Band:	Plebeian Grandstand
Album:	Rien Ne Suffit
Style:	Mathcore, Avantgarde black metal
Release date:	November 2021

01. Masse Critique
02. À Droite Du Démiurge, À Gauche Du Néant
03. Tropisme
04. Part Maudite
05. Angle Mort
06. Espoir Nuit Naufrage
07. Nous En Sommes Là
08. Rien N'y Fait
09. Jouis, Camarade
10. Aube

I keep craving things. Sometimes nothing is enough for me. This is not one of those times. The latest Plebeian Grandstand completely fulfills my noisy cravings.

Noise has become a popular enhancer within extreme metal. It’s not a new thing though; noise has always been there to spice things up. From the harsh landscapes painted by Godflesh, to noise artist Merzbow often collaborating with metal acts, and then there is whatever craziness Mories comes up with. While many bands use noise, few actually use it for more than just a palette cleanser in between songs. That being said, a handful of modern groups are fully blending metal and noise with excellent results. Acts like The Body, Sermon Of Flames and Fange come to mind, the last of which actually shared a label with Plebeian Grandstand. With Rien Ne Suffit, the French group joins in the fun by increasing the amount of noise and industrial influence in their already exciting take on black metal and hardcore, thus presenting one of the best examples of this abrasive mix of genres I’ve heard so far.

Plebeian Grandstand’s fourth album opens up a new chapter for the band. I discovered them through their sophomore opus Lowgazers; at this point in their career, their volatile brand of black metal was heavily influenced by dissonant acts like Deathspell Omega. The special ingredients in their formula were the vicious hardcore/mathcore influences that truly made their records stand out among their peers. At the time, noise was mostly used as an afterthought but, oh boy, is it really well integrated now. The high-pitched effects and low humming are ever present, both to highlight the tension but also to soothe things out during the very few calm moments in order to let the listener breathe a little, like in drone/sludge piece “Espoir Nuit Naufrage”.

Don’t worry though. Even though Plebeian Grandstand seem very eager to show off their new sound, extreme metal is still at play here. Tracks like “Part Maudite”, “Angle Mort” and “Rien N'y Fait “ are true gems of testosterone-filled black/sludge metal with unrelenting riffs and some really frightful drumming to go along with. The technical drumming in particular catches my attention. It’s on the verge of sounding as mechanical and pummeling as a drum machine but retains the muscular, human factor that goes very well in hand with the dissonant riffs for a truly distressing atmosphere. Plebeian Grandstand doesn’t stop here though. They double down on this atmosphere with agonizing vocals that carry a near DSBM vibe to them. Tracks like the break-core tune “Tropisme” wouldn’t be as effective if it weren’t for those anguished howls.

Plebeian Grandstand were already an intriguing band with a promising take on black metal. Rien Ne Suffit pushes the dynamics further and flows incredibly well. The band says that nothing is enough. Well, I am glad their ambition to expand their sounds seems eternal. Enjoy, comrade!