Kataklysm

Unconquered


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Thundering with newly fuelled power from the shadows and dust of humanity's crumbling existence, KATAKLYSM return triumphant with their 14th full length studio album: UNCONQUERED. For almost 3 decades, the French-Canadian melodic death metal syndicate has delivered unapologetic waves of powerful sound across the entire globe. As of late, that globe has suffered tremendously, forcing the inspiration of many artists to extinguish, but for KATAKLYSM, the pressure caused a creative spring to burst forth with furious energy. “With everything that’s going on in the world, we couldn’t have chosen a better title,” explains vocalist Maurizio Iacono. “This album is a rebirth of aggression for KATAKLYSM. No one planned this to happen the way it did, but the name of this album makes total sense right now. It’s an aggressive album, yes, but a positive aggression.” Themes of fighting back and overcoming the insurmountable seethe through the lyrics and melodies of UNCONQUERED; consistent, sonic reminders of the battles that lead to triumph.

The second single “Cut Me Down” is exponentially haunting and melodic. “It cuts your veins a little bit,” describes Iacono. The song also includes guest vocals from Tuomas Saukkonen of the Finnish metal band Wolfheart. His powerful vocals accompany the track perfectly. “I felt he was the right guy for that part, otherwise, we didn’t need more guests, he just fit. We’ve really covered all the bases from the aggression of the music, to the melodic aspect, to the technicality, but the structures that JF and I put together on this album are what really nailed it.” Long nights, whether in person or from a distance, were spent writing and composing this album. KATAKLYSM fans will hear obvious moments that reflect back to the times of Shadows & Dust and Serenity In Fire; Straight forward, no mistakes, no compromises.

When it came time to record the album, Dagenais dove in furiously with an ingrained desire for perfection. “From the ground up, the first demos to the final thing, I didn’t want to have any regrets with this. I wanted to make sure there was nothing left behind, unfinished, no mistakes.” In addition to Dagenais’s clinical approach to the recording, KATAKLYSM hired on the legendary Colin Richardson, post retirement, to aid in the production of UNCONQUERED’s weightier sound. “We got lucky because he accepted to come back and do this album; the first death metal record he’s done since he retired,” recalls Iacono. With Chris Clancy’s technicality and precision assisting him, the end result of the sound of UNCONQUERED can not be understated.

This resurgence of old school temperament and musical fury required a clean, and powerful piece of artwork to represent its arrival. The infamous heart beast, which also appeared on In The Arms Of Devastation (2006), Prevail (2008), and Heaven’s Venom (2010), makes its return with a cover image created by artist Blake Armstrong. This frightening and dominant being sears across a white universe, screaming in both triumph and agony. “The beast kind of started re-emerging by itself, a lot of people have been asking about it lately and wondering about it’s origins, etc. It’s been almost 15 years since it emerged the first time, we didn’t want to repeat the same thing with every record, but we felt like now could be a great time to bring it back, unite the old fans with the new,” continues Iacono. “Another cool thing about the artwork; Blake made it realistic. It’s not just a standard photoshop image, it’s made in such a way that it looks three dimensional; real. We really wanted to bring back the beast in a ‘reality’ setting.”

Not many bands have achieved what KATAKLYSM has in the span of their long and rigorous career, but what truly makes them stand them apart from the masses is seeing the world through truthful eyes, and creating the perfect musical landscape to describe it. With this new album, KATAKLYSMcomes swinging at life with hope, and renewed energy even amidst the world’s current, chaotic state. These things combined with KATAKLYSM’s relentless and organic ability to create, are the roots of what has bestowed UNCONQUERED upon us.
Tracklist

1. The Killshot
2. Cut Me Down
3. Underneath The Scars
4. Focused To Destroy You
5. The Way Back Home
6. Stitches
7. Defiant
8. Icarus Falling
9. When It’s Over

Soundwave

https://youtu.be/Ku-rjJ5HXyU