Rammstein's Deutschland played on the hurdy gurdy

(Image credit: TikTok, Rob Verhorst/Redferns)

While Rammstein's 2019 track Deutschland sounds like the music of a war-torn dystopian future, this cover by Annie Hurdy Gurdy could easily soundtrack a film set in ancient times, or possibly the next season of the medieval fantasy show The Witcher.

The main cause of difference is that Annie, who plays in the Swiff folk metal band Eluveitie, uses - you guessed it- a hurdy gurdy, a string instrument that produces sound by a hand-crank-turned wheel.

For the rendition, Annie performs the song's introduction by layering over different melodies, all played by herself, while whipping her hair and rocking out. It's a spectacularly enchanting listen, and perfect for cosplaying as medieval wizards or pretending you're from some ancient and forgotten time, if er, that's your thing.

In Annie's other videos, she has covered Survivor's Eye Of The Tiger, AC/DC's Thunderstruck, Ozzy Osourne's Crazy Train and Dragonforce's Through The Fire and Flames.

If you're a fan of this instrumental reimagining of Deutschland, then you'll be pleased to know that it was also tackled earlier this year by axe-slinger extraordinaire Kiki Wong, alongside violinist Mia Asano, cellist Tina Guo and saxophonist Grace Kelly.

Watch Annie's cover below:

@anniehurdygurdy
♬ Originalton - Annie Hurdy Gurdy

Last week, Rammstein shared their epic new video for Adieu, a track lifted from their 2022 album Zeit. Unsurprisingly, the visual is a jaw-droppingly cinematic affair, featuring criminal heists, celestial armies, caged humans, futuristic fleshy humanoids, laser-protected rooms, jaw-droppingly grand buildings and plenty of striking visuals that will make you question why the German industrial metallers have never been involved in a full feature-length film.

Liz manages Louder's social media channels and works on keeping the sites up to date with the latest news from the world of rock and metal. Prior to joining Louder as a full time staff writer, she completed a Diploma with the National Council for the Training of Journalists and received a First Class Honours Degree in Popular Music Journalism. She enjoys writing about anything from neo-glam rock to stoner, doom and progressive metal, and loves celebrating women in music.