Band:	Plebeian Grandstand
Album:	Lowgazers
Style:	Mathcore, Avantgarde black metal
Release date:	March 31, 2014
Guest review by:	Alex F

01. Thrvst
02. Endless Craving
03. Flail In The Bliss
04. Lowlifer
05. Relief Of Troth
06. Svn In Your Head
07. Aimless Roaming
08. Mvrk Diving

Purely savage and dissonant chaos is what Plebeian Grandstand are all about. Taking heavy influence from Deathspell Omega, but not enough to sound like a clone, Lowgazers is simply a work of art in the realms of black metal. Not limiting themselves in stylistic influence, the band often gives strong hardcore vibes throughout the album, which manages to add a deeper trench between the band and the hordes of Deathspell Omega ripoffs roaming this war-torn wasteland.

Lowgazers is relentless, as the seemingly never-ending waves of hyper-speed drumming pummel you into the murky waters. The intensity of the album does not, however, detract from the quality of songwriting and creativity held within. It rather serves to emphasize the unique qualities the band presents, such as the hardcore elements within the vocals and song structures. The vocalist's almost layered sounding shrieks and wails at times seem influenced by stylistic choices such as in Dark Tribe's sophomore release, while the remainder of the album is consistent with the standards of the hardcore genre.

Plebeian Grandstand blur the line between harmony and disarray, as each overlapping note paints a vivid image on a tapestry of rage and misery. The guitarists seem to mutilate their instruments, as each wretched chord evokes a blood-curdling scream in the ears of the listener. The schizophrenic instrumentation allows for the melodies to be hidden underneath the chaos, as only subtle hints of peace can be observed.

One of my favorite things about the album, and possibly what most separates it from the increasingly tiresome Deathspell Omega clones, is the band's incredible sense of song structure variance. They seem to know exactly when to switch from savage blast-beat infused anarchy, to a mid-tempo, almost groove-influenced, breakdown.

Successfully utilizing the full potential of their many influences keeps Plebeian Grandstand sounding incredibly fresh, and makes Lowgazers a step up from the band's debut full length.