Herzeleid

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.