KMFDM (originally Kein Mitleid Für Die Mehrheit, "loosely" translated by th… Read Full Bio ↴KMFDM (originally Kein Mitleid Für Die Mehrheit, "loosely" translated by the band as "no pity for the majority") is an industrial rock band led by German multi-instrumentalist Sascha Konietzko, who founded the group in 1984 as a performance art project in Hamburg, Germany.

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

Power
KMFDM Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Under a stone
Skin and bone
The children of fear
Are not alone

Rivers of tears
Flesh and blood
An eye for an eye

That's all we've got

Time will be ending
Life's a crusade
For a consciousness rising
Out of desperate state

Power and truth
Desire and trust
Like the wind and the rain
Ashes and dust

Into light and the future
Education is work
Into violent peace
That will conqure the world

We got the power
Excessive force
Industrial soundtrack to the holy wars!

Under a stone
Skin and bone
The children of fear
Are not alone

Rivers of tears
Flesh and blood
An eye for an eye
That's all we've got

We got the power
Excessive force
Industrial soundtrack to the holy wars!

Time will be ending
Life's a crusade

For a consciousness rising
Out of desperate state

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of KMFDM's "Power" offer a stark commentary on the state of the world and the desperate need for change. The opening lines, "Under a stone, skin and bone, the children of fear are not alone," evoke a sense of isolation and fear, perhaps referencing the marginalized or oppressed individuals who may feel alone in their struggles. However, the following lines suggest that this is a universal experience, with "rivers of tears, flesh and blood" representing the shared human experience of suffering.

The line "An eye for an eye, that's all we've got" delivers a message about the cyclical nature of violence and retaliation, and suggests that this approach has been ineffective. The following lines offer a glimmer of hope, with talk of a "consciousness rising out of desperate state." The chorus speaks to the power of trust and truth in bringing about change, likening them to the elemental forces of wind and rain, and the inevitable transformation of ashes to dust.

The song appears to call for action, urging listeners to embrace education as a means of moving towards a better future. The final lines, "Into violent peace that will conquer the world, we got the power, excessive force, industrial soundtrack to the holy wars!" suggest that the fight for change may be difficult and even violent, but that it is possible with sufficient power and force.

Line by Line Meaning

Under a stone
There are untold stories and secrets hidden beneath the surface

Skin and bone
We are all vulnerable and exposed to the harsh realities of life

The children of fear
Those who are afraid and oppressed

Are not alone
There are others who share their pain and can empathize

Rivers of tears
Countless tears shed in sorrow and grief

Flesh and blood
We are all human, with emotions and experiences that shape us

An eye for an eye
The cycle of revenge and retaliation perpetuates more violence

That's all we've got
Our limited understanding and inability to find solutions beyond violence

Time will be ending
We are running out of time to address the issues that threaten our world

Life's a crusade
We must fight for what we believe in and take action for change

For a consciousness rising
To awaken people and inspire them to make a difference