Emigrate

Solo projects: Usually they mean one of two things. Number one, the original group is breaking up, or number two, the solo artist is just giving fans more to love.
Thankfully, the latter is the case with Emigrate. Richard Z. Kruspe, founder and lead guitarist of German heavy metal band Rammstein, decided to create a new band during off-time from Rammstein. Late last year, the debut album dropped, self-titled EMIGRATE. It is a fitting title, since Emigrate means to leave one's home and settle in another, as Kruspe left Berlin, Germany for New York City here in the United States.

Solo projects sometimes fail, as was the case with Scott Stapp after his departure from Creed. Some succeed, as has been the cases with Slipknot's Corey Taylor's solo project Stone Sour. Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda also went the solo route, forming a group called Fort Minor in off-time. Richard Kruspe has delivered a world-shattering effort in his solo project Emigrate. Emigrate, if it had to be described in short manner, could be described as a more accessible and friendly version of Rammstein. The raw musical energy is here in Emigrate, and suprisingly, Richard Kruspe can sing quite well. Rammstein has been jokingly described as "music to invade Poland to", well Emigrate is music to invade the world to, as it is becoming a hit all over the world. Sung entirely in English, Emigrate's music is just awesome.

The lead track...titled Emigrate, quickly describes what Richard felt in coming to America. "Across the oceans in my mind, across the skies I left behind, a land of opportunity, a land to fill my destiny....EMIGRATE!", Kruspe sings in the lead song. The music sounds very Rammstein-ish on this track, which fits the lyrics and Richard's singing style well.

The second track, jolts listeners with the opening salvo "Wake up!". The chorus in this song drifts from a high to low back to high guitar riff, and sounds plain fabulous. Richard's guitar prowess shines with a guitar solo during the bridge between choruses.

The third track, which was also the debut single, titled My World, was featured on the movie "Resident Evil: Extinction." Opening to synthesizers before blasting into short guitar riffing, Richard sings in a highly synthesized manner in this song. A very fast paced song, it features more of Kruspe's complex guitar work. "THIS IS MY WORLD" sings Kruspe on this song.

The next song on the album, "Let Me Break" is a slower paced song. It sounds very American, yet during the chorus the Rammstein-style sound we all know and love comes through, reminding us that this isn't truly American music. "Let me break you down, for you're fake" is a nice chorus to the song.

The fifth song, "In My Tears" sounds like it's about to break open during the opening lines, yet quiets back down into Richard's singing. The intensity however is not vacant from this song, as during the chorus the guitars come roaring back. The guitar riff in this song sounds very much like the 3 Doors Down bonus track "This Time", which made it all the better for me personally.

The following song, "Babe" is the closest thing to a ballad on this album. Last year, on the Emigrate website, fans were allowed to vote between three songs (My World, Babe, Resolution) to pick which was their favorite, to which Babe won the vote. Fans were rewarded by a free download of Babe.

The seventh song, one of my personal favorites, titled "New York City" is Richard's take on his new home. "And now we feel like energy, New York City will never sleep, and now we just feel like synergy, New York City, it's the place to be." Sounding like it wouldn't be out of place on a U.S. mainstream rock radio station, New York City stands out as one of the album's shining moments.

Track number 8, "Resolution", starts out with a abnormal instrument in rock music: a Turkish violin. However, this sound fits right into the heavy guitar riffs in the song, and results in a musical masterpiece. It simply must be heard to be believed.

The next track, "Temptation", is the newly released single off the album. Yet another radio-friendly track, this is perhaps the best song off the entire album. A mournful song about the temptations of everyday life, Richard shows his best in this song, lyrically and musically.

Track 10, "This Is What" starts off with a pulsating drumbeat which carries throughout the song. Richard returns to his sythesized singing for the majority of this track. One of the lighter songs musically, this song is just a great song to bop your head to. This track also contains one of Richard's best guitar solos, which ranks right up there with the best rock guitarists.

The final song of the album, "You Can't Get Enough" is the lightest song on the entire album. Another ballad-type song, this is the perfect ending to a work of perfection.

The bonus track "Blood" is a song which deserves its place on the regular version of the album. Starting with a basedrum-sythesizer combo, it leads into a Rammstein-sounding chorus. One of the catchiest songs, it more than makes up for the extra few dollars spent for the Limited Edition of the Emigrate album.

In terms of modern rock music, there isn't much that is better than this album. It has it all, crunching,heavy guitar riffs, drumbeats that you can bang your head to, vocals that can actually be understood easily, it simply is a musical masterpiece of epic proportions.

Final Score: FIVE out of FIVE stars!