History Music / Kataklysm

* MelodicDeathMetal: Have shades of this, especially in their post-''Serenity in Fire'' material, but do not qualify as a full-fledged example. ''Heaven's Venom'' is probably the closest they've come to straight melodeath, along with some songs on ''Waiting for the End to Come''. That being said, Maurizio does not consider the band as such and just calls them "death metal".

* GenreShift: From brutal tech-death (Sylvain Houde era material) to straightforward brutal death with melodic elements (from ''Victims of this Fallen World'' through ''Serenity in Fire'') and finally to groove-tinged melodeath (''In the Arms of Devastation'' onward).

** ''In the Arms of Devastation'' dropped most of the brutal death elements in favor of more melodeath, and they have more or less stuck with this since, gradually adding more melody to the point that their sound from ''Heaven's Venom'' onward is dangerously close to pure melodeath.
** ''Unconquered'' adds back minor brutal death elements, and introduces 7-strings to their sound with strong groove metal/djent influence as well.

* Morgan Lander (Kittie) - guest vocals on "It Turns to Rust" (''In the Arms of Devastation'')

* OlderThanTheyLook: Maurizio is 47, but looks to be in early 30s at most. For evidence, on the ''Iron Will'' documentary he looks, aside from his hair, literally the ''exact'' same in every piece of footage from the ''Victims'' era onward, despite that album being made in '''1998'''.

* RatedMForManly: ''In every way.''

Aside from Kataklysm, all of the members also perform as the [[Myth/{{Classical Mythology}} Roman mythology]]-themed band Ex Deo, which, while still rooted in the death metal of Kataklysm, also incorporates [[SymphonicMetal symphonic]] elements, although not quite to the extent of bands like Septicflesh and Music/{{Fleshgod Apocalypse}}.

* OlderThanTheyLook: Maurizio is 46, but looks to be in early 30s at most. For evidence, on the ''Iron Will'' documentary he looks, aside from his hair, literally the ''exact'' same in every piece of footage from the ''Victims'' era onward, despite that album being made in '''1998'''.

* SpecialGuest: [[Music/{{Neuraxis}} Oli Beaudoin]] joined as a temporary session member while Duhamel was in rehab; as of 2014, he has been inducted in as a full-time member after Duhamel decided to step down completely.

Aside from Kataklysm, all of the members also perform in the [[Myth/{{Classical Mythology}} Roman mythology]]-themed side project band Ex Deo, which, while still rooted in the death metal of Kataklysm, also incorporates [[SymphonicMetal symphonic]] elements, although not quite to the extent of bands like Septicflesh and Music/{{Fleshgod Apocalypse}}.

** Their entire catalog after ''Serenity in Fire'' is this, due to dropping the majority of the brutal death elements of their sound in favor of playing up their melodeath side.

* GenreAdultery: ''Victims of This Fallen World'' features extremely prominent hardcore punk influences that were never utilized before or since. Tellingly, the 2005 rerecording sheds these elements in favor of a straight up brutal death metal sound, ironically ending up being their final recording in this style.

* LoudnessWar: All of their post-Sylvain albums are ''very'' loudly mixed.

* MohsScaleOfRockAndMetalHardness: Started at 11, and gradually moved down to 10 as they progressed as a band. Some of their post-''Serenity'' material can go down to a hard 9.
** "Elevate" from ''Waiting for the End to Come'' is likely their lightest song, coming in at a hard 8.

* GrooveMetal: While not strictly groove-oriented, they are just as known for their groovy portions as they are their fast blasting sections. Said portions are often compared to elephant marches rhythmically, and have become synonymous with their sound, with Maurizio even stating that some have called the band "the Pantera of death metal". Their groove focused riffs gradually became more prominent over the course of their albums after ''Serenity''

* GrooveMetal: While not strictly groove-oriented, they are just as known for their groovy portions as they are their fast blasting sections. Said portions are often compared to elephant marches rhythmically, and have become synonymous with their sound, with Maurizio even stating that some have called the band "the Pantera of death metal". Their groove focused riffs gradually became more prominent over the course of their albums after ''Serenity'', to the point that a small handful of people don't even consider them death metal at all nowadays.

* MelodicDeathMetal: Have shades of this, especially in their post-''Serenity in Fire'' material, but do not qualify as a full-fledged example. ''Heaven's Venom'' is probably the closest they've come to straight melodeath, along with some songs on ''Waiting for the End to Come''.

* Brittney Slayes (Music/UnleashTheArchers) - guest vocals on "Boudicca (Queen of the Iceni) (''The Thirteen Years of Nero'')

* ''The Thirteen Years of Nero''