Kataklysm was formed in Montreal, Quebec in September 1991. At the beginning of their career, they were known for their fast and technical brand of death metal, known as the "Northern Hyperblast". Nuclear Blast soon took notice of the band in 1992 after noticing the band's debut demo The Death Gate Cycle of Reincarnation, which gained significant praise from the underground metal scene. In 1994, Kataklysm signed to Nuclear Blast and released their first EP The Mystical Gate of Reincarnation, followed by their debut album Sorcery in 1995. This was followed in 1996 by their second full-length album Temple of Knowledge, which they accompanied with their first music video for the album's track, "The Awakener". Following the release of this album however, founding member and lead vocalist Sylvain Houde departed from the band. This, as Houde himself confessed, was due to the emotional effects surrounding the end of his romantic relationship. Subsequently, the band's bassist Maurizio Iacono replaced Houde as vocalist, ceding his duties as bassist to Stephane Barbe. The band's musical direction shifted from being primarily spearheaded by Houde to both Iacono and founding guitarist JF Dagenais instead.
In 1998, the band released their third studio album Victims of this Fallen World, (Iacono's first as vocalist) which has been noted as incorporating a more groove-oriented and melodic musical style of death metal. The following album The Prophecy (Stigmata of the Immaculate) released in 2000 consolidated this style, lessening the chaotic nature of their work thus far and incorporating greater influences from thrash metal. The band's 2001 album Epic: The Poetry of War added further melody to the band's approach to death metal and the band continued to gain attention and positive critical reception. In the following year, the band released Shadows & Dust, which has been viewed by critics as one of the band's most successful releases because of the overwhelmingly positive reception the band received and the increase in sales compared to the band's prior releases, being the first album to chart in countries such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and featured one of the band's most recognisable tracks: "In Shadows & Dust".
Two years later, in 2004, the band released Serenity in Fire. The album was notable for the absence of drummer Max Duhamel, Kataklysm's drummer, being temporarily replaced by Martin Maurais, due to injury. The album was again positively received and featured two of the band's best known tracks: "As I Slither" and "The Ambassador of Pain". Duhamel eventually recovered and played on the band's eighth studio album, released in 2006, titled In the Arms of Devastation. The album was a considerable success, with sales exceeding 50,000 units and saw the band's highest charting entries thus far. The band's following album, Prevail, continued to display the band's growing popularity, with sales again exceeding the 50,000 mark. The album's single "Taking the World by Storm" also became the band's most highly viewed track on YouTube, with over three million views.
The band released their 11th studio album Waiting for the End to Come on October 29, 2013, followed by their twelfth album Of Ghosts and Gods on July 31, 2015, both to high praise. The band's thirteenth studio album, Meditations, was released in June 2018. The album gained their first album to chart on the Billboard Top 100 charts, positioning at #61, alongside being their highest-charting album in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the band's native Canada.
Kataklysm released their fourteenth studio album Unconquered on September 25, 2020. Three weeks before the album's release, the band announced drummer Oli Beaudoin had left the band and was replaced by James Payne.
Studio albums
Sorcery (1995)
Temple of Knowledge (1996)
Victims of This Fallen World (1998)
The Prophecy (Stigmata of the Immaculate) (2000)
Epic: The Poetry of War (2001)
Shadows & Dust (2002)
Serenity in Fire (2004)
In the Arms of Devastation (2006)
Prevail (2008)
Heaven's Venom (2010)
Waiting for the End to Come (2013)
Of Ghosts and Gods (2015)
Meditations (2018)
Unconquered (2020)
Elevate
Kataklysm Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Death calls all the dead to rise
See the pestilence walk the earth
Hear the screams, covered in darkness
Look down at the world below, entrenched is a sea of sorrow
Come forth, unholy one
As death comes to us all
Elevate
Elevate
I won't let you take me away
I won't let you drag me down
Are you here for me?
Because I'm already dead
I'm the lion
I'm the fire
I'm the strength that binds us all
I'm the hope that fears us all
Is this everything you wanted?
Misery from a cold embrace
Shattered dreams of a past erased
Senseless rage of the failures obtained
Breaking point of all the blood you drained
My pain, your savior
As death comes to us all
Elevate
Elevate
I won't let you take me away
I won't let you drag me down
Are you here for me?
Because I'm already dead
Elevate me
The lyrics to Kataklysm's song Elevate speak to the themes of death, destruction, and hopelessness. The first verse sets the scene of a world engulfed in darkness and death, where the dead are rising and a pestilence is walking the earth. The imagery is dark and apocalyptic, as if the end of the world has come. The chorus speaks of rising above this despair, of elevating oneself above the chaos and destruction. The song's protagonist refuses to be dragged down by the darkness, and instead asserts their strength and hope in the face of darkness.
The second verse continues the themes of pain and misery, describing shattered dreams and senseless rage. The idea of the failures obtained and blood drained brings to mind the idea of cycles of violence and destruction. The singer acknowledges their pain but also recognizes that it is their savior in a world where death comes to us all. The final lines of the song repeat the chorus, elevating oneself above the pain and despair.
Overall, Elevate is a powerful song that speaks to the human experience of pain and darkness. The lyrics suggest that one can rise above this darkness, but that it takes strength and determination to do so.
Line by Line Meaning
Shades of black engulf the skies
The world is consumed by darkness and despair
Death calls all the dead to rise
Death summons the deceased souls to awaken and confront the living
See the pestilence walk the earth
Witness the spread of illness and decay across the land
Hear the screams, covered in darkness
Listen to the cries of agony and torment that echo through the shadows
Look down at the world below, entrenched is a sea of sorrow
Observe the world beneath us, drowning in an ocean of grief and misery
Come forth, unholy one
The forces of darkness and evil rise to take control
As death comes to us all
We must all face our mortality and the end of our existence
Elevate
Rise up and overcome the trials and tribulations of life
I won't let you take me away
I will not be defeated or claimed by death
I won't let you drag me down
I will not succumb to the forces of despair and sorrow
Are you here for me?
Is death here to claim me?
Because I'm already dead
I have faced many hardships and struggles that have taken their toll on me
I'm the lion
I am strong and powerful
I'm the fire
I am fierce and passionate
I'm the strength that binds us all
I am the force that unites us and gives us power
I'm the hope that fears us all
I am the uncertain future that we all face with trepidation
Is this everything you wanted?
Have your actions brought you to the outcome you desired?
Misery from a cold embrace
Suffering and pain inflicted by a callous and uncaring hand
Shattered dreams of a past erased
Ambitions and goals that once held promise, now destroyed and forgotten
Senseless rage of the failures obtained
Unjustifiable anger at one's own shortcomings and disappointments
Breaking point of all the blood you drained
The final straw, the tipping point, the moment where all energy and life force has been expended
My pain, your savior
The torment and anguish I have endured, somehow serving to protect and benefit others
Elevate me
Raise me up and help me overcome the hardships of life
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jean Francois Dagenais, Maurizio Iacono
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@santytt123454321
Shades of black engulf the skies
Death calls all the dead to rise
See the pestilence walk the earth
Hear the screams, covered in darkness
Look down at the world below, entrenched is a sea of sorrow
Come forth, unholy one
As death comes to us all
Elevate
I won’t let you take me away, I won’t let you drag me down, are you here for me?
Because I’m already dead
I’m the lion
I’m the fire
I’m the strength that binds us all
I’m the hope that fears us all
Is this everything you wanted?
Misery from a cold embrace
Shattered dreams of a past erased
Senseless rage of the failures obtained
Breaking point of all the blood you drained
My pain, your savior
As death comes to us all
Elevate
I won’t let you take me away
I won’t let you drag me down, are you here for me?
Because I’m already dead
Elevate me
@NuclearBlastRecords
Haha, you're awesome! ^^ Thank you for your support of us and our artists! We are grateful!!
@NuclearBlastRecords
Yay! ;) really glad you enjoyed!
@NuclearBlastRecords
soo good!
@vsevremya
Мощная вещь!Слушается на одном дыхании и с удовольствием!
@Vivern16
Супер! Сильная песня и клип вообще шедевр.
@petrcejka4716
Brutalita a melodie,moc dobrej song,jen tak dál!!!
@jenfreedom9883
Amazing! He was an amazing drummer! Love this album! Best band with best Lyrics, melodic death ever
@Freezaen
Facilement une des meilleures chansons de Kataklysm, ever.
@XxMarceloMachadoxX
Som sensacional, video sensacional, tema sensacional. Kataklysm cada vez mais provando mais que é uma banda foda!!! Parabéns aos caras
@volche_art9165
Im almost 13 now. Since this song was released my brother always showed it to me because he is a metalhead. I loved it and i still love it.