Swiss Industrial-Rock Outfit NONEXISTER Lambasts Cult of Personality and Propaganda in Their Video for “What A Lie”

Some people struggle but we smile

We help them rise, with every trial

We only put the figures right

Ain’t truth itself the light?

Switzerland’s NONEXISTER thrives on the raw collision of electronic pulse and emotional exorcism, as though they’re soundtracking a late-night club buried deep in our collective soul. The Zurich-based group—Marco Neeser driving electronics, Nik Leuthold’s vocals cutting through, Reto “Fu” Gaffuri’s bass rumbling, Siro Müller pounding drums, and Silvan Gerhard’s sharp-edged guitar—swings between industrial highs and moshpit fury, blending chaos and control in equal measure.

What A Lie, their latest single from their album Demons, strips back the layers, first confronting the robber barons of our age—those who climb high and trample others on the way up. It speaks of men who shun ethics for profit, who exploit without shame and pride themselves on it. NONEXISTER casts a harsh light on the ruthless capitalists sitting in their towers, thriving on the suffering of others. It’s a raw reckoning, a call-out to the powerful who profit from the very chaos they create, unbothered by the damage left in their wake.

“As often in my lyrics, I am interested in the layers below, in the understanding of the phenomenon as such, in revealing the deeper structures of it, and not only in accusing one simple thing like the evil robber baron capitalist,” says Leuthold. “And the phenomenon is not at all exclusively bound to capitalism or in general to one certain sector of society or to one system. The way ruthless people in power pursue their goals is very similar in structure, no matter if they use a large corporation for it, a religion or something else.”

The core of What A Lie strikes at the heart of deception, laying bare the cruel kinship between tyrants who parade as saviours. The song doesn’t merely point fingers at men like Trump and Putin—it digs deeper, stripping away their gilded facades to show their common thirst for power. These so-called protectors peddle salvation and safety with one hand, while tightening the noose with the other. They stoke fear, feeding off the very threats they promise to shield us from, turning chaos into profit.

“The aim of the song is to put all that in line, to blame them all for being nothing else but mafia-like cult leaders who have no ethical values at all and no sympathy or empathy for anyone, not even – or even specially not – for their own followers,” says Leutheld. “And yes, I wanna blame especially political leaders and powerful people in the economy, because they always try to claim a certain reasonability and therefore are less easy to recognize as what they are. I wanna blame especially Donald Trump, because he is a particularly blatant specimen, because the election is the most topical issue at the moment and because the outcome of the election affects the whole planet. And if we provoke somebody with it, even better.”

The real crime lies in the illusion, the idea that they stand apart from one another, when in truth, they are but reflections in the same cracked mirror. Power, once tasted, never surrenders its grip, and these barons—whether in boardrooms or thrones—thrive on the misery they manufacture, control, and the falsehoods they spin to keep the rest of us in chains.

The stunning performance video, directed by Wouter Stoter, references the manic sermons of American televangelists, George Orwell’s chilling images from 1984,  and good old fashioned propaganda.

Watch the video “What A Lie” below:

Demons takes a hard plunge into the deep, dark corners of the human spirit—chaotic, unsettling, full of tension and contradiction. The lyrics claw at the very soul, dragging the listener into a raw, emotional reckoning, while the music follows suit. Pummeling grooves pound through the tracks, ready to spark fury in any mosh pit, but it’s the eerie, creeping moments that burrow into your mind, lingering long after the last note fades.

Recorded in Marco’s home studio, New Sound Studio, and produced by Tommy Vetterli, the mastermind behind Coroner and a member of thrash legends Kreator, Demons carries that sharp edge. It swings between brutal force and strange, uneasy calm—moments that keep you alert, never quite sure when the next blow will land. It’s an unsettling exploration of all that we try to bury deep, but can never quite shake.

“I’m over the moon that our debut album Demons is finally finished,” says Leuthold. “It’s been a long journey and I’m very proud of the result. Working with Marco has been a real stroke of luck, taking us both to places we wouldn’t have reached on our own. So many great people have helped shape the final product, tweaking every detail so that this baby is a real beauty.”

Listen to What A Lie at the link below and order Demons here.

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