The word “Emigrate,” he relates, “is essentially saying goodbye to one world and entering a new world, which I did when I left Germany.” This move gave him the inspiration that would eventually lead to Emigrate. “The good thing about New York is that you don’t really have to do much. You can just go out, because the city is full of drama. Just go around the corner and there it is.”

A noticeable difference in this band is the words are in English. “The reason that we sing Rammstein in German, is that I’m a big believer that an environment or a culture has big influence on your songs,” he explains. “With Emigrate it felt really natural to use English with the music. It would have been really, really awkward if I’d done it in German.”

This also marks the debut of Richard as a lead singer. “At the end of the day, I think every guitar player wants to be a singer,” he laughs. “It took me some time because singing is something you can’t really force. It’s more about attitude. You have to be really convincing. It takes time.”

Emigrate offers 11 strong tracks (13 on the limited version) that include stand outs such as straight-ahead rocker “Wake Up,” the slow grooving “In My Tears,” the heart-felt emotions of “Babe” and the industrial/Egyptian feel of “Resolution.” You can hear the guitar sound Richard is known for, but he also incorporates a little rockabilly, clean tone and wah wah into his work.

As for future plans…“Rammstein is still my #1 band and I made a promise to those guys that when Rammstein is active, I’m obviously with them,” he explains. At the moment, we’re writing a new record. I can write for two bands, but I cannot tour for both at the moment. There are a lot of people and fans asking me if Emigrate will tour, and I will tour if the time is there.”