INTERVIEW: Maurizio Iacono – Kataklysm

The massively intense and incredibly momentous KATAKLYSM released their thirteenth album, Meditations (read our review here), this month. In their extensive career, the band have proven that their music can stand the test of time, consistently building upon the work they’ve produced, all the while never letting things get stagnant. Here we caught up with lead singer Maurizio Iacono, who gave us the load down on just how the band have balanced their success, and contemplate the details of how the collective create their work.

Having been playing music for over twenty-five years, at this point, how easy is it to find new directions with your music?

Maurizio: At this point we have our own identity that we’ve forged over the years, so the core is there. It’s really about working on songs as opposed to a direction, the band always needs to keep things fresh and interesting and KATAKLYSM draws influence from many different things and areas, so we are rich in ideas which makes writing easier for us, as time passes by I think we have improved our craft.

What do you think has kept you as a band and individually, focused up to this point?

Maurizio: Working as a team, making this personal but at the same time fun. Music is an expression so it needs to feel right to who writes it and expresses it, its a tough industry and if you don’t have the chops you won’t last, luckily we are stubborn bastards!

Are there any moments for you that feel particularly inspired on this record?

Maurizio: I think it’s a strong album, there’s great songs on Meditations, some of the best the band has ever written. Outsider, In Limbic Resonance and Achilles’ Heel are stand outs for me, Narcissist and Guillotine will be pit ragers live. After all these years we feel good and inspired, as a whole this is a great record that we feel confident about.

You have a consistent turn around between albums, is there a creative benefit to continually making music?

Maurizio: I think if you wait too long you lose the momentum and inspiration. A lot of bands that step away for many years come back and realise time has just passed them by and their writing hasn’t stayed in touch with modern times. For some bands it is beneficial to take a long a break but we never thought this was a necessary thing and fans have come to expect a new KATAKLYSM album every three years, so it works well for us.

Can you give us a little insight into how important the title, Meditations, is to the album?

Maurizio: It’s a title that serves a purpose, we are a social based band and our lyrics deal with everyday life and psychological situations and people choose different methods to cope with stress and anxiety in everyday life. For me, music is my way out, it always has been and always will be my refuge and my place of thought and inspiration, so music is my meditation.

It seems like as a band you have really wanted to change up the routine of your music album on album, is there a set concept you decide upon or is it more organic in the making of the albums?

Maurizio: Organic ideas are key to keep things fresh and inspired, overly processed things will go stale and eventually will not make a lasting impression. We make it a point to write with feelings and in an inspired way and always stay true to our sound and ideas.

KATAKLYSM has always been a band for those who enjoy the unconventional, do you still feel that in the connection of your fanbase?

Maurizio: Yes absolutely, we have our own sound. KATAKLYSM is a hybrid of ideas coming together under a determined roof of ambition, we are hard workers but to us our identity comes naturally and we don’t have to try hard for that.

Tailing back to the first question, having been on such a long and successful musical journey, how do you see KATAKLYSM developing in the future?

Maurizio: We have been a slow bloomer over the years but a steady one, gaining more and more fans in the process. I think we will continue to flourish until we reach the apex of our career which we still haven’t done yet, the chemistry continues to improve and the bands vision is clear.

Finally, can we expect to see you guys on tour this year?

Maurizio: We will be touring Europe this fall

Meditations is out now via Nuclear Blast Records.

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