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
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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
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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
People Of The Lie
KMFDM Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whatever it is you think you know
Don't give a god damn
Reality is bullshit
Reflection is a concept
Based on your own fucked up ideal
Don't call it part of your faith
Voices shouting in the water
Drown you out steal your air
Blinded by their own illusion
Through a crooked looking glass
Army of thieves
Blood on their hands
Lightning, fire and brimstone
They'll say whatever they can
Conspiracy theories arrogant trash
They prowl alone and travel in packs
Voices shouting in the water
Drag you down steal your air
Dissolute, diabolic
Snake oil salesmen everywhere
People of the lie
People of the lie
Whatever you believe
Nobody cares
Idol worship made up fantasy
Don't push your deity on me
Don't call it part of your faith
Another way you justify hate
Voices shouting in the water
Drown you out steal your air
Blinded by their own illusion
Through a crooked looking glass
KMFDM's "People of the Lie" is a song that speaks out against religious extremism and fanaticism. The lyrics highlight how nobody cares about what you believe or your interpretation of reality. Your faith and beliefs can be easily twisted and used as a tool for hate, war, and propaganda. Reality is seen as bullshit, and reflection is only a concept based on one's own misguided thoughts.
The song is highly critical of those who use their faith as an excuse to hate, discriminate, and impose their beliefs on others. KMFDM focuses on the point that people who are filled with hate and bigotry use their beliefs to justify their actions, giving rise to a culture of intolerance, arrogance, and hypocrisy. The lyrics suggest that these people are thieves who steal the air from voices shouting in the water. They are blinded by their own illusions, and they see reality through a crooked looking glass. The song calls these people “People of the lie” as they continuously lie to themselves and the world around them.
In conclusion, "People of the Lie" is a powerful critique of religious fanaticism and its destructive impact on society. It warns against the dangers of using faith as an excuse to justify hate and intolerance. The song also highlights how the reality can be twisted by those who seek to impose their beliefs on others. In essence, the song is a call for tolerance, acceptance, and mutual respect.
Line by Line Meaning
Whatever you believe nobody cares
No one is interested in your personal beliefs
Whatever it is you think you know
You don't actually know anything for sure
Don't give a god damn
I don't care at all
Reality is bullshit
What is considered 'real' is meaningless
Reflection is a concept
The idea of self-reflection is just an idea
Based on your own fucked up ideal
Your idea of what is right is flawed and messed up
Don't call it part of your faith
Hating others is not a valid part of your religious beliefs
Another way you justify hate
Your hate towards others is only a way to rationalize it to yourself
Voices shouting in the water
People's opinions are overwhelming and inescapable
Drown you out steal your air
Their opinions suffocate and stifle your own voice
Blinded by their own illusion
People are so consumed by their own views that they can't see reality
Through a crooked looking glass
The perception of what is true is distorted and twisted
Army of thieves
Those who harm others make up a destructive group
Blood on their hands
They are responsible for the harm done to others
Lightning, fire and brimstone
They use extreme and violent language to get their message across
They'll say whatever they can
They are willing to do anything to prove their point
Conspiracy theories arrogant trash
Their beliefs in conspiracies are baseless and conceited
They prowl alone and travel in packs
They can be individuals or part of a group, but they are always dangerous
Dissolute, diabolic
They are morally corrupt and wicked
Snake oil salesmen everywhere
Those who deceive and exploit others can be found everywhere
People of the lie
These types of people are deceivers and frauds
Whatever you believe nobody cares
I don't care about your personal beliefs
Idol worship made up fantasy
Your worship of a deity is just a made up fantasy
Don't push your deity on me
Don't try to convince or force me to believe as you do
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind