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)
Faith Made Of Shrapnel
Kataklysm Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been waiting for way to long, all bets are off
Instinct for dreadful times...this is the end all rules are broken
I scream rebellion, severed emotions
Modern day chaos...
Ignite your faith is made of shrapnel
Detonate your fate is made of shrapnel
Fear of letting go
Fear to rise above and never looking back
Climb the tower, essence of power
Everyday I am stronger than ever
Sinful test feeling distressed there's no time for concentration
Do as you do, live as you live
Feed form the light birng on this might
Rip through his heart, nothing is right
Only what your mind decides
The spirit is dead, the knowledge once said
Perish the world inside, there's no one left to fight
Crave mi sanity enter reality
Insanity, lost mobility
Fear of letting go
Fear of bringing madness
Fear to rise above and never looking back
Climb the tower, essence of power
Everyday I am stronger than ever
Sinful test feeling distressed there's no time for concentration
Do as you do, live as you live
Feed form the light birng on this might
Rip through his heart, nothing is right
Only what your mind decides
The lyrics to Kataklysm's song "Faith Made of Shrapnel" are describing a sense of impending doom and chaos. It starts with the overwhelming feeling that things are far from over despite waiting for what seems like an eternity. All bets are off as the instinct for dreadful times kicks in, signaling that the end is near, and all rules are broken. The singer screams out in rebellion, overwhelmed by severed emotions and the modern-day chaos surrounding them.
The chorus of the song highlights the theme of fear - fear of letting go, fear of bringing madness, and fear to rise above and never look back. Despite this fear, the singer is determined to become stronger every day, climbing the tower of power with a sinful test and feeling distressed. They urge listeners to live as they do, feed from the light, and rip through the heart of darkness to find what's right. The song is a cautionary tale, calling to attention the Chaos and turmoil of modern-day life and the need for inner strength to overcome fear and rise above.
Line by Line Meaning
It's far from over
The situation is still ongoing and not yet resolved.
I've been waiting for way to long, all bets are off
I have been waiting patiently for a resolution, but now all expectations and predictions are no longer valid.
Instinct for dreadful times...this is the end all rules are broken
During terrible situations, natural instincts take over and the normal laws and rules of society no longer apply.
I scream rebellion, severed emotions
I loudly express my resistance to authority and detachment from emotions.
Modern day chaos...
The current state of the world is characterized by confusion and disorder.
Ignite your faith is made of shrapnel
Fuel your determination with the sharp and explosive fragments that have broken you down.
Detonate your fate is made of shrapnel
Explosively destroy the destiny that has been imposed upon you, using the shrapnel as your weapon.
Fear of letting go
I am afraid of relinquishing control or making changes.
Fear of bringing madness
I am afraid of doing something that will make me lose my mind or drive me insane.
Fear to rise above and never looking back
I am afraid of surpassing my current limits and moving on without regret.
Climb the tower, essence of power
Ascend the structure, the embodiment of strength and domination.
Everyday I am stronger than ever
Each day I gain more power and become even more formidable.
Sinful test feeling distressed there's no time for concentration
I am facing a challenging trial and cannot focus due to my overwhelming emotions.
Do as you do, live as you live
Follow your own path and live your life as you see fit.
Feed form the light birng on this might
Draw strength from the positive and optimistic aspect of life to enhance your abilities.
Rip through his heart, nothing is right
Destroy his emotional core, causing everything to be in disarray and chaos.
Only what your mind decides
Your thoughts and decisions dictate the outcomes and consequences.
The spirit is dead, the knowledge once said
The essence and vitality of this situation is gone, as are the teachings and understandings that were once relevant.
Perish the world inside, there's no one left to fight
The inner world is being destroyed, and there is no one left to struggle against.
Crave mi sanity enter reality
I desire to regain my composure and enter into the truth of the current state of affairs.
Insanity, lost mobility
Mental dysfunction and confusion have caused me to become immobilized.
Contributed by Joshua L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.