November '09
Artist Spotlight: Richard Z
of Rammstein
September '09
Interview: Shaun Glass and Dirge Within
Artist Spotlight: Doc Coyle
of God Forbid
August '09
Artist Spotlight: Will Adler (Lamb of God)
July '09
Artist Spotlight: Page Hamilton of Helmet
Winner's Circle: Mayem Sweepstakes
AVAILABLE FALL 2009: The new James Hetfield Truckster... now in black!
ESP and Spinefarm Records bring you Children of Bodom Fall 2009 North American Tour
Download Native Instruments Guitar Rig 3 Go for free and enter for a chance to win an LTD KH-602
Coming Soon: ESP Artist Podcasts
June '09
Hot New Models Coming This Fall!
Winner's Circle: "No Fear" Music Tour Sweepstakes
Get Rockin Now with an LTD Guitar or Bass Pack!
April '09
ESP Congratulates Metallica for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction
ESP Artists Top Guitar World Reader's Poll!
New ESPs at 2009 Musikmesse Show!
March '09
Will Adler Appearance at Sam Ash Hollywood
ESP Gets in the Game with Guitar Hero: Metallica
February '09
Artist Interview: Ted Aguilar of Death Angel
ESP mourns the loss of Metal Mulisha rider Jeremy Lusk
January '09
ESP Announces New Models for 2009
New Kirk Hammett & James Hetfield Signature Series
ESP's Signature Series Gets 18 New Models at NAMM 2009
Artist Spotlight: Fred LeClercq of DragonForce
20 Years With ESP: Page Hamilton
ESP Artists Receive Grammy Nominations
ESP Artists Featured in Upcoming Comic Series
ESP on MySpace: Are you our friend?
For 15 years, this innovative and respected guitarist has turned to ESP
for the genesis of his industrial metal sound.
No matter where youʼre from, there seems to be one common bond that ties together young male guitarists from around the world: guitar playing impresses the ladies. That was also the case for a teenager named Richard Z. Kruspe, who would go on to found Rammstein. He was 16 at the time, and bought a guitar in Czechoslovakia while on vacation. In his native East Germany, guitars were very expensive, so his only goal at the time was to re-sell the instrument and make a few bucks. But once he was back home, a girl at a campground saw him with the instrument and asked him to play. He tried to explain that he didnʼt know how to play it, but she was insistent, and he began slamming the strings.
That experience caused Richard to lock himself away in a room for the next couple of years, learning to really play. When he was 19, he moved to Berlin and continued to explore music, living alone in an apartment with a guitar and a drum kit. A few years later, he got his first band going, and like many European musicians, he visited the USA to see what was happening in the American music scene. However, it was at that point that he decided he wanted to come up with a sound of his own. Along with friends Til Lindemann and Ollie Riedel, he began making music that had a unique German sound, and soon Rammstein was born.
Escape from East Germany
Many of our younger ESP fans might not even be aware that before the fall of Communism and the subsequent reunification of Germany, it was very difficult (if not impossible) to travel between the east and the west. In 1989, Richard snuck out via the border between Austria and Hungary, and ended up in West Berlin until the Berlin Wall came down later that year. It was then that he developed the concept of combining hard rock guitars and the industrial sound of machinery. Along with his friends, he began a new band project, and they won a prize of professional studio time based on the first demo they recorded. They named the band Rammstein, after a German city that was the site of an infamous air show disaster.
Success for the band came quickly. Their debut album Herzeleid (Heartbreak) came out in 1995, and they gained immediate popularit in Germany. The following year, producer Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails chose two Rammstein songs for a David Lynch film, and they started getting recognized internationally. Subsequent albums have achieved gold and platinum status.
During a break from Rammstein in 2006, Richard spent a couple of years on a solo project called Emigrate. It was significant, as it was the first time Richard took over the lead vocal role. One of the songs he did as Emigrate was featured on the Resident Evil soundtrack. But eventually, it was time to get Rammstein rolling again.
Love is for All
The bandʼs sixth studio album, “Liebe ist für alle da” (German for “Love is for All”), is set to be released in October 2009, on Universal here in the USA. You can hear Richardʼs ESP guitars in action throughout the new album. Richard has turned to a number of ESP models over the years. In addition to his well-known Signature Series RZK model, heʼs performed using various custom and standard models including the Eclipse, the Kirk Hammett KH-2, the LTD EC-1000, and several others. For a real lesson in Richardʼs innovative songwriting and guitar playing, pick up the new Rammstein album, and if you have a chance to see this band on tour, do not miss it!
