According to reports in the German daily Bild newspaper, Lindemann is presently not in critical condition, despite being admitted to a Berlin ICU. The tabloid wrote that the Rammstein singer had returned to Berlin last week after a performance in Moscow, upon which he reportedly suffered from a lung infection as well as fever, prompting his ongoing stay in intensive care.

The newspaper claimed that Lindemann had contracted the novel coronavirus after positive test results; however, Bild later added that subsequent tests came back negative.

While still remaining in intensive care, the overall health of the 57-year-old singer is said to be improving.

German music export

Till Lindemann is known as Rammstein's poster-boy. Born in Leipzig in 1963, he worked as a drummer in various bands during the 1980s before launching Rammstein in 1994. The band quickly became one of the most successful German rock bands in history, selling more than 20 million albums.

Rammstein is recognized the world over for their provocative lyrics, music and performances. Taking artistic liberties to new levels, the band has repeatedly made headlines with supposed references to Nazi aesthetics and more. Belonging to the "Neue Deutsche Härte" (NDH) music scene, they mix techno sounds with hard rock and other styles.

More recently, Lindemann pursued his solo career, performing in Russia without his legendary band ; Russia hosts one of the biggest fan communities of Rammstein. During his stage performances there, Till Lindemann is said to recently have made references to the novel coronavirus.

With an ongoing ban on public gatherings of more than 5,000 people in place in Moscow, Lindemann had decided to give two separate performances to smaller audiences.

Rammstein, the dark gods of hard rock Music made of nightmares Knowing no taboos, Rammstein have managed to infuse their performances with humanity's darkest nightmares. It's all about violence and murderous fantasies, cannibalism and various unthinkable acts of horror. They delight in crossing the line, and their provocations are celebrated by a legion of fans. Rammstein is one-of-a-kind — and the band members are worldwide stars.

Rammstein, the dark gods of hard rock Eastern punk heritage Come from East Berlin and Schwerin, the members first performed in seminal acts within the East German underground punk scene. Guitarist Paul Landers and keyboardist Flake Lorenz played in Feeling B; singer Till Lindemann was with First Arsch, bassist Oliver Riedel with The Inchtabokatables, guitarist Richard Kruspe in Orgasm Death Gimmick, and drummer Christoph Schneider in Die Firma.

Rammstein, the dark gods of hard rock Appearances are deceiving They actually look like nice guys. This photo was taken in 1995 when the band was one year old. "Herzeleid" (Heartbreak), the first LP, had gruesome texts on issues like child abuse in "Weisses Fleisch" (White Flesh), and necrophilia in "Heirate mich" (Marry Me). All that to harsh guitar riffs, merciless percussion and an edgy electro sound. It reached No. 6 in the German album charts.

Rammstein, the dark gods of hard rock God knows I'm no angel "Engel" (Angel) in 1997 was the breakthrough. Given much airtime on the MTV and Viva music channels, it was inspired by Quentin Tarantino's film "From Dusk Till Dawn." The second album, "Sehnsucht" (Longing), went platinum both in Germany and in the US. Rammstein's contribution to the soundtrack of David Lynch's film "Lost Highway" kickstarted their career in the US.

Rammstein, the dark gods of hard rock A plea for tolerance in a Hawaiian shirt Aren't they sweet? The surf boys pose on the Californian beach with pretty bikini-clad girls and sing about the foreigner that is unwelcome. The happy images collide with the hard, rapid industrial beat. When "Mein Land" (My Country, 2011) comes to an end, the candy-colored beach party is over, and it's back to familiar Rammstein imagery with fire and scowling faces.

Rammstein, the dark gods of hard rock Inter-generational collaboration In a crossover phase, German folk music star Heino covered well-known rock and pop songs, including Rammstein's "Sonne" (Sun). In 2013, the group invited Heino to join them onstage at Wacken Open Air. Facing 75,000 metal fans and flanked by flames and smoke, Heino sang together with Rammstein — looking slightly startled. The periodical "Metal-Hammer" tweeted: "Did Heino know where he'd landed?"

Rammstein, the dark gods of hard rock Heroes onscreen The film of the Rammstein concert in New York's Madison Square Garden, and the documentary "Rammstein in Amerika," premiered in movie theaters on September 24, 2015. The DVD climbed to No. 1 in the DVD charts in 13 countries. Rammstein has conquered four of the world's five biggest music markets: the US, Great Britain, France and Germany.

Rammstein, the dark gods of hard rock Cultivated pyromaniac Rammstein lead singer Till Lindemann likes to shock with his outre makeup. But under the wild man exterior, Till's a sensitive, contemplative soul who published a collection of poetry titled "Messer" (Knife) in 2002. Meanwhile, the 56-year-old got his buff physique from high-performance swimming. And what about his love of fire? Lindemann took a course in pyrotechnics in 1996.

Rammstein, the dark gods of hard rock 10 years of waiting Rammstein's 7th studio album (untitled) was released on May 17, 2019. It was an eagerly awaited release, coming 10 years after the previous one. It garnered plenty of media attention ahead of its release, in part due to the music video for the single "Deutschland," which portrayed concentration camp prisoners. It became Germany's best-selling album of 2019.

Rammstein, the dark gods of hard rock A duo As of February 4, 2020, Rammstein's frontman, Till Lindemann, has been on a European tour — without the rest of the band. He is accompanied by Swedish metal guitarist Peter Tagtgren, whom he has been working with for the past five years. The duo's second album, "F&M," includes Lindemann singing in German — a change from the pair's previous English-only production. Author: Silke Wünsch (rf)



Correction: An earlier version of this article today said that according to Bild, the singer had contracted the novel coronavirus. The newspaper has since changed its depiction of events. This text has been modified accordingly.

jk,ss/rf (Bild/ntv)