The group's earliest incarnation included German drummer En Esch and British vocalist Raymond Watts, the latter of whom left and rejoined the group several times over its history. The trio recorded the band's earliest albums in Germany before Konietzko and Esch moved to the United States, where they found much greater success with seminal industrial record label Wax Trax!. German guitarist Günter Schulz joined in 1990; both he and Esch continued with the band until KMFDM broke up in 1999. Konietzko resurrected KMFDM in 2002 (Esch and Schulz declined to rejoin) on Metropolis Records, and by 2005 he had assembled a consistent line-up that included American singer Lucia Cifarelli, British guitarists Jules Hodgson and Steve White, and British drummer Andy Selway. Konietzko and Cifarelli moved back to Germany in 2007, while the rest of band stayed in the U.S. In addition to these core members, dozens of other musicians have worked with the group across its nineteen studio albums and two dozen singles, with sales totaling in excess of two million records worldwide.
Critics consider KMFDM to be one of the first bands to bring industrial music to mainstream audiences, though Konietzko refers to the band's music as "The Ultra-Heavy Beat". The band incorporates heavy metal guitar riffs, electronic music, samples, and both male and female vocals in its music, which encompasses a variety of styles including industrial rock and electronic body music (EBM). The band is fiercely political, with many of its lyrics taking stands against violence, war, and oppression. KMFDM normally tours at least once after every major release, and band members are known for their accessibility to and interaction with fans, both online and at concerts. Members, singly or working together and with other musicians, have recorded under many other names, primarily Watts' PIG, Konietzko's Excessive Force, and Esch and Schulz's Slick Idiot.
KMFDM (Discogs): https://www.discogs.com/artist/11606-KMFDM
KMFDM (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/officialkmfdm
KMFDM (MySpace): https://myspace.com/officialkmfdm
KMFDM (Official Site): http://www.kmfdm.net
KMFDM (Reddit): https://www.reddit.com/r/kmfdm
KMFDM (SoundCloud): https://soundcloud.com/kmfdm_official
KMFDM (Store): http://kmfdm.fulfillmentmerch.com
KMFDM (Tumblr): https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/kmfdm
KMFDM (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kmfdmofficial
KMFDM (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/user/officialkmfdm
---Current Members---
Sascha Konietzko – vocals, guitar, bass, programming, keyboards, synthesizer, percussion
Lucia Cifarelli – vocals, keyboards
Jules Hodgson – guitar, bass, keyboards
Andy Selway – drums
Steve White – guitar
---Former Members---
En Esch – vocals, drums, guitar, programming
Raymond Watts – vocals, programming
Günter Schulz – guitar, programming
Mark Durante – guitar, steel guitar
Tim Skold – vocals, guitar, bass, drums, programming
Classic KMFDM Discography (1984-1999)
---Studio Albums---
1984 - Opium
1986 - What Do You Know, Deutschland?
1988 - Don't Blow Your Top
1989 - UAIOE
1990 - Naïve
1992 - Money
1993 - Angst
1995 - Nihil
1996 - Xtort
1997 - Symbols
1999 - Adios
---Compilations---
1986 - 84-86 (compilation)
1994 - Naïve/Hell to Go (remix)
1996 - Retro (compilation)
1998 - Agogo (compilation)
---Singles---
1987 - Kickin' Ass
1988 - Don't Blow Your Top
1988 - More & Faster
1989 - Virus
1990 - Godlike
1991 - Naïve + The Days of Swine and Roses (split with My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult)
1991 - Split
1992 - Vogue
1992 - Money
1992 - Help Us/Save Us/Take Us Away
1992 - Sucks
1993 - A Drug Against War
1994 - Light
1994 - Glory
1995 - Juke Joint Jezebel
1995 - Juke Joint Jezebel (The Moroder Mixes)
1995 - Brute
1995 - Trust
1995 - Year of the Pig
1996 - Power
1996 - Rules
1997 - Anarchy
1998 - MDFMK
---Side Projects/Collaborations---
1991 - Excessive Force - Conquer Your House
1992 - Excessive Force - Conquer Your World
1992 - En Esch - Cheesy
1993 - Excessive Force - Blizkrieg
1994 - Excessive Force - Gentle Death
1994 - KMFDM vs. PIG - Sin Sex & Salvation
---Modern KMFDM Discography (2002-present)
---Studio Albums---
2002 - Attak
2003 - WWIII
2005 - Hau Ruck
2007 - Tohuvabohu
2009 - Blitz
2011 - WTF?!
2013 - Kunst
2014 - Our Time Will Come
2017 - Hell Yeah
2019 - Paradise
2022 - HYËNA
2024 - LET GO
---Compilations---
2002 - Strum & Drang Tour Live (live)
2004 - WWIII Live 2003 (live)
2006 - Ruck Zuck (remix)
2008 - Brimborium (remix)
2008 - Extra Vol. 1 (compilation)
2008 - Extra Vol. 2 (compilation)
2008 - Extra Vol. 3 (compilation)
2009 - Krieg (remix)
2010 - Würst (compilation)
2010 - Greatest Shit (compilation)
2014 - We Are KMFDM (live)
---Singles---
2002 - Boots
2010 - Day of Light
2010 - Godlike 2010
2010 - Light 2010
2011 - Krank
2011 - Amnesia
2014 - Salvation
---Side Projects/Collaborations---
2000 - MDFMK - MDFMK
2001 - Schweinstein - Schweinstein
2001 - Slick Idiot - DickNity
2002 - Schweinstein - Son of Schweinstein
2003 - Slick Idiot - ReDickUlous
2004 - Slick Idiot - Screwtinized
2004 - Lucia - From the Land of Volcanoes
2006 - Slick Idiot - xSCREWciating
2006 - KGC - Dirty Bomb
2009 - Slick Idiot - Sucksess
2009 - Skold vs. KMFDM - Skold vs. KMFDM
2011 - OK●ZTEIN●OK - PROLET●KULT
2014 - En Esch - SPÄNK
Krank
KMFDM Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
End of the line
Outhouse of life
Where the sun don't shine
Down and out
Straddling demise
Get a grip on yourself
Pick up and rise
Top of the world
Designed to destruct
With wings unfurled
Sky-high and fucked
Out of the true
Crash and burn or slow down and subdue
Live and learn
Achtung! Here we come
With another motherfucking dirty bomb
Krank! - Krank it to 11
Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid 24/7
Once again rings true what we always knew
KMFDM is the drug for you
Freedom is a loaded shotgun
Krank!
Kein Mitleid Für Die Mehrheit
The lyrics to KMFDM's song "Krank" portray contrasting themes of hitting rock-bottom and rising up to the top of the world only to inevitably fall down again. The opening lyrics "Hit rock-bottom, end of the line, outhouse of life, where the sun don't shine" paint a picture of despair and hopelessness. However, the counteracting lyrics "Get a grip on yourself, pick up and rise" suggest a message of perseverance and resilience.
The song also touches on the idea of destruction, both self-destruction as well as destruction on a larger scale. The lyrics "Designed to destruct, with wings unfurled, sky-high and f***ed" convey the idea of a person or society creating its own downfall. The chorus then introduces the idea of using violence as a means of achieving one's goals, with the German phrase "Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid" translating to "No sympathy for the majority". The final lyrics "Freedom is a loaded shotgun" suggest a dangerous and potentially harmful attitude towards achieving freedom or independence.
Overall, "Krank" presents a bleak yet somewhat contradictory view of life, highlighting the struggles and potential failures one may face while also emphasizing the importance of persistence and strength. However, the song's use of violent imagery and attitudes towards violence could be concerning to some listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Hit rock-bottom
Reaches the lowest possible point.
End of the line
A point beyond which progress ceases or becomes impossible.
Outhouse of life
Refers to the unpleasant reality of life.
Where the sun don't shine
Refers to a dark and unpleasant place.
Down and out
Refers to being in a difficult or hopeless situation.
Straddling demise
Refers to being on the brink of death or failure.
Get a grip on yourself
Urges the listener to take control and improve their situation.
Pick up and rise
Encourages the listener to bounce back and recover from their struggles.
Top of the world
Refers to a state of success and accomplishment.
Designed to destruct
Refers to something which is meant to cause destruction and damage.
With wings unfurled
Refers to something which is about to take flight or soar to new heights.
Sky-high and fucked
Refers to something that has gone horribly wrong despite great potential.
Out of the true
Refers to something that is not genuine or authentic.
Crash and burn or slow down and subdue
Urges the listener to either embrace their eventual failure or to pull back and avoid further damage.
Live and learn
Encourages the listener to learn from their experiences and move forward with new knowledge.
Achtung! Here we come
Here we are, watch out!
With another motherfucking dirty bomb
With another shocking and powerful weapon/idea.
Krank! - Krank it to 11
Get crazier and more extreme.
Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid 24/7
No majority for pity all day, every day.
Once again rings true what we always knew
Once again, what we always believed to be true is confirmed.
KMFDM is the drug for you
KMFDM is the ultimate addiction, providing the listener with a powerful experience.
Freedom is a loaded shotgun
Freedom comes at a price, and one must be careful when handling it.
Krank!
Get wild!
Kein Mitleid Für Die Mehrheit
No pity for the majority.
Contributed by Jayce A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.