It was 25 years ago to the day, 25 September 1995 that Rammstein  with its debut album, Herzeleid.

To celebrate this first indelible impact on global hard rock history, Rammstein and Vertigo/UMe will release limited, remastered editions of the band’s groundbreaking debut on December 4 2020.

Herzeleid (XXV Anniversary Edition – Remastered) will feature the album’s original tracklist on a single CD, housed in a lavish, cross-shaped digipak with deluxe slipcase, and, for the first time ever, the remastered album with HD sound will be available digitally.

In addition, there will be a 2LP version with a slipcase containing two 180 gram heavyweight black vinyl discs with blue splatter effect. The creator of the original artwork, Dirk Rudolph, is also responsible for the Anniversary Edition packaging. The booklets also contain the original band portraits shot by Praler. Both the CD and vinyl editions are strictly limited.

The original cover of Herzeleid (“Heartache” in English) caused controversy when it was first revealed in 1995. It shows the band topless and sweaty. The press said Rammstein depicted themselves in this image as “Herrenmenschen” (relating to the idea of “the master race”). In response, guitarist Richard Z Kruspe said: “Das ist völliger Quatsch, das ist einfach nur ein Foto” (“Totally stupid. It’s just a photo”). Vocalist Till Lindemann added that it was a quick shot on a parking lot somewhere in Berlin. North American versions had a different cover, consisting of the band members’ faces from the inside of the original booklet, placed side-by-side.

First issued by the Motor Music imprint in 1995,  Herzeleid peaked at number six on the German Media Control Charts, where it remained for 102 weeks.

Herzeleid:

“Wollt Ihr das Bett in Flammen Sehen” “Der Meister” “Weisses Fleisch” “Asche zu Asche” “Seemann” “Du Riechst so Gut” “Das Alte Leid” “Heirate Mich” “Herzeleid” “Laichzeit” “Rammstein”