Kataklysm Family Tree
Metal Family Tree
This is a project aimed at making it easy to see who inspired the bands you love or even hate. For this I try not to use any influences that the band don’t claim themselves. There will be a focus on predecessors but successors will be added as they site the band. These trees become more and more interactive as new bands are added, allowing you to click any band that has a tree and jump to it.
We want our lists to be better. If you know something that belongs on this list, let us know. When in doubt we will leave it out, so we need reliable sources.
Kataklysm are a Canadian death metal band that brings in more melodic and groove influences. Guitarist Jean-François Dagenais and former bassist now vocalist Maurizio Iacono have been in the band since the beginning. Stephane Barbe stepped in to play bass when Maurizio switched to vocals on the third album after Sylvain Houde was no longer in the band. As for drummers they have changed often having six different drummers that have recorded albums. I am uncertain of who contribute the most to writing and who doesn’t. This list will focus on Jean and Maurizio, I’ve haven’t found much from other members nor am I confidant that they have shaped the sound of Kataklysm that much.
Jean when asked about other Canadian bands he mentions liking Voivod and thrash band Sacrifice.
Maurizio talks about his mom playing Tom Jones and Elvis when he was very young. He later got into Metal, with Kill em’ All being his first metal album. He said he was also in to bands like Motley Crue and Guns ‘n’ Roses at the time. He said his first album was Thriller from Michael Jackson. He talks about respecting MJ on how he could guide his band into playing playing music he wanted just by singing the parts. He said he sometimes does the same and will call up the band and sing a riff idea.
Maurizio said they took some influence from the Gothenburg melodic death scene but most of their melodic influence comes from Iron Maiden. He says he considers Kataklysm a hybrid band that is in between death metal and melodic death metal.
Stephane is said to be a huge black metal fan, this is according to Jean I haven’t found his influences.
Sylvain Houde was the original vocalist for the first two ablums, I’m unsure of his influences.
Sources:
https://spotlightreport.net/on-the-spot-2/interview-jf-dagenais-of-kataklysm-talks-australian-tour
http://heavymetalhistory.libsyn.com/139-jean-francois-dagenais-kataklysm
http://www.therockpit.net/2013/INTERVIEW%20KATAKLYSM%20Jean-Francois%20Dagenais.php
https://www.therockpit.net/2019/interview-maurizio-iacono-kataklysm/
http://www.gryphonmetal.ch/InterviewKataklysm.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYUZayXVDEw
https://deadrhetoric.com/features/kataklysm-death-metal-outsiders/
http://www.metalcovenant.com/pages/interviews/interview_kataklysm.htm
http://carlbegai.com/2013/11/01/bwbk-interview-kataklysm-burning-your-soul-people-want-that-element-of-danger/