A massive laser canon powers up and fires, only to reveal that it’s actually a film projector. Six sour Krauts wielding hammers and buzzsaw guitars provide the Wagnerian soundtrack to a series of short films: a werewolf hunts its prey, ants seek violent revenge, Snow White becomes a dominatrix, bank robbers gain media fame. Then they blow the whole thing to hell with pyrotechnics, explosions, naked snake dancers, fascism as fetishism as fashion, brutality as beauty, irony as art – one might almost think they were serious.

A truly postmodern outfit, Rammstein’s music is interesting enough, although if their lyrics weren’t in German, their albums would surely have "Parental Advisory" stickers on them. But it takes the band’s videos to realize that this collective ramming stone is either creating a serious manifesto about society and the media, or pulling an elaborate practical joke. My money is on both.

The Lichtspielhaus DVD features all of the band’s videos, rare live cuts and making-of documentaries and makes for an essential addition to any Rammstein fan’s collection, highlighting the ultimate irony behind its members – serious musicians who actually light themselves on fire to get attention. Kinda makes you wonder if Wagner would have done the same thing.