Without the burden of the
Rammstein brand, there's plenty of room for vocalist/guitarist Richard Kruspe to explore fresh sounds on his band
Emigrate's third effort,
A Million Degrees. A suitable stopgap between
Rammstein releases,
A Million Degrees is a straightforward romp that serves melodic anthems and catchy rockers which might not be found in the
Rammstein sphere. While his main band receives sonic nods (politically charged opener "War" mirrors 2004 single "Mein Teil" with its creeping synths and spooky atmospherics), Kruspe locks his focus on other areas, whether it's by absorbing rollicking punk on "Hide and Seek" and "1234" with
Billy Talent's Benjamin Kowalewicz and Ian D'Sa, or tapping the epic scope of symphonic metal on "We Are Together" or the stunning closer "Eyes Fade Away." Elsewhere, Kruspe echoes bands such as
Sisters of Mercy (on the driving "Lead You On" with Margaux Bossieux), late-era
Nine Inch Nails ("Let's Go" with
Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann),
Depeche Mode ("I'm Not Afraid" with Ghost's Tobias Forge), and even, unexpectedly,
U2 (the surprisingly light singalong "You Are So Beautiful"). While this may sound like a confused jumble,
A Million Degrees is
Emigrate's most cohesive and successfully executed vision to date, an eclectic but wholly satisfying experience, especially for fans of his "other" band. ~ Neil Z. Yeung