Maurizio Iacono Recalls Backlash to Kataklysm’s Nü-Metal Era: “We Thought We Were Finished”

Every veteran band has a “black sheep” in their discography, and for Canadian death metal pillars Kataklysm, that record was 1998’s Victims of This Fallen World. In a new appearance on the Garza Podcast, frontman Maurizio Iacono looked back on the era when the band traded technical chaos for tracksuits and Deftones-inspired grooves—a move that nearly ended their career before it truly began.

The album was a radical departure, marking Iacono’s transition to lead vocals following the exit of Sylvain Houde and a deliberate pivot away from the hyper-complex “Northern Hyperblast” style of their previous effort, Temple of Knowledge.

Kataklysm Navigates “Dark Years” and Fan Hostility

According to Iacono, the shift wasn’t just a trend-hop; it was a survival tactic. After the “animalistic” intensity of their early work, the band felt they needed a complete rebranding. However, the visual and sonic shift—featuring the band with short hair and a non-traditional aesthetic—immediately alienated their core death metal following.

The tension peaked during an infamous release show in Montreal alongside Morbid Angel, where the hometown crowd made their displeasure known with “bottles and shit.”

“We come on there and the fans are just like [flipping the bird]… I was like, ‘Fuck, we’re done.’”

Iacono revealed that the record was fueled by personal grief, specifically the passing of his father in 1997, resulting in a “dark, tough” atmosphere that didn’t translate to the traditional death metal gatekeepers of the time.

The European Turning Point

While the North American response suggested the band was dead in the water, a scheduled European tour with Vader proved to be the band’s saving grace. The overseas crowd embraced the groove-heavy structures, giving the band the confidence to “fine-tune” their sound into the hybrid of melody and brutality they are known for today.

Iacono noted that the experience taught them how to bridge the gap between their chaotic roots and structured songcraft:

“What if we combined a little bit of the old stuff we used to do and this new direction… It’s a hybrid of that chaotic thing mixed with kind of like a bit of the nü-metal and big riffs and groove stuff.”

Do you love independent bands, or are you in one? The Mosh Network is not just a rock/metal news website, but it doubles as an independent band directory, designed so that visitors can browse independent bands by not just subgenre, but location as well. It’s perfect to keep your finger on the pulse of your area’s hottest and newest bands or if you’re in a band, it’s a great way to find bands to network with! Click the banner below and start discovering bands all over the world, now!