- OK. After the "Temple of Knowledge" album there was a lot of tension and problems amongst us and the singer of the time Sylvain and we tried to fix the problems, but it was not possible, because Sylvain is a type of person who likes to control every situation of the band. When you are writing a new material he was already telling how did my drummer have to play, my bass player have to play and my guitar player have to play. But the problem is that he never ever took any lessons or doesn't even know how to play on instruments, you know. So that's a problem, because the music had no structuring and the problem was also that my members started leaving me one after the other, because they couldn't handle him anymore. So, I lost my drummer Max, he left. We got Nick. Nick left also, because of him. J-F left, my guitar player. And it was only me him who left in the band. And that time in total KATAKLYSM was finished. So I decided to leave and start a new band. And then the other guys came back and they said we want to continue the band, but without him, you know. So that time I decided to take on the vocals and because it would be easier for us to get acceptance that way, because I already did some, than getting a new vocalist that nobody know about. I think that have been harder for people to accept that than me doing vocals. So we worked on it and had a little bit of hard time with "Victims..." album, because it was still new for me to do this and going through a lot of different problems in the line-up. We got a new bass player. So we all familiar with each other yet and we wanted to an album that was not like the other ones, because we wanted to break the past and the future. So we did the "Victims of this Fallen World" record, which is a little bit different than our previous album. Had more Hardcore influences and we wanted to experiment. KATAKLYSM also always had been a band that experimented. I think we went a little too far with "Victims..." but I still think it was not a bad album. And I think a lot of people still like it and to respect these people, you know, we're never say that we don't like this album, because it is still a part of KATAKLYSM history. Then without the "Victims of this Fallen World" record we've never done "The Prophecy", you know. And that really motivated us to do "The Prophecy" album, which is a back to the roots and back to what we do. But at the same time, a motivated album where we experiment with melodies and stuff like that. And it did very well for us and right now the band is really stronger and it's never been so. We really happy about that.

- Well, Sylvain started a band. Nick Miller playing in a jazz band now in the States, you know. And Sylvain is doing nothing and all his members from his new band left him too. So he has nothing and nobody knows what he's doing at all. He isn't a matter anymore. So, he probably yes, because he's a Hardcore, Metal fan, you know, like Pete Eleanor, what is doing and all right now. So, hopes friend the best, you know. He started believing in stuff too much. He became really fucked up and we couldn't talk with him anymore. And he was always talking about mystical stuff and there was just like you know. We have to be realistic sometimes when you start writing music or just to do some business or whatever the band has to do. And it was not possible I think so, you know. I don't know exactly what he's doing now.

- That was like some of the stuff that what's he saying to people. But it's not true it's not the reason. I mean, that even Nuclear Blast knows that he tried to call Nuclear Blast after we signed to them again. He wanted to rejoin KATAKLYSM again, to reform with us, but it was not possible. I mean, nobody in the band wants to play with him anymore. So, it is something like, you know. The biggest problem was for me to redo the songs of the past. That was difficult for us, for me to redo the songs, because they very difficult. And he doesn't sing into the normal way. He sings very unison way, you know. So I really worked on it and now I'm able to do the songs. So it's no problem for us, you know. We able to do, play live and people love it and that's the important thing for us, you know.

- What the subject is all about? It deals about Armageddon and the end of the World. That's what KATAKLYSM the word means. And that's what the definition is about this new album. In the past we used to do more of the Sylvain, more mystical stuff and more fantasy stuff. I do more realistic subjects, but dealing with the end of the World. I mean, the concept behind it is the last day of 1999. Before midnight everybody had doubt in their head and maybe this is the end of the World that's coming. So that fear that's what we put in the album. And that's every song has a different way of proceeding the end of the World. And that's what the concept of this album is.

- Well, the reason why we did that live record is because one of our friends that taped like for the last ten years all the metal shows on that, you know. And there was a friend of ours and he passed away, committed suicide and we wanted to honour and we released this CD to dedicate it to him. It was only released in Germany and Canada and I guess mailorder of the rest of the World. We wanted to do it for him. The sound is not that great and it was just recorded with a DAT, you know. So we just decided to do that and we add it the 7" "Vision the Chaos" and "Shrine of Life" the new version. So that's on it also. Yeah, I mean most people buy it because of the "Vision the Chaos" 7". And that's the last performance with Sylvain and Nick. So we decided to keep that show. That's a cool show. I understand that it's a little bit difficult to get into at the beginning, but after a little while then you start getting into in a lot so. That's cool. We are all were happy. Also, there's no CD-ROM for the live album. And we re-release the "Temple of Knowledge" album next year. There will be "The Awakener" video and some other stuff on the CD. So there will be next year, 'cause it is the band's ten-anniversary next year.

- Yes! We are looking into it. We were supposed to do one for this album for the song "Stormland", but it didn't happen, because we are on tour from some half and year almost since June 1st and we didn't have the time to do it. But we did a live video in Stuttgart on this tour and we taped the whole show and it's gonna come out on DVD, CD and videotape. It's called "Nuclear Blast Destroys Stuttgart". And it's gonna be on there and we might take one track and put it on the Nuclear Blast, maybe "Manifestation" they might put on the new album of the team. But we will do one for the next album like "The Awakener" so. We gonna work on the new album soon so.

- OK. "L'Odysée..." is about an ancient warrior. He called Ulysses. I not remember exactly all of it. He talks about this warrior, called Ulysses. And its lyrics in French, because Sylvain wanted to do a French song for our fans and friends. So it is because he's French. So he wanted to do a song like that song. That's why we did it.

- MORBID ANGEL I think a great band. A band that influenced all the Death Metal bands, there is today. If for my opinion, NAPALM DEATH is my favorite band, because they were big influence on KATAKLYSM, CARCASS were also. These are two really strong bands. I like a lot of English bands from England Death Metal scene from the past. But MORBID ANGEL I always liked. "Blessed are the Sick" and "Covenant" are my favorite. And I really like them a lot. But that show we did in 1998 was a really bad show for us, because it was the first show we did with the new line-up and won't ready to do it. The reaction was OK, but it wasn't KATAKLYSM reaction we usually have in our hometown, you know. We usually play and it's crazy. Eight hundred people show up and it's fucked up. That show we had a lot of problems, because MORBID ANGEL got to the venue at 9 o'clock at night. So it is very late. They were the only band that showed up, because there was three other bands supposed to play also like VADER, THE HAUNTED and we never made it. So we had to play with them that show. It was good, but it was not exactly what we are all about. But MORBID ANGEL, they came to see and they said it was a great show. So they liked it. So, he-he... But we will see. I think we are stronger and don't worry anymore. We played in Hungary two years ago (it was in Szombathely - ed.) and even tonight the people coming see and said we are much stronger than before.

- OBITUARY, NAPALM DEATH, CARCASS, IRON MAIDEN. Pfff, there are so many influences. It is difficult to say, because we had such varied influences for KATAKLYSM. My guitar player likes all the melodic stuff. My drummer is more of the straight rock, BLACK SABBATH stuff. That what he likes most, you know. And some MAIDEN also and he likes old English bands like me like NAPALM DEATH and CARCASS are his favorite bands and stuff. And MORBID ANGEL is his favorite band, you know, and Pete Sandoval he likes 'em a lot. Stephane is the most hard in the band. He likes anything that really heavy and extreme. He is a big fan of DEICIDE. So, he is the most heavy guy in the band, my bass player. J-F is more of the melodic guy. I am more like the power grooves and stuff like that. And Max likes the solid grind blast beats. So I mean we have a very good strong mixture and I think that it reflects on the music, because we go from very extreme to groove oriented to melody. I think the new album "The Prophecy" actually defines that a lot. You know the first half is very heavy groove oriented and the second half is more melodic.

- Oh, KATAKLYSM was really my first band I think, because I know that Max never played in other bands like KATAKLYSM. J-F been in a cover band before doing SLAYER stuff and stuff like that. And Stephane never played in other band. So, this is really our first band and we have been really successful and we say we never had the chance to play anywhere else.

- Well, we used a sample from the movie "Dark City" that we liked a lot. Yeah, it's a fucked up movie and it had the same type of concept than the songs. So we decided to put it and there was really cool. But for me really the movie that really hit me the most was this year's "The Gladiator" movie. And I don't have seen a gladiator. It's like a Roman Empire stuff. And we actually have a concept for the next album, which will have some songs that deal with that Roman Empire, the rise and fall of it. So it's gonna be really cool.

- OK. It's gonna be recorded in April or May. We wanted to record it at the end of the summer, but Nuclear Blast wants it to do faster. There's a lot behind KATAKLYSM and they will be wanna used that to make the band bigger. For the new album we have ready one new song called "Hero of the Merciless", which is really killer. I mean we worked, I don't know what's happening to us, we had a lot of influences and writing is just great right now. That song is very melodic, but has a lot of blast beats. It's like a mixture between I would say CARCASS "Heartwork" and DISSECTION "The Somberlain" album. So little mixture between those two: very fast, heavy and a lot of melodies. And that song in the album will be called "Epic". That would be come out next year. So we hopefully release it by September, because I know we gonna record it April and May. By that time NB wanna do a big campaign we might to release at the same time as the next DISMEMBER album. So Nuclear Blast will do a big Death Metal campaign. So it's really cool. So the label really behind the band right now.

- Victory studio in Canada, in Montréal, where GORGUTS, CRYPTOPSY and VOIVOD record so. We had recorded the last album there. For us it's the best sounding album I think. Production is really good and we gonna do it even better next time. So we really know how to do it now. We were very young when we started KATAKLYSM. We were 16-17 years old. And now I am 26. We have a lot more experienced than before. I think this is a new start for KATAKLYSM, "The Prophecy". I think it will bring us to better level than before, for sure.

- They've finished already. Have their new album.

- Yeah, have it hear their new album. It fucking kills! It's a great album. I look you like CRYPTOPSY, but I think it's a fucking killer band, you know. The new album is really good. Do you wanna hear a little bit of it? I have it! (Yeah sure! But unfortunately we couldn't listen to it as someone borrowed it. - ed.). CRYPTOPSY are great friends of ours. I mean, they supported us even when we had a lot of problems with "Victims...". They were always there for us. And we recorded "The Prophecy" album, and because we are really cool friends we ask him to do a song like to be honour on "The Prophecy". Mike came and did his vocals and it was really cool on the song called "Laments of Fear & Despair". So it was really nice of him to do that. We had a great time and the guys are really cool. Everything is cool, you know. So, their new album hope for them it does very well. I think it is a great record. It's like "Whisper Supremacy" a little bit more technical maybe, but they are CRYPTOPSY, you know. So it's really cool.

- Yeah. He worked there for a while. He was a studio partner with somebody else, but now he is working at this big studio called Victory, where we recorded this album. So he is a producer there also and much better what he was before. Look at the production between "Victims..." and the new album. There's a big difference and that's why that we still much better.

- Really thankful of this interview and to support KATAKLYSM. We'll appreciate. Merci a Tout Les Fanatic Du Northern Hyperblast Hail!! It means thanks to all the fanatics of the Northern Hyperblast!!