GALIBOT from France had already caught my attention with their album “Euch’Mau Noir Bis”. Not so much for the music itself, but because of the concept, since the band hails from a coal-mining zone similar to the Ruhr area, my home region. After a brief intro, the follow-up album “Catabase” kicks off with a bang and leaves no questions unanswered. At least not when it comes to melodic, hard-hitting Scandinavian style Black Metal. Compared to its predecessor, the powerful production really stands out, allowing each instrument to shine. Musically the songwriting is much more dynamic and the guitars have a much more melodic quality. This all comes together to create a solid structure. And precisely because the framework is so consistent, the clear female vocals of singer Diffamie, appearing every now and then, blend seamlessly into the album. Same goes for an almost experimental interlude like ‘Baptise Terre’. And the concept of some kind of mining Black Metal? Musically it makes no difference to me, but Black Metal is more than just the music itself, and from my point of view the concept is profound. Especially since GALIBOT really does come from a region with that significant industrial history. So you do not have to go back to the Middle Ages or earlier to find interesting topics. The journey into the underground starts here www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567284970527 and here www.facebook.com/ladloproductions