Rammstein recorded their debut at Polar Studios in Stockholm, with Jacob Hellner producing. Herzeleid originally appeared in 1995 and laid the groundwork for Neue Deutsche Härte: heavy guitar chords at half tempo, synthesizer lines cutting straight through them, and Till Lindemann's low, hard-articulated vocals. Du riechst so gut and Seemann were the first singles, while the title track and Rammstein became fixtures of the live set. David Lynch used two songs from the album in Lost Highway, which put the band on the map outside Germany for the first time.

This edition is a 2-LP on black vinyl with blue splatter, released as an XXV anniversary edition.