Rammstein demos

In 1994, Rammstein released some demos that are currently very rare. Some are original songs and some are also demos that became songs on Rammstein's first album, Herzeleid. These are the most well known demos found across the internet.^[1]

Herzeleid studio demos (1994)

• "Der Riecher" (The Smeller - "Du riechst so gut" demo)
• "Hallo, hallo (Version 1)" (Hello, hello - "Das alte Leid" demo. This demo appeared on Rammstein's demo tapes and a various artists promo CD titled "New Industries")
• "Hallo, hallo (Version 2)" (Hello, hello - "Das alte Leid" demo. This version is much closer to the final version of Das alte Leid, and was released officially by Rammstein)
• "Fleisch" (Flesh - "Weißes Fleisch" demo)
• "Rammstein" (Rammstein - "Rammstein" demo. One version appeared on all of the 1994 demo tapes (4-track 6-track and 8-track) and another was featured on a various artists promo CD titled "Time for a cut", which was released later that year.)
• "Seemann" (Seaman - "Seemann" demo. It is longer than the final version and includes a verse section with whistling for vocals)
• "Schwarzes Glas" (Black Glass - original track. Guitar riff also used in "Der Meister")
• "Jeder lacht" (Everyone's Laughing - original, some of its lyrics were reused in "Adios". This track appeared only on Rammstein's much rarer 8-track demo tape. Only the first 1:40 were leaked onto the internet to the public)
• "Die Zeit" (The Time - "Alter Mann" demo. The only known version can briefly be heard in a 1994 video titled "Achtung, wir kommen!" (only second part of 1st verse and chorus). This version of Alter Mann had slower tempo, harder guitars and drums and more synth sounds and effects (choir, strings and something like distorted square wave). In studio demo synths mixed bit rough and out of time, unlike live 1994 version)

Herzeleid live demos (1994)

• "Feuerräder" (Wheels of Fire - 1994 original live demo, with the instruments directly recorded and remixed. This makes it sound like a studio demo. It is released on the single "Engel (Fan edition)" and it also appeared on the 2007 bootleg "Kein Engel".)
• "Wilder Wein" (Wild Wine - original. This demo was officially released and is indeed a live demo, recorded directly from the band's equipment thus cancelling out any audience noise and other disturbances. It appeared on the 2007 bootleg "Kein Engel".)
• "???" (Original with unknown title. A bootlegger dubbed this song as "Biest" (eng. "Beast"). Sung only once live, in a pub in Saalfeld, Germany, on 31 December 1994. Most fans postulate that this is an early demo of Tier due to the similarities in the lyrics during the chorus. The overall meaning of the song differs, however.)
• "Laichzeit" (Spawning-time - "Laichzeit" demo)
• "Bringer" (Bringer - "Wollt ihr das Bett in Flammen sehen?" demo. Rammstein continued to use the title Bringer in set lists for shows after the demo period.)
• "Die Zeit" (The Time - Live "Alter Mann" demo. Commonly referred to as "Das Wasser soll dein Spiegel sein". Full version of 1994 demo with correct synths)

Sehnsucht live demos (1995-1997)

• "Afrika" (Africa - "Sehnsucht" demo performed live in late 1995 as 'Afrika', and early 1996 as 'Sehnsucht'.)
• "Spiel mit mir" (Play With Me - "Spiel Mit Mir" demo from Sehnsucht performed live throughout 1996. Also had different versions when played live.)
• "Bestrafe mich (Punish Me - "Bestrafe Mich" demo from Sehnsucht performed live throughout 1996. Sounds like album version, but with different synth bridge.)
• "Alter Mann" (Old Man - "Alter Mann" demo from Sehnsucht performed live throughout 1996. Unlike 1994 version this same as album version, but had another synth effects, another bridge, longer synth intro)
• "Schwarzes Glas" (Black Glass - original track. This version is used guitar riff and keyboard samples from "Eifersucht", but main riff and vocals from 1994 demo. Lyrics are different.")
• "Du hast" (You Have - First live performance was in Amsterdam, Melkweg. The song's structure is longer, and Till in the last choruses he sings An instead of In.)

Mutter live demos (2000)

These demos were played at "Knaack Klub" in Berlin on April 16, 2000. The amount of viewers at the event was limited to a very small amount, however, an undisclosed source used a tape recorder in order to capture a majority of the songs on audio.

Here are all of the songs played during Rammstein's Knaack Attack performance in chronological order:

• "5/4" (5/4 - "5/4" demo, that is much abridged. The final song itself only made it on to one of the singles as a B-side and on the 2007 bootleg "Kein Engel".)
• "Rein raus" (In, out - "Rein raus" demo)
• "Adios" (Adios - "Adios" demo with much darker lyrics.)
• "Klitschko" (Klitschko - "Sonne" demo. In this version, the first chorus consists only of a count up to 10, without the lyrics "Hier kommt die Sonne".)
• "Spieluhr" (Music box - "Spieluhr" demo with slightly different lyrics mostly in the chorus.)
• "Mutter" (Mother - "Mutter" demo with the only difference being the last word of the song. Till says "Oh gib mir Gift!" instead of "Oh gib mir Kraft!".)
• "Sandmann" (Sandman - "Mein Herz Brennt" demo with alternate lyrics)
• "Links" (Left - "Links 2-3-4" demo)
• "Ohne dich" (Without you - "Ohne dich" demo. This was the only song that was not captured by the tape recorder. It is said that the song sounded much like the 'Beta version' on the Ohne dich single. The song itself only appeared on the album after Mutter.)

Mutter/Reise Reise/Rosenrot studio demos (2000-2004)

This section covers all three albums from 'Mutter' to 'Rosenrot' inclusive, since the songs for all of the given albums were realized and demoed in a parallel fashion. Many songs on the two albums after Mutter were taken from the selection of Mutter songs that didn't make the cut initially.

• "Hallelujah" (Hallelujah - Demo version of "Halleluja" (note the removal of the letter 'h' in the finalized track name). This demo version differs a bit from the actual in that it doesn't have an ambient effect during the intro section, and that the bass line in the last verse is different. The final version of the song (Halleluja) appeared the band's single CD titled "Links 2-3-4", whereas the demo version (Hallelujah) was featured in the Resident Evil official soundtrack and also made an appearance as a secret track after a few minutes of silence at the end of the Japanese edition of "Mutter". "Halleluja" also appeared on the 2007 bootleg "Kein Engel".
• "Eisenmann" (Ironman - Original music/lyrics. This demo leaked into the general circulation on the internet near the end of 2010, as a result of an unsuccessful demo trade.)
• "Stirb nicht vor mir" (Don't Die Before I Do - Demo version of "Stirb nicht vor mir (Don't Die Before I Do)" from "Rosenrot". This version had altered lyrics, entirely in German, and had no female vocals. This track leaked onto the internet in 2008 and is actually an unfinished recording of the song that was made during the Mutter era.)
• "Ohne dich" (Without you - Beta version of "Ohne Dich" that was officially included in the single of the same name. Although the song (and its single) belong to the "Reise, Reise" LP group, this beta version was actually recorded during the Mutter sessions.)

Liebe ist für alle da studio demos (2007-2009)

These were found on a 9-Track demo CD:

• Donaukinder (Children of Danube - Instrumental demo of "Donaukinder")
• Legion (Legion - "Ich tu dir weh" demo which uses the bridge that appears in the final version as a filler section for two verses.)
• Augen zu (Eyes - "Liebe ist für alle da" demo with some of the verse lyrics being from "Wiener Blut")
• Panterra (Pantera - Full English version of "Pussy" sung to the instrumental track that was later used for "Gib mir deine Augen".)
• Ramm-Mix (Ramm-Mix - "Rammlied" demo with no lyrics for the verses.)
• Roter Sand (Red sand - Demo version of "Roter Sand")
• Waidmann (Hunter - "Waidmanns Heil" Instrumental Demo)
• Was ich liebe (What I love. Original lyrics about one person killing everything he loves. Music is an early version of "Pussy".) †

These demos were leaked and appear to be unfinished versions from the recording sessions of the album:

• Donaukinder (Children of Danube Beta version of "Donaukinder". Sounds like the final version, yet mixed a bit differently and lacks a guitar solo.)
• Mein Land (Instrumental) (My land - Instrumental demo of "Mein Land". This is the earliest demo version known.) †
• Mein Land (Demo Version) (My land - Another demo of "Mein Land", with keyboard solo) †
• Mein Land (Beta Version) (My land - "Mein Land" beta version, leaked around mid-2011) †
• Sirene (Version 1) (Sirens - early demo version of "Gib mir deine Augen" with completely different lyrics in the verses.) †
• Sirene (Version 2) (Sirens - early demo version of "Gib mir deine Augen" with completely different lyrics in the verses.) †
• Sirene (Version 2 Extended) (Sirens - early demo version of "Gib mir deine Augen" with completely different lyrics in the verses. In this version, the piano outro which has been removed in Version 2 returns.) †
• Gib mir deine Augen (Instrumental) (Give me your eyes - Instrumental demo of "Gib mir deine Augen", with an all new bridge, something that the Sirene demo lacked.) †
• Gib mir deine Augen (Give me your eyes - demo of "Gib mir deine Augen") †
• Pussy (Pussy - Another demo of "Pussy". Same lyrics as "Panterra", over an instrumental that sounds more like the final version of the track.)
• Seid bereit (Be ready - "Wiener Blut" beta version with a harder synthesizer chorus mix, piano sound intro and slap bass in the second verse. Not to be confused with the early Mutter recording "Seid bereit", which is a song about dancing vampires)
• Ich tu dir weh (Version 1) (I cause you pain - A demo of "Ich tu dir weh" after "Legion")
• Ich tu dir weh (Version 2) (I cause you pain - The last demo of "Ich tu dir weh", with an almost completed sound.)
• Mehr (More - "Mehr" demo, in which lead singer Till Lindemann performs medium growls at the beginning.)
• Rammlied (Ramm-song - "Rammlied" demo, without any of the orchestral strings or choirs)
• Waidmanns Heil (Hunter's Salute - "Waidmanns Heil" demo, with extra lyrics in the bridge)
• Frühling in Paris (Spring in Paris - "Frühling in Paris" demo)
• Bückstabü (No translation. Demo version of "B********")
• Haifisch (Shark - "Haifisch" demo version)
• Halt (Stop - "Halt" demo, with alternate intro)
• Liebe ist für alle da (Love is there for everyone - "Liebe ist für alle da" beta version. Close to the final version, apart from the shorter solo.)
• Führe mich (Lead me - "Führe mich" demo)

† Some demos didn't make it into the 2009 album's release, but may or have appear(ed) in later singles, compilations or other albums. These demos were still, however, made during the LIFAD recording sessions.

References

1. Subsets of these can sometimes be found packaged as their own album. See for instance this copy.