The Rammstein guitarist puts his fans through torture on Instagram.
Richard Z. Kruspe is once again keeping fans of his (solo) music and that of Rammstein guessing. The guitarist posted a photo on Instagram on Monday (March 5, 2024) in which he is posing with his instrument. Title: “Counting down to a brand new start / 1234, I’ll follow my heart”, German: “The countdown to a brand new start / 1234, I follow my heart.”
Now Kruspe’s followers are wondering what this rhyme means. Will there be new songs from his band Emigrate soon? Or even from Rammstein? Is that even a new lyric?
“Now I’m curious what that could mean 🧐 a brand new start?! A new project maybe?” asks a fan, “now I’m curious what that could mean 🧐 a whole new beginning?! A new project perhaps?”. Another noted: “Paul (Landers) once said that Rammstein won’t stop until one of them dies.”
What is certain is that Kruspe is going on a summer tour with Rammstein – so that means he is NOT leaving the band, but also that there is no time to record new music with Rammstein.
Mysterious posts from Kruspe in the past:
A more recent Instagram image shows a screenshot in which Kruspe is wearing a cape and has the hood pulled low over his face. “No mysterious caption?” asks a user, a little disappointed that the posting doesn’t have a “mysterious caption.” Kruspe usually likes to write fortune cookie wisdom under his pictures.
Band photographer Olaf Heine also commented on the photo with an in-joke: “You’re on the right track”.
Others see the photo as a harbinger of an announcement that a new album from Emigrate, the Rammstein musician’s side project, can hopefully be expected soon.
A fan finally clears up the mystery: The still is a scene from the Rammstein video “Rosenrot” from 2005.
Big guesswork at Christmas too:
The lead guitarist posted a photo on Instagram that makes Christmas Eve look more like a morbid affair. “Merry Christmas Everyone!” writes Kruspe. In the picture he is wearing a white shirt and a Bowie Lazarus-esque blindfold: and in his hands he is carrying a newborn that looks slightly swollen and splotchy, like it has just hatched. It’s hard to say what this photo is supposed to convey. A blind man who doesn’t see his son? And is the little one – Kruspe posted the pic on December 24th – supposed to represent Jesus? Typical Kruspe symbolism that is supposed to keep his fans guessing.
And of course they do. The photo isn’t well received by everyone either. “His picture shocked me, we lost our son at birth this year. This is our first Christmas as parents, but empty-handed. 😔 This picture looks like this: You have a child but you can’t see him,” one posted. To which another replied: “This is so sad😢 I’m actually pregnant, I can’t imagine how terrible your loss is! I’m so sorry for you!!!”
Maybe because this Richard isn’t recognized by everyone because of the blindfold, one person writes: “Merry Christmas Paul! Love you!” – the guitarist was easily confused with the other guitarist.
Some respond quite formally: “Thank you very much, Richard. I wish you and your family a merry Christmas and, most importantly, good health.”
Others use the Instagram profile to become political: “Free Palestinian” – for this the user was immediately trimmed down by others; The Kruspe profile is not the right place for this kind of statement.
It is not known that the 56-year-old Kruspe would actually be the father of a child who had just been born. He has a 31-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter.