The announcement that the music videos for “Du riechst so gut (’95/’98)” and “Seemann”, both from Rammstein’s debut album Herzeleid, have been made available in freshly digitally restored 4K quality has stirred a wave of anticipation, excitement, and reflection among fans. In many ways, this revival is not just about upgrading resolution—it’s about reawakening a piece of the band’s early visual identity, revisiting the raw aesthetic, and giving these early works new life in the modern era.
First, a bit of context. Herzeleid, Rammstein’s first album, came out in 1995 to moderate attention, especially within Germany, but it laid the groundwork for what the band would become: heavy, theatrical, unapologetically German in sound and image. The two music videos in question represent two distinct eras of that early period: the raw, minimal, black‑and‑white stylings of the original Du riechst so gut video from 1995, and the more ambitious, narrative‑driven version from 1998, as well as Seemann, whose visuals captured part of the maritime, melancholic atmosphere of the song.
With the restoration, the band (or their management/label) has essentially handed over to fans a chance to see what those early visions might have looked like had they had access to higher fidelity back then. The promotional message was that the videos are “digitally restored in stunning 4K quality” and are now available on YouTube, giving fans a chance to see details they may never have noticed before.
Let’s dive into each video, what makes the restoration meaningful, and what it signals about Rammstein’s legacy and visual history.
The Du riechst so gut saga is in itself interesting. The original version (1995) was modest in scope: black‑and‑white visuals, the band mostly shirtless, intercut with close‑ups of a Doberman walking, petals or floral imagery, and largely focusing on strong faces, texture, and atmosphere rather than narrative. (RammWiki) Because they had limited budget and resources, the video is austere, austere in part by necessity, but also with an earnest aesthetic. (RammWiki) In contrast, in 1998 the band reissued the single as Du riechst so gut ’98, with a different video: the reimagined version is more cinematic, with a vampire motif, masquerade ball, stalking imagery, gothic castle settings, and an overt conceptual narrative about scent, transformation, and pursuit. (Wikipedia) The ’98 version was clearly more ambitious, with higher production values, more elaborate sets and costuming, and a style more aligned to what Rammstein would become known for in terms of blending spectacle, theatricality, and darkness.
The Seemann video, shot in December 1995 and released January 1996, has its own evocative visual language. Directed by Laszlo Kadar, it features the band on a boat stranded on sand, with elements of struggle (band members pulling, pushing, attempting to free the vessel), intercut with scenes of a woman on a street. (RammWiki) The imagery is stark, sometimes metaphorical, with a maritime melancholy—appropriate for a song whose title means “Seaman” or “Sailor.”Over time, later video collections (DVDs, Blu‑rays and video anthologies) have upscaled or upconverted earlier master footage of Seemann, but according to the RammWiki page, the video was updated to a digitally remastered 4K version on 26 September 2025. (RammWiki)
One question fans naturally ask: what exactly does “digitally restored” mean in this context? In modern video restoration, one can do a lot: clean up grain, eliminate analog noise, repair damage (scratches, dropouts, tape wear), stabilize shaky footage, reconstruct missing frames, enhance sharpness, remaster colors (or regrade black‑and‑white), and re-output to higher bit depth and resolution. Whether every one of those steps was applied here is not publicly detailed, but fans have already started comparing the restored versions to older uploads and commenting on nuances.
Some fan commentary is cautiously excited, others skeptical. On a Reddit thread sharing the news, one user wrote: “didn’t investigate yet, but is it only upscaled? I hope they truly remastered it like they did with Du Hast. ‘digitally restored’ is kinda ambiguous.” (Reddit) Others pointed out imperfections: “Du riechst so gut ‘95 has extra overscan line thingys and ‘98 has been cropped for some reason. Seemann looks alright though.” (Reddit) The upscaling or cropping decisions (if any) may be trade‑offs forced by the condition of the source materials. If the original tapes were degraded, or if frame edges were damaged, cropping might remove artifacts. Upscaling is sometimes unavoidable when reissuing older material to appeal to modern viewing platforms.
But even given those trade‑offs, the restoration is important for multiple reasons. First, it preserves these early videos in a state less subject to further degradation. Magnetic tape, old video masters, analog sources—they all decay over time, and digitization at high quality is a way to lock down a more faithful version before the original medium degrades further.
Second, seeing these visuals in 4K allows fans and scholars alike a chance to study the early texture of Rammstein’s visual identity: the lighting, the makeup, the set pieces, subtle expressions, the interplay of shadow and face—details that may have been obscured or softened in earlier low resolution or compressed versions. What used to appear as muddy contrast might now reveal detail in costuming, hair, skin textures, or props.
Third, in the broader narrative of Rammstein’s evolution, these videos are historical artifacts. They document how a band with minimal early resources strove for expressive power and distinctive imagery that would become part of their brand. Restoring them is like restoring a painting: you reveal things lost to time, regain clarity, and invite renewed appreciation.
There’s also the timing: the restoration comes as part of the Herzeleid (XXV Anniversary Edition – Remastered) campaign. The band is reissuing the album with remastered audio and deluxe packaging. As fans have noted, while the album had seen remasters or reissues before, this may be the first time it’s getting full digital HD release aligned with visual restorations. So the visual restorations serve both as promotional tie-ins and genuine fan service.
Watching them now, in restored 4K, the contrast between the two Du riechst so gut versions becomes even clearer. The original’s minimalism may look more raw, perhaps even quaint in its simplicity, but it retains an earnest, direct power. The 1998 version feels cinematic, gothic, indulgent—but in a way consistent with how the band would gravitate toward dramatic, stylized spectacle. Some fans might prefer the raw energy of the ’95 version; others will lean into the theatrical flourish of ’98. The restoration may shift some fans’ preferences by revealing visual details that previously were lost in translation.
As for Seemann, the restored video allows a more immersive connection to its moody, nautical melancholy. The scenes of the boat stuck in sand, the action of the band’s struggle, the drifting of the lone female figure—they all benefit from better contrast, sharper outlines, deeper blacks, and clearer midtones. The sea, sky, textures of wood or rope, faces—everything can be more sharply observed. It’s a reminder of how much Rammstein’s early work hinged on atmosphere and mood, even before their later pyrotechnic excess.
One interesting angle is how fans receive the restored versions. Some are thrilled: the ability to revisit beloved childhood or teenage memories in better clarity, to discover little details they missed before. Others are more critical, pointing out where the restoration might not meet expectations. But even critiques are part of the dialogue—if a fan sees a line, artifact, or crop, that can spark discussion about what the original master materials were, what decisions were made in restoration, and how these videos might have looked if resources had been greater in 1995–1998.
The restoration also invites reflection on how far the band has come, visually and sonically. From that early era of sparse equipment and modest production budgets, to stadium‑size concerts, elaborate stage shows, and videos that blend spectacle, narrative, and controversy—this is a chance to retrace the arc.
Ultimately, making these restored videos available is a gesture: a nod to authenticity, to legacy, to archival care, and to fan engagement. It acknowledges that these early works matter, that they deserve preservation, and that the visual side of Rammstein’s art is inseparable from the music. For many fans, it’s a chance to see Rammstein’s roots with new eyes—and to appreciate all over again the power of shadows, texture, and gesture that have always been part of their visual identity.
