Deur Chris Thundervolt en Henry Engelbrecht

Canadian death metal band, Kataklysm het onlangs hulle strain van ‘Northern Hyperblast’ metal hier na Suid Afrika toe gebring om net weer die metaalkoppe te herhinner aan hoe om die metal ding te doen. Sho, hulle was lekker. Tight, heavy, vinnig en groovy.

Ek en Big H het ’n lekker lang dag gehad. Ek het met rehearsals 08:00 begin, Wolmer Bush Lounge toe geskiet vir twee vinnige gigs en ’n paar biere, toe cruise ons deur vir die metal onslaught.

Die show was in Johannesburg by Carfax, georganize deur Witchdoctor Productions. Carfax het great gewerk en hulle het ’n mean sound uit die PA uitgekry daardie aand. Ons het arriveer met die soundcheck en ons kon sommer klaar voel hoe brom die kamer van antisipasie.

Ons skiet toe eers bietjie na Maurizio Lacono toe vir ’n interview en hier is wat hy getune het:
Chris: How was Cape Town? And how has South Africa been so far?
Maurizio: Beyond what we expected. We didn’t know what to expect coming here. We always knew that there were some fans here, but we didn’t know there was a scene. That’s the same question everybody asks. All the bands, we all have the same type of question mark. We were at Hellfest and Masters of Rock in Europe, and they were asking us “What are you guys doing after the tour?” and I was like: “We’re doing a couple of dates here then we’re heading to South Africa.” And they’re like “WHAT??” I told them we’re doing this, this, this, in full force and when we mention South Africa we get the ‘big eyes’ and “Let us know how it is.” And now that we’re putting pictures online and showing everyone what we’re doing, everyone wants to come. I think you guys are gonna get a lot of shows and a lot of good stuff is going to happen. I am just so happy that we’re here, we got the opportunity, and that Witchdoctor brought us over, that they believe in this. I think we’re stunned with the landscape and the people.

Chris: Have you learned any Afrikaans?
Maurizio: No, not yet. I’ve heard the Afrikaans language when people talk. It’s like a hardcore Dutch. I’ve heard “lekker” and “braai”. We haven’t had a braai, we’ve had some steak.

Chris: Kataklysm started off intense. What inspired you in the early days to play fast and heavy? Other bands/musicians? Was the musical level high?
Maurizio: Canada has always been known for it’s progressive edge. Bands like Rush, Voivod, Cryptopsy, Devin Townsend, etc. Everybody is out of the fucking box. It’s something in the water. Kataklysm, in the early days, we were one of those bands, we wanted to be really extreme. We wanted to be the most extreme band in the world. Then after we did Temple of Knowledge we thought we had reached the bar. 30 or 40 riffs a song, tempos that are crazy, singing over solos, things that have never been done before. Back then it was way ahead of its time and people were not ready for it. Now, it’s influenced a shitload of bands after us. Like Nile, those guys tell me “That record is the Kataklysm record we love.” But then, we felt, we wanted to become the band that was known for its songs. Things that would translate to the times. Songs like Shadows & Dust, we can not play a show without playing it. People will jump onstage and kill us. Crippled & Broken, and stuff like that. It’s just, we wanted to write songs. As we matured we became that type of band, and we’ve evolved. The latest record (Waiting for the End to Come), we’ve worked really hard on it, and it’s doing really fantastic for us, because it’s grabbing the ones from the early days and it’s keeping our fans. And it’s grabbing new fans that are like “Whoa, this is different!”. Bringing in grooves and melodies. It’s a melting pot, like a seafood platter. It’s got everything in it.

Chris: After 23 years what inspires you to keep writing new music, vocal content and new ideas?
Maurizio: We’ve always had an easy time with it. One thing is that we weren’t a band that went to the top right away, becoming the biggest band in death metal. We’ve always been a little bit of an underdog. Because we’re an underdog we’ve always thought that we’ve had to fight, and because of that we always said “We’re gonna show them on this record.”. So it kept us always hungry and I think it’s the best position to be at, and it’s kept us going for years. We make a decent living, and we love what we do. There is no bullshit, with Kataklysm, it’s an honest band. We can tour with anybody, we can tour with Slipknot, Deicide or Suffocation. We fit in anywhere. It’s lekker!

Chris: Describe your writing process in Kataklysm for the new album
Maurizio: Now we’re all living in different places. I live in Chicago, my guitar player lives in Dallas, and the other guys are in Canada. The internet made it possible. We’ll write over Skype sometimes. When it’s time to get together to put the finishing touches on. Then we get together and do it organically. It’s extremely important. You’ve seen Metallica’s video for One? That’s how we do it in the end. We get together and we write, if it feels good. We have to write for the function that it has to be great live. It has to be something powerful. We’re hard on ourselves as well. We don’t release anything or just put out a record. We have to like it, if the hair doesn’t stand up from our arms, then “No!”
Bile of Man en Sacraphyx was die opening bands gewees. Hulle het albei ’n moerse goeie show gegooi. Die skoen het gepas, en hulle het die regte metal bands gekry. Dis great dat SA Metal kan represent wanneer die bands kom kuier.

So deur Sacraphyx se set het Dave Oosthuizen aangehardloop gekom en dringend gesoek na ’n kurktrekker. Almal het vir Kataklysm lekker SA wyn gebring, maar niks om dit mee oop te maak nie. Ek noem toe vir Dave dat ek ’n trick het. Ons loop toe op, trek my skoen uit, en moer die bottel rooiwyn oop met ’n skoen teen ’n muur. Kataklysm was heelwat impressed en het darem iets in SA geleer.

Tyd vir die show, Kataklysm het ons weggeblaas. Die show het begin en dit was moshpit op circle pit op stage dive… Die fans het hulle kak verloor. Horries. Toe spring ek ook maar in. Ek is ’n moerse fan van die horries. Big H het voor gestaan en pics geneem, maar toe hy weer check word hy as trappe gebruik vir die stage divers. Niks kon hierdie passievolle metaalkoppe keer nie. Een na die ander het hulle aangehou en dit was soos ’n thrash show in die Bay Area in die ‘80s.

Kataklysm was net next level. Die ouens jol blêrrie goed. Hulle jol flatspeed die heeltyd. Hulle het ’n moerse set gejol. ’n Paar van hulle classics asook van die nuwe album Waiting for The End to Come af. Die drummer, Oli Beaudoin, is ’n masjien. Ek het gewag vir hom om te ontplof, maar hy was te goed. Die vocals en guitar-werk was ook uitstekend. Wêreldklas metal. Lekker man!

Witchdoctor Records het nou ’n paar bands wat oppad is waarvan Kataklysm een van die eerstes is. Die metal wat nou SA toe kom word groter en beter by die dag. Ek kan nie wag vir Sepultura, Behemoth, Belphegor, Fleshgod Apocalypse, en meer nie. Dankie Shaughn, Alec en Dave! Julle waai ons freak-flag lekker hoog.

Hier is ‘n paar foto’s van Big H, ons fotograaf, wat baie lucky is dat hy (en sy kamera ) die aand survive het…

Bile of Man:
Sacraphyx:


Kataklysm: