Maybe Kataklysm were too far ahead of the curve. Or maybe they're just too determined to do things their own way.
When the Canadian death metal band formed in the fall of 1991, they were playing hyper-speed death metal long before most bands even discovered blast beats. At the time, the uninitiated were bewildered by Kataklysm's extreme sounds, but a select crowd grasped what they were doing and scurried to their side. These allies included Nuclear Blast Records, which signed the group in 2003.
Still, the dominant death metal bands at the time, such as Death and Obituary, were playing slower, less complex music and many underground fans continued to shun Kataklysm. Then, when blazing rhythms and roaring blast beats became part of the death metal vernacular, Kataklysm changed again. With their fourth album, Victims of This Fallen World, the band employed slower, more tuneful structures reminiscent of Swedish acts like In Flames and At the Gates. Many of Kataklysm's old fans cried "sellout" and the group was forced to start again from the ground floor, building followers album by album, gig by gig.
By the time Kataklysm released 2004's Serenity in Fire however, they had established a new, loyal fanbase. And with 2006's more finely honed In the Arms of Devastation, the Kataklysm army became larger than ever. Melodic death metal fans and metalcore kids alike embraced the band's combination of engaging melodies and brute force despite the relative absence of speed.
The scene seemed to be set for Kataklym to enter the top tier of the death metal hierarchy with a slower, more accessible album, however, with their new disc, Prevail, Kataklysm have flipped the script again, releasing their heaviest, most powerful disc since 1996's Temple of Knowledge. Songs like "Taking the World By Storm" and "Chains of Power" are fast and intricate, filled with rapid-fire riffery and fleet, incisive licks. At the same time, the songs are packed with enough hooks to remain memorable long after the whiplash has subsided. Despite their return to speed, Kataklysm's newer fans didn't ditch the group, and the unrelenting, crushing songs have attracted a wave of young death metal listeners. At the moment, Kataklysm are one of the highlights of this year's Summer Slaughter tour, which runs through July 28 in Chicago.
We recently talked with frontman Maurizio Iacono about the band's subversive aesthetic, unyielding determination and the life lessons it has learned through adversity. In the process, the singer addressed Kataklysm's dramatic history, the lyrical themes of Prevail, and the optimism he tries to maintain in perilous times. click "more" to stream or download to Kataklysm podcast.
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