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
Real Thing
KMFDM Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chaos eats away the best of me
A former shadow of myself
Porcelain doll, just an empty shell
Bug in amber that can't be reached
Choking on fear that stings like bleach
Gimme the real thing
Give me something deep
Something straight
Like a sharpened knife
Gimme the real thing
Give me the life
Gimme a fresh start,
Like a new born child
Gimme the real thing
I have no friends
I'm always by myself
I cannot pacify my shame and doubt
Drained them dry
And damned them all to hell
I've no control or any will to stop
Everything perfect just melts away
I've got the touch like evil prey
Talking pictures in black and white
Spitting their venom back at mine
Everything old is new again
My only crime buried under cold skin
In the quiet of my tiger's eye
Cross my heart and hope to die
The lyrics to KMFDM's song "Real Thing" are filled with angsty metaphors reflecting inner turmoil and the desire for something real in the face of chaos and pressure. The first few lines explicitly state the concept of physical and mental breakdowns under stress. The second line "Chaos eats away the best of me" suggests that the singer is struggling to hold it together in the face of pressure. The third line, "A former shadow of myself", is a metaphorical representation of that pressure pushing down someone and leaving only the remnants of their former self.
The next few lines reveal the singer's insecurity and confusion with metaphors of fragility, isolation, and helplessness. "Porcelain doll, just an empty shell" conveys a sense of vulnerability, like the self is something fragile that can be broken easily. The image of a "bug in amber that can't be reached" reveals how trapped and isolated the singer feels. And the line "Choking on fear that stings like bleach" is a visceral metaphor for the way anxiety can feel like it's suffocating and corrosive, like a chemical burn.
However, despite the darkness of the lyrics, the chorus offers a glimmer of hope, with the singer pleading for the "real thing". They want a life that is authentic, deep, and genuine, rather than one that feels manufactured or fake. The repetition of the phrase "Gimme the real thing" reinforces that desperation for authenticity, and the image of a "fresh start, like a new born child" suggests a desire to start over and leave the chaos behind. In essence, the song serves to capture the mood of turmoil, anxiety, and existential questioning that many people feel as they navigate the uncertainties of 21st-century life.
Line by Line Meaning
Cracking under pressure violently
I'm breaking down due to extreme stress.
Chaos eats away the best of me
I'm losing my grip as my life falls apart.
A former shadow of myself
I don't feel like I'm the same person I used to be.
Porcelain doll, just an empty shell
I'm fragile and hollow inside.
Bug in amber that can't be reached
I'm trapped and can't escape.
Choking on fear that stings like bleach
I'm struggling to breathe due to my overwhelming anxiety.
Gimme the real thing
I want something genuine and authentic.
Gimme the life
I want to experience everything life has to offer.
Give me something deep
I want something meaningful and profound.
Something straight like a sharpened knife
I want something direct and clear-cut.
Gimme a fresh start, like a new born child
I want to start over and have a clean slate.
I have no friends, I'm always by myself
I don't have any close relationships and feel isolated.
I cannot pacify my shame and doubt
I can't find a way to ease my feelings of guilt and uncertainty.
Drained them dry, and damned them all to hell
I've used up all my resources and burned bridges with people I once knew.
I've no control or any will to stop
I feel powerless and unable to change my situation.
Everything perfect just melts away
My ideal vision of life is constantly crumbling.
I've got the touch like evil prey
I feel like a victim of my own destructive tendencies.
Talking pictures in black and white
The memories of my past are bleak and colorless.
Spitting their venom back at mine
The negative thoughts from my past are contaminating my present.
Everything old is new again
My past mistakes are repeating themselves.
My only crime buried under cold skin
My biggest mistake is hidden deep within me.
In the quiet of my tiger's eye
In the stillness of my mind, I'm fiercely protective.
Cross my heart and hope to die
I'm making a solemn vow to myself.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Adrian Wright, Ian Burden, Jim Russell, Phil Oakey, Steve Fellows, BERND FRIEDMANN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kolmillo
Cracking under pressure violently
Chaos eats away the best of me
A former shadow of myself
Porcelain doll, just an empty shell
Bug in amber that can't be reached
Choking on fear that stings like bleach
Gimme the real thing
Gimme the life
Give me something deep
Something straight
Like a sharpened knife
Gimme the real thing
Give me the life
Gimme a fresh start,
Like a new born child
Gimme the real thing
I have no friends
I'm always by myself
I cannot pacify my shame and doubt
Drained them dry
And damned them all to hell
I've no control or any will to stop
Everything perfect just melts away
I've got the touch like evil prey
Talking pictures in black and white
Spitting their venom back at mine
Everything old is new again
My only crime buried under cold skin
In the quiet of my tiger's eye
Cross my heart and hope to die
Kolmillo
Cracking under pressure violently
Chaos eats away the best of me
A former shadow of myself
Porcelain doll, just an empty shell
Bug in amber that can't be reached
Choking on fear that stings like bleach
Gimme the real thing
Gimme the life
Give me something deep
Something straight
Like a sharpened knife
Gimme the real thing
Give me the life
Gimme a fresh start,
Like a new born child
Gimme the real thing
I have no friends
I'm always by myself
I cannot pacify my shame and doubt
Drained them dry
And damned them all to hell
I've no control or any will to stop
Everything perfect just melts away
I've got the touch like evil prey
Talking pictures in black and white
Spitting their venom back at mine
Everything old is new again
My only crime buried under cold skin
In the quiet of my tiger's eye
Cross my heart and hope to die
Beth Moreland
Don't download their stuff. This band is worth our money. I love Lucia's work. She so completed this band. I friggen love this song. gives me goosebumps every fricken time I hear it.
bigchunk1
Beth Moreland Go see them live instead.
Eric Duncan
+mickeybunts oh good, I'm okay I'm using a Samsung
YEs
critical intelligence failure
Hippiejäveln
what a capitalistic comment, feels like lars ulrich style,
i bye vinyl, no other format is worth paying for,
digital = junk
and junk is free
Professor Kaos
That Riff which starts from 3:36 is so fucking badass.....
Timothy V
All are amazing but ive always liked Professional Killer for sure...they are an incredibly underrated band but i like it that way...underground for life!!
Paolo Storti
My favorite song of this album.
Frank Williams
kmfdm is my favorite band