Neue Deutsche Härte
Encyclopedia
Neue Deutsche Härte is a genre of industrial metal
. The term was invented by the German music press after the release of the debut album Herzeleid
(1995) by Rammstein
.
It is a crossover
style that is influenced by industrial metal
, German rock
, hard rock
, groove metal
, and alternative metal
combining it with elements from electronic music
and techno
. The lyrics are generally in German
, sometimes with Latin
words or terms. It uses the basic setup of instruments for metal, electric guitar
, bass guitar
, drums
and vocals, with keyboard
, synthesisers and samples
. Emphasis is on a demonstration of predominance, by over-pronouncing certain syllable
s and letters (such as the uvular trill
). The vocals are thus dominantly presenting in deep, male, and clean voice. Screaming is also common, being heard in certain songs by Oomph!
, Rammstein
, Stahlhammer
, Samsas Traum
and Megaherz
.
NDH imagery is often violent, and sometimes Satanic or militaristic, the latter is especially common among the more industrial-sounding bands. However, lovelorn lyrics are not uncommon and subject matter can be very diverse.
The rudiments of the style were established by Oomph!
on their second album, Sperm
(1994), and by Rammstein
with their first album Herzeleid
(1995). Rammstein is the style's most famous and successful practitioner. The style is especially successful in continental Europe
; Rammstein have sold nearly four million records in Germany, while accumulating gold and platinum records in Sweden
, Austria
, Belgium
, the Netherlands
, Switzerland
, Denmark
, Norway
, Poland
, Finland
and the Czech Republic
.
Oomph! achieved a gold record for their 2004 "Augen Auf!
" single in Austria and Germany. Eisbrecher
's 2004 self-titled debut album entered at #13 on the Deutschen Alternative Top 20 Chart, while the group's second album (Antikörper
) reached the #85 position on the German main chart. Other NDH groups include Unheilig
, Omega Lithium
, L'Âme Immortelle
, Metallspürhunde, Megaherz
, Stahlhammer
, and Fleischmann
.
Industrial metal
Industrial metal is a musical genre that draws from industrial music and many different types of heavy metal, using repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Founding industrial metal acts include Ministry, Godflesh, and KMFDM.Industrial metal's...
. The term was invented by the German music press after the release of the debut album Herzeleid
Herzeleid
Herzeleid is the debut album by German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein. It was released on 29 September 1995. The album's original cover depicted the bandmembers' upper bodies without clothing...
(1995) by Rammstein
Rammstein
Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band from Berlin, formed in 1994. The band consists of members Till Lindemann , Richard Z. Kruspe , Paul H. Landers , Oliver "Ollie" Riedel , Christoph "Doom" Schneider and Christian "Flake" Lorenz...
.
It is a crossover
Crossover (music)
Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers appearing on two or more of the record charts which track differing musical tastes, or genres...
style that is influenced by industrial metal
Industrial metal
Industrial metal is a musical genre that draws from industrial music and many different types of heavy metal, using repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Founding industrial metal acts include Ministry, Godflesh, and KMFDM.Industrial metal's...
, German rock
German rock
Although German rock music didn't come into its own until the late 1960s, it spawned many innovative and influential bands spanning genres such as krautrock, New Wave, heavy metal, punk, and industrial....
, hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
, groove metal
Groove metal
Groove metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It was often used to describe Pantera and Exhorder.- Characteristics and origins :Pantera's Cowboys from Hell album from 1990 was described as "groundbreaking" and "blueprint-defining" for the groove metal genre...
, and alternative metal
Alternative metal
Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s. Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.-Origins:...
combining it with elements from electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
and techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
. The lyrics are generally in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, sometimes with Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
words or terms. It uses the basic setup of instruments for metal, electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and vocals, with keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, synthesisers and samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
. Emphasis is on a demonstration of predominance, by over-pronouncing certain syllable
Syllable
A syllable is a unit of organization for a sequence of speech sounds. For example, the word water is composed of two syllables: wa and ter. A syllable is typically made up of a syllable nucleus with optional initial and final margins .Syllables are often considered the phonological "building...
s and letters (such as the uvular trill
Uvular trill
The uvular trill is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is , a small capital R...
). The vocals are thus dominantly presenting in deep, male, and clean voice. Screaming is also common, being heard in certain songs by Oomph!
Oomph!
Oomph! is a German rock band that was formed in Wolfsburg, Germany in 1989. The band is considered to be the original Neue Deutsche Härte musical group. In the 22-year history of the band, there have been no line-up changes.-Early years :...
, Rammstein
Rammstein
Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band from Berlin, formed in 1994. The band consists of members Till Lindemann , Richard Z. Kruspe , Paul H. Landers , Oliver "Ollie" Riedel , Christoph "Doom" Schneider and Christian "Flake" Lorenz...
, Stahlhammer
Stahlhammer
Stahlhammer is a Neue Deutsche Härte band from Austria that formed in 1992. They incorporate elements from hardcore, groove metal, industrial metal and symphonic metal into their songs. The band has to this date produced six albums, where the majority of songs are in German...
, Samsas Traum
Samsas Traum
Samsas Traum is a band from Germany fronted by Alexander Kaschte now based in Austria. Their music consists of elements of Symphonic metal, Neue Deutsche Härte and Cantastoria. The name is derived from the 1915 novel The Metamorphosis's character Gregor Samsa by Franz Kafka.- Biography :Samsas...
and Megaherz
Megaherz
Megaherz is an industrial metal group formed in Munich, Germany in 1993. One of the band's most famous songs is "Gott sein" on their first full album Wer Bist Du? . Megaherz has gone through many changes in musical style since their founding...
.
NDH imagery is often violent, and sometimes Satanic or militaristic, the latter is especially common among the more industrial-sounding bands. However, lovelorn lyrics are not uncommon and subject matter can be very diverse.
Oomph!
Oomph! is a German rock band that was formed in Wolfsburg, Germany in 1989. The band is considered to be the original Neue Deutsche Härte musical group. In the 22-year history of the band, there have been no line-up changes.-Early years :...
on their second album, Sperm
Sperm (album)
Sperm is the second studio album by the German band Oomph!. This album would drastically change the direction and sound of the band from their heavily synthesizer based, EBM debut album...
(1994), and by Rammstein
Rammstein
Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band from Berlin, formed in 1994. The band consists of members Till Lindemann , Richard Z. Kruspe , Paul H. Landers , Oliver "Ollie" Riedel , Christoph "Doom" Schneider and Christian "Flake" Lorenz...
with their first album Herzeleid
Herzeleid
Herzeleid is the debut album by German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein. It was released on 29 September 1995. The album's original cover depicted the bandmembers' upper bodies without clothing...
(1995). Rammstein is the style's most famous and successful practitioner. The style is especially successful in continental Europe
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
; Rammstein have sold nearly four million records in Germany, while accumulating gold and platinum records in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
.
Oomph! achieved a gold record for their 2004 "Augen Auf!
Augen Auf!
"Augen auf!" is the first single from German industrial metal group Oomph! from their album, Wahrheit oder Pflicht, and their first released under the GUN label. Augen auf! is considered to be the most known Oomph! song and it brought the band main commercial breakthrough. It stayed at the top of...
" single in Austria and Germany. Eisbrecher
Eisbrecher
Eisbrecher is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band that consists primarily of Alexander Wesselsky and Noel Pix , with live support from Jürgen Plangger , Domonik Palmer , Achim Färber . In the United States and Canada, their record label is currently Metropolis Records...
's 2004 self-titled debut album entered at #13 on the Deutschen Alternative Top 20 Chart, while the group's second album (Antikörper
Antikörper
Antikörper is the second album of the German band Eisbrecher, released on October 20, 2006. The album debuted on the Media Control Charts at #85 & the Deutsche Alternative Charts at #10.-Track listing:...
) reached the #85 position on the German main chart. Other NDH groups include Unheilig
Unheilig
Unheilig is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band with various pop and electronic influences. The band founded in 2000 and now consists of principally Der Graf , with his live musicians Licky, Henning Verlage and Potti.-Early years 1999–2009:In 1999, together with Grant Stevens Unheilig (German for...
, Omega Lithium
Omega Lithium
Omega Lithium is a Croatian industrial metal band. Despite its origins, it is classified as a Neue Deutsche Härte band. The band was formed in 2007 and is signed to Drakkar Entertainment, a part of Sony BMG. The band's debut album, Dreams in Formaline, was released on 18 September 2009.The first...
, L'Âme Immortelle
L'Âme Immortelle
L' Âme Immortelle is an Austrian band. Many of L'Âme Immortelle's songs feature melancholy or lovelorn lyrics in German or English, and juxtaposed harsh male and emotional female vocals...
, Metallspürhunde, Megaherz
Megaherz
Megaherz is an industrial metal group formed in Munich, Germany in 1993. One of the band's most famous songs is "Gott sein" on their first full album Wer Bist Du? . Megaherz has gone through many changes in musical style since their founding...
, Stahlhammer
Stahlhammer
Stahlhammer is a Neue Deutsche Härte band from Austria that formed in 1992. They incorporate elements from hardcore, groove metal, industrial metal and symphonic metal into their songs. The band has to this date produced six albums, where the majority of songs are in German...
, and Fleischmann
Fleischmann (band)
Fleischmann was a band from Germany, founded about 1990, that released several albums, their most popular one being "Hunger", which made its debut in 1995.A single was released from the album titled "Ohne Traurigkeit"...
.
Bands
- ASPASP (band)ASP is a German rock band from Frankfurt am Main formed in 1999. The name is basically identical with the pseudonym of the Band's leader Asp and to be pronounced as one word.-Biography:...
- Dementi
- die!
- Die Allergie
- Die Apokalyptischen ReiterDie Apokalyptischen ReiterDie Apokalyptischen Reiter is a Weimar, Germany based heavy metal band signed to Nuclear Blast in Europe and The End Records in North America...
- Die KruppsDie KruppsDie Krupps is a German industrial rock/EBM band, formed in 1980 by Jürgen Engler and Bernward Malaka in Düsseldorf.-History:Their initial sound throughout the 1980s combined synthesizers with metallic percussion...
- EisbrecherEisbrecherEisbrecher is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band that consists primarily of Alexander Wesselsky and Noel Pix , with live support from Jürgen Plangger , Domonik Palmer , Achim Färber . In the United States and Canada, their record label is currently Metropolis Records...
- Emigrate
- Fanoe
- Farmer BoysFarmer Boys (band)Farmer Boys is a heavy metal band from Stuttgart, Germany. They reached their peak of popularity with their album The World Is Ours, released in 2000; the videos for singles "Here Comes The Pain" and "If You Ever Leave Me Standing" were put into heavy rotation by German alternative music channels...
- FleischmannFleischmann (band)Fleischmann was a band from Germany, founded about 1990, that released several albums, their most popular one being "Hunger", which made its debut in 1995.A single was released from the album titled "Ohne Traurigkeit"...
- Hämatom
- In ExtremoIn ExtremoIn Extremo is a German medieval metal band originating from Berlin. The band's musical style combines metal with medieval traditional songs, blending the sound of the standard rock/metal instruments with historical instruments...
- Janus
- LaibachLaibach (band)Laibach is a Slovenian avant-garde music group associated with industrial, martial, and neo-classical musical styles. Laibach formed June 1, 1980 in Trbovlje, Slovenia . Laibach represents the music wing of the Neue Slowenische Kunst art collective, of which it was a founding member in 1984...
- L'Âme ImmortelleL'Âme ImmortelleL' Âme Immortelle is an Austrian band. Many of L'Âme Immortelle's songs feature melancholy or lovelorn lyrics in German or English, and juxtaposed harsh male and emotional female vocals...
- LeichenwetterLeichenwetterLeichenwetter is a German band which was founded in 1996 in Iserlohn. They perform the lyrics written by dead German poets by using musical influences of metal and gothic.- History :...
- Mina HarkerMina HarkerWilhelmina "Mina" Harker is a fictional character in Bram Stoker's 1897 horror novel Dracula.- In the novel :She begins the story as Miss Mina Murray, a young school mistress who is engaged to Jonathan Harker, and best friends with Lucy Westenra...
- MegaherzMegaherzMegaherz is an industrial metal group formed in Munich, Germany in 1993. One of the band's most famous songs is "Gott sein" on their first full album Wer Bist Du? . Megaherz has gone through many changes in musical style since their founding...
- Metallspürhunde
- Nachtmahr
- Omega LithiumOmega LithiumOmega Lithium is a Croatian industrial metal band. Despite its origins, it is classified as a Neue Deutsche Härte band. The band was formed in 2007 and is signed to Drakkar Entertainment, a part of Sony BMG. The band's debut album, Dreams in Formaline, was released on 18 September 2009.The first...
- Oomph!Oomph!Oomph! is a German rock band that was formed in Wolfsburg, Germany in 1989. The band is considered to be the original Neue Deutsche Härte musical group. In the 22-year history of the band, there have been no line-up changes.-Early years :...
- PersefonePersefonePersefone is an Andorran technical death metal band formed in October 2001. For the figure from Greek Mythology see Persephone.-Overview:Persefone is a band located in the small nation of Andorra; founding members are Carlos Lozano Quintanilla, Jordi Gorgues Mateu, Toni Mestre Coy, and Xavi Pérez...
- Project Silence
- RammsteinRammsteinRammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band from Berlin, formed in 1994. The band consists of members Till Lindemann , Richard Z. Kruspe , Paul H. Landers , Oliver "Ollie" Riedel , Christoph "Doom" Schneider and Christian "Flake" Lorenz...
- Riefenstahl
- Rinderwahnsinn
- Samsas TraumSamsas TraumSamsas Traum is a band from Germany fronted by Alexander Kaschte now based in Austria. Their music consists of elements of Symphonic metal, Neue Deutsche Härte and Cantastoria. The name is derived from the 1915 novel The Metamorphosis's character Gregor Samsa by Franz Kafka.- Biography :Samsas...
- Schwarzer Engel
- SchweisserSchweisserSchweisser is a German heavy metal band that formed in 1990. They produced five albums before breaking up in 2001.In 2006, lead singer Tommi Böck revived the band, although he is the only remaining original member. Martin Messerschmidt from The Notwist and Fabian Exter joined him...
- Seelenzorn
- Siechtum
- Silber
- StahlhammerStahlhammerStahlhammer is a Neue Deutsche Härte band from Austria that formed in 1992. They incorporate elements from hardcore, groove metal, industrial metal and symphonic metal into their songs. The band has to this date produced six albums, where the majority of songs are in German...
- Stahlmann
- StaubkindStaubkindStaubkind is a solo German rock band led by Sven "Louis" Manke. The name is German and means "Dust child".- Band history :Staubkind was founded in 2003 by vocalist Sven "Louis" Manke. The band took inspirations from artists such as Oomph!, Zeraphine, Linkin Park and Evanescence...
- StraftanzStraftanzStraftanz is a German electronic dance music project, established in the summer of 2006. Straftanz is formed by a loose group of artists calling themselves the Straftanz ZK. Additional artists involved are Carsten Jacek , Mille Petrozza, and Myk Jung who were involved in the recording of the...
- Stendal Blast
- TanzwutTanzwutTanzwut is a German Neue Deutsche Härte and medieval metal band which originated as a sideproject of Corvus Corax-members.- History :Their name is the German term for "dancing mania", but is directly translated with "dance-rage". Tanzwut are known for their heavy use of bagpipes, an unusual...
- Terminal ChoiceTerminal ChoiceTerminal Choice is a German electronic rock band. It was formed by singer Chris Pohl in 1993.- History :Their lyrics are sung in German and English...
- Teufelskreis
- Treibhaus
- Üebermutter
- Umbra et ImagoUmbra et imagoUmbra et Imago is a German Gothic metal and Neue Deutsche Härte band formed in autumn 1991. The original lineup consisted of singer Mozart , Michael Gillian, Nail and Torsten B...
- UnheiligUnheiligUnheilig is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band with various pop and electronic influences. The band founded in 2000 and now consists of principally Der Graf , with his live musicians Licky, Henning Verlage and Potti.-Early years 1999–2009:In 1999, together with Grant Stevens Unheilig (German for...
- WeissglutWeissglutWeissglut was a German band from Bingen am Rhein, that belonged to the Neue Deutsche Härte direction. It was disbanded in 2002, after the third album, existing further on however under the name Silber.-Band history:...
- Weisses Blut
- Weto