They’re back! And this was the performance that made me explore Rammstein more. The opening track to their latest album Zeit, “Armee Der Tristen” is fantastic.

Played live after Handel’s “Music for the Royal Fireworks”, the song has an extended start. Each member of Rammstein takes the stage in character while thick black smoke billows from top reaches of the stage and sound towers in the stadium.

It’s the perfect opening for two hours of musical pyrotechnics (and actual pyrotechnics). Their explosive antics are legendary. Flaming wings, the concert where they set an “audience member” on fire, flamethrower masks and guitar fire guns. Rammstein’s trademark – their live pyrotechnics. Each performance takes roughly two months of planning with local fire departments, city government and safety agencies. It is in their contract – no pyro, no show. Their massive stage takes a week and support of hundreds of workers to set up. Their sound is just as massive. When playing Europe last spring, one of the concerts projected sound as far as ten miles away. They’re loud, explosive and dominate pyrotechnic hard rock.

This is a multi-cam video that is an excellent representation of how “Armee Der Tristen” presents live.