Kataklysm was formed in Montreal, Quebec in September 1991. At the beginning of their career, they were known for their fast and technical brand of death metal, known as the "Northern Hyperblast". Nuclear Blast Records soon took notice of the band in 1992 after noticing the band's debut demo "The Death Gate Cycle of Reincarnation", which gained significant praise from the underground metal scene. In 1994, Kataklysm signed to Nuclear Blast and released their first EP "The Mystical Gate of Reincarnation", followed by their debut album Sorcery in 1995. This was followed in 1996 by their second full-length album "Temple of Knowledge", which they accompanied with their first music video for the album's track, "The Awakener". Following the release of this album however, founding member and lead vocalist Sylvain Houde departed from the band. This, as Houde himself confessed, was due to the emotional effects surrounding the end of his romantic relationship. Subsequently, the band's bassist Maurizio Iacono replaced Houde as vocalist, ceding his duties as bassist to Stephane Barbe. The band's musical direction shifted from being primarily spearheaded by Houde to both Iacono and founding guitarist JF Dagenais instead.