A side project from Rammstein guitarist Richard Kruspe, industrial metal band Emigrate emerged in the mid-2000s as a groove-oriented outlet for Kruspe and his typically propulsive riffs. Performing in English, their 2007 self-titled debut hit the German Top Ten and, in between Rammstein releases, Kruspe and the band issued the follow-ups Silent So Long (2014), A Million Degrees (2018), and The Persistence of Memory (2021).

Emigrate first became an idea in 2001 during the Mutter period -- when Kruspe wrote a batch of songs with then-wife Caron Bernstein -- but didn't become possible until 2005 when Rammstein decided to take some time off from recording and touring. In addition to Kruspe, Emigrate featured the talents of guitarist Olsen Involtini, bassist/vocalist Margaux Bossieux, bassist/guitarist Arnaud Giroux, and drummer Henka Johansson (whose role was later filled by Joe Letz).

The first taste of Emigrate arrived in 2006 when subscribers to Rammstein's e-mail newsletter were offered the track "My World" as a free download. The next year, that gritty, aggressive song landed on the Resident Evil: Extinction soundtrack and on Emigrate's self-titled debut, released by the German label Motor. Emigrate peaked at number eight on the German charts and included the additional singles "New York City" and "Temptation."

After the release and promotion of Rammstein's 2009 effort, Liebe Ist Für Alle Da, Kruspe returned his focus to Emigrate, entering the studio with a crew of special guests and additional drummer Mikko Siren. The results, 2014's Silent So Long (Vertigo), yielded collaborations with Frank Delle ("Eat You Alive"), Peaches ("Get Down"), Lemmy Kilmister ("Rock City"), Marilyn Manson ("Hypothetical"), and Jonathan Davis ("Silent So Long"). Another extended stretch followed and the project was revived in 2018 with A Million Degrees (Spinefarm/Universal). This third set featured collaborations with Billy Talent's Benjamin Kowalewicz ("1234"), Ghost's Cardinal Copia ("I'm Not Afraid"), and Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann ("Let's Go"). Emigrate issued the singles "Freeze My Mind" and "You Can't Run Away" in early 2021 ahead of the arrival of their fourth studio effort, The Persistence of Memory. ~ Neil Z. Yeung & David Jeffries