KATAKLYSM

KATAKLYSM INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST MAURIZIO IACONO BY TOM CRANDLE

Kataklysm might not be the in my teens. It's been going on for first name that comes to mind 30 years.” when you think of death metal, but maybe it should be. What Iacono poured his frustration into they’ve been able to accomplish the songs. over the course of nearly 30 years puts them near the top of the heavy “For me, music is therapy,” he says. heap. They will again prove their “So, I just unleashed on it. It's a way mettle with the release of their 14th more aggressive record than was studio LP, Unconquered. The album previously done by Kataklysm. That will be released on September 25 was the mindset on it. It was just like by their long-time label home Nu- a driven, pissed-off attitude behind clear Blast Records. it. Let's say Pantera when they were While other bands struggle to make some extreme metal. The music just an album or two a decade, Katak- came out the way it did.” lysm have consistently released one record," he adds. checking out mixes, and in Janusigned to Nuclear Blast when I was most pissed off. I would mix that with every couple of years. “We did songs like ‘Defiant’ on this album that are probably some of “We always have to work harder,” the most extreme stuff we've ever Kataklysm singer Maurizio Iacono made, but at the same time, it's suexplains. “We created this pattern per listenable," Iacono continues. of writing that we're so comfortable “Concept-wise, it's very Machiavelin. We always have to be putting lian. It's about revenge, getting hit stuff out. We can't tour for five years hard, and coming back up to take on the same album.” your revenge. It turns into this crazy, “I call us working-class bands. We re- diverse. But, it stands together and lease a record; we tour the world for flows into each other easily. That it; we touch every base, and then was the magic about it. It's a jourwe're back into wanting to write a ney.” “This album was written and record- the album now, during a global ed last year. It was done by about pandemic, when people need muNovember. In December, we were sic the most. emotional ride. The record's very Iacono also insisted on releasing ary, we delivered it to Nuclear Blast,” “A lot of bands postponed their reIacono says. “At some point, they cords until 2021. I personally think were like, ‘We've got to postpone that's un-metal. You don't release this thing to 2021 because the re- records when it's safe,” he says. cord’s strong, and we don't want to “This is the time you release metal take a chance with it.’” records, in the middle of a pandemic. Everything the bands are Kataklysm fought to get Uncon- talking about is happening. Here's quered out sooner. the zombie land you wanted.”

“I thought, that's too far. People need “When I grew up, metal was rebelmusic now, and who knows what's lious, and it was tough,” Iacono exgoing to happen?” plains. “It was about going against the grain. We were the outsiders, Although the lyrics for Unconquered and I've always believed that was were written before COVID-19, metal for me. I looked at Slayer, there's no shortage of desperation. and I was scared. I looked at Dei“I was in a pretty aggressive mood that guy, I'm going to piss my pants. last year,” Iacono says. “I was feel- I loved that myth and that craziness ing a lot of anxiety. I think it's be- and that evil. Now, everybody's petcause I really never stopped. I got ting their cats.” �� �� �� cide, and I would be like, if I meet