstein singing about all manner of nasty things here:

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