From what started as a small gathering to celebrate all that is left-field in alternative music, the ArcTanGent Festival has now grown to become a noteworthy fixture of the UK and European festival calendar. As it celebrated its 10th birthday, we headed to Fernhill Farm near Bristol for a packed four days of music.
Wednesday
After a brief viewing of Sheffield’s post-black metallers Hidden Mothers, fellow Yorkshiremen Din of Celestial Birds played to a growing, showcasing their poignant brand of post-rock. Allowing everyone in attendance to ease themselves into the first day. their set provides moments of tranquillity that erupt into soaring walls of noise with precision. In contrast, Belgian prog metallers Cobra The Impaler revel in a mix of progressive metal with Ace Zec’s drum work especially sounding fantastic. Thijs De Cloedt and James Falck produce some dizzying riffs, resulting in the first circle pit of the weekend. Likewise, Psychonaut displays some impressive riffs. The Belgian trio is backed up by a pulsating rhythm duo that brilliantly escalate into prog metal jamming sessions, that are easy to get wrapped up in.
Having been created for ATG in the past, it makes sense that Curse These Metal Hands to get involved with the decade-marking anniversary. The group, consisting of members of Conjurer and Pijn, produces all mighty moments of sprawling post-metal, thriving in a sea of sharp guitar solos and dense rhythms. At times they can also be dissonant, stirring with pensive post-rock flourishes.
Danish mob LLNN steely bashes the fuck of ATG with deep growls, a thunderous bass line, and rough chugging guitars. Add to that industrial glitchy electronic elements, and you’re left with a venomously sharp outing.
Diving into older material with a few covers thrown in, Bossk’s first of two sets over the weekend overcame some early very minor sound issues. Sounding as sharp as ever, there is a rumbling groove amongst chugging guitars and Simon Wright‘s ferocious screams. While ‘Menhir’ wonderfully sees them transition to cinematic post-metal territory with a soundscape to match.
Like Bossk, And So I Watch You From Afar played two sets over the weekend. The first of these, a fan-voted set, closed the opening night of ArcTanGent. As they go from the winding energy of ‘Search:Party:Animal’ to the density of ‘Clench Fists, Grit Teeth… Go!’, you can’t but appreciate their capabilities. Effortlessly segueing into each number with finesse, the Northern Irish band creates a compelling spectacle that stretches to all parts of their 20+ year career.
Thursday
It’s good to be reacquainted with Itoldyouiwouldeatyou. Their ditzy brand of indie/emo music kicks off the second day with a fairly decent turnout for their late-morning set. Blending old and new material, ITYIWEY show flashes of twiddly math-rock and midwestern emo with energetic flashes. New song ‘Moscow in Silent’ threatens to rumble and erupt, but driving guitars soon take charge. While closing number, ‘Get Terrified’, is always pleasing to hear.
A walk over to the Yohkai sees Manchester’s Pleiades in full flow. Joshua Edmondson‘s jazzy bass lines, Andrew Calderbank‘s screams and distortion guitars pull in a packed tent. Caffeine-laced post-hardcore blasts provide an early morning. While ‘Amos Clift’s restrained build is done with tension, and duly pays off. Playing to a busy tent, I wouldn’t be surprised if this isn’t the first or last time we see Pleiades at ATG.
Playing in one of ATG’s smaller tents, Unpeople open to a packed tent, showcasing their bouncy brand of “pop-metal”. Early on there’s some sound issues, meaning the quartet lack the oomph they need. These are soon forgotten as ‘waste’ soars as hot as the beaming sunshine. For a festival that doesn’t cater to big choruses, Unpeople fill that void easily, making them a tight, irresistible outfit, especially on ‘Pressure’. If they keep delivering songs this good, they’ll be elevated to the bigger tents in a flash.
Having embraced a grungy alt-rock sound on thire latest album, ‘Ceremonia’, Blanket’s large sound fits in well in the spacious Yohkai stage. Melancholy melodies with blaring guitars and a hint of intensity is the menu Blanket serve. ‘Porcelain’s energetic bounce melts away into gorgeous atmospheric guitars, before radiantly coming back to life. Add to that stringent riffs, rooted in shoegaze, to the party as Blanket mark their third year in a row at ATG as a success.
Japanese art rockers Bo Ningen are another name with a longstanding connection to ATG. Their main stage outing goes from thriving with glam rock grooves, and the next working their way through misty psychedelia. Ending with a dizzying wall of distortion, ‘Daikaisei Part II, III’ pushes the quartet to their psych rock limits.
A walk over to the Bixler stage sees Urne promising to play some heavy metal and that’s what they do with a chest-rumbling ferociousness. Specialising in filthy riffs and heavy bass lines, Urne wallows in cathartic darkness. The London group bulldoze their way through, taking the award for heaviest band of the weekend.
Julie Christmas’ set starts with an eerie atmosphere before erupting with bombastic riffs. Her bandmates are thunderous as the New York redhead screams and sings her way through her set. Demonstrating her acrobatic range, with a magnetic presence, Christmas and company showcase the exceptional ‘Ridiculous And Full Of Blood’ in a compelling light. Album highlight, ‘Supernatural’ is as impactful and enthralling as it is on record. Likewise ‘The Lighthouse’ is one of the most captivating offerings of post-metal all weekend.
The uniquely named Cats and Cats and Cats are on the comeback trail with this being only their second show back. They provide some twangy emo math rock to the day. It’s complemented by a rich violin, an occasional horn, and several beach balls knocking about. It creates a feel-good vibe to the early evening. Tracks such as ‘Young Person’s Guide to Becoming a Rock Star’ and ‘Anchoress’ highlight their succulent versatility.
Baroness arrive in good spirits, appreciating the massive turnout for the Georgia group. With a career-wide setlist, the quartet provide a sonically swirling performance. Whether that’s Sebastian Thomson’s drum fills, Gina Gleason and John Baizley sharing harmonies, or thriving on guitars during ‘Isak’ as Nick Jost holds down the bass groove, Baroness‘s ATG debut sees them welcomed with open arms. Furthermore, March To The Sea,’ ‘Shock Me,’ and ‘Take My Bones Away’ sound absolutely huge. The latter rounding off another impressive outing for Baroness.
With projectors in place, Amenra provides a doom-laden spectacle. The brooding bass of ‘Boden’ gives way to a sea of black metal, as their set ebbs and flows with moments of trepidation. Headbanging blasts drag the bleak parts kicking and screaming into the light. The Belgian outfit are one of the most compelling acts of the weekend.
After politely introducing themselves and setting out their plan to play for the next hour and 20 minutes, tonight’s main stage headliner, Explosions In The Sky, takes us on a mesmerising post-rock journey. Luscious sections weave their way to dramatic crescendos, building a wall of noise in the process. ‘Your Hand In Mine’ is simply beautiful and poignant, and is one of many moments that the ATG crowd get lost in. While some festivals rely on theatrics for their headline act, ATG is different. EITS are able to produce a spellbinding narrative without a single word uttered.
Friday
Day three starts with a viewing of the entertaining and insightful ‘Two Promoters One Podcast’ Podcast. A walk over to the PX3 stage sees local Bristolians HAAL play a stirring mix of off-kilter post-punk that broods with anxiety. ‘To Be A Machine’ wallows in gloomy experimentation, before ‘Blank Sleep’ ends the set with its ominous, cold tone.
Jazzy bass lines, dizzying guitars, and polyrhythmic tempos are what the technically proficient Asymmetric Universe thrive on in the Yohkai tent. The Italian trio are textured in their execution, firmly leaning into the math-tinged prog rock, with frantic fret play aplenty.
A late call-up to the festival, El Moono pulled in a big crowd into the PX3 tent. Showcasing their impressive debut album, ‘The Waking Sun‘, the quartet brand of alt-metal highlights their ability to utilise headbanging grooves, luscious harmonies, and relentless riffs. ‘Forced to Smile’ twists and turns before the assured ‘Chains’ closes things with an unhinged hint.
Up until this point, there hadn’t considerably been a poor performance all week. However, that streak came to an end with Fange. The French quartet’s mix of industrial metal and hardcore suffered microphone issues early on. While a reliance on a steely drumming backing track makes for a jarring outing. In contrast, Iress showcase a gorgeous blend of doom and shoegaze. Led by the impressive lungs of Michelle Malley, the Los Angeles swell as they bring tracks from the recently released ‘Sleep Now, In Reverse’ to ATG. Enthralling by an atmospheric, at times cinematic, sound, Iress has certainly won over some new admirers from this outing.
For Every Hell, they unfortunately clash with French outfit Year of No Light. Their main stage set sees them perform a brand of instrumental post-metal that ascends with towering guitars, a dense bass, and two sets of penetrating drums. It makes for a compelling and heavy 50 minutes. By the time they reach their 15-minute-long finale, YONL is as expansive and as immersive as ever.
Night Verses are equally riveting as the Californian instrumental alt-metal trio deliver a tasteful and impactful set. Each member, guitarist Nick DePirro, bassist Reilly Herrera, and drummer Aric Improta, are allowed to shine collectivly and individually. Kinetic percussion, and polyrhythms are executed with a virtuso quality, meeting expectations.
Texas trio Glassing revelled in blackgaze, being as heavy as they could possibly be. They’re a powerhouse force in the PX3 tent, and the relatively small crowd are dedicated, moshing their way through a mix of steady-paced sludge and chaotic black metal. Scott Gossman stands out for his impressive drum work, adding fire to Glassing‘s chaotic moments. Likewise, Frail Body prove to be equally ferocious. Although guitarist Lowell Shaffer’s vocals suffered from being mixed low, Nicholas Clemenson’s frantic drumming along with Nic Kuczynski’s stinging bass guitar made up for it. Both Glassing and Frail Body provided a heavy taster of tonight’s main event.
The Yohkai tent is spilling out on each side as ATG favourites Delta Sleep return with their ditzy take on indie math rock. With harmonious melodies and plucky rhythms, the Kent group produce an upbeat and joyful set. Add to that the occasional breezy moments such as new track ‘Sunchaser’, and you’re left with a pleasing soundtrack for an early Friday evening.
While many acts over the weekend are here to showcase their musical prowess, Blood Command are here to throw a party. Taking to the PX3 stage, the Norwegian outfit provides repeated shots of cocaine-laced adrenaline-fuelled punk-tinged hardcore and metal. Aussie vocalist Nikki Brumen is a ball of energy, overcoming pre-show anxiety after being groped at a recent show. For her, the energy and response given by this intimate crowd lead to her striding around the stage with confidence and joining the crowd during the final songs. Her Adidas-wearing bandmates blast their way through an array of riffs and breakdowns, as she barks and screams her head off while fans get wrapped up in their chaos.
NYC outfit Show Me The Body are gritty and intense as they bring some heavy synth-infused hardcore punk to ATG. Vocalist Julian Cashwan, armed with his electric banjo, is visceral in his vocal delivery, stomping around the stage. Although the fatigued crowd aren’t entirely engaged, that doesn’t stop the trio from giving their all. ‘We Came To Play’ rumbles thanks to bassist Harlan Steed and drummer Jack McDermott.
Despite headlining here just a couple of years ago, Meshuggah clearly did something right as the main stage is absolutely packed out in anticipation for their return. Their prolonged introduction gives way to a stunning light show and sharp, jagged riffs. Quickly showing why they’re masters of heavy tech metal with an intense and technically proficient set, Jens Kidman’s vocals tear through the musical density served up. While calling Tomas Haake‘s drum work dynamic would extremely be an understatement.
Throughout, complex rhythms pulsated with every ounce of intensity. By the time ‘Bleed’ begins their encore, it’s clear Meshuggah demolished ATG with a battering ram shudder, only for ‘Demiurge’ to deliver one final chaotic blast.
Saturday
Welsh instrumentalists Fort are given the opportunity to open the final day of ATG with their brand of bright post-rock. While stylistically they hit all the right marks, Fort have a tendency to be somewhat formulaic. Nevertheless, there’s clearly plenty of promise and show enough about them to be engaging and ease weary heads into Saturday.
With only a few songs readily available, Vower proves to be an enticing pull for many of the ATG crowd. Playing in the Yohkai tent, Josh McKeown’s vocals soar above the post-hardcore charge his bandmates conjure up. Collectively, the quintet are sharp and convincing with closing pairing ‘Eyes of a Nihilist’ and ‘Shroud’ highlighting their anthemic capabilities.
Round two of Bossk sees them deliver a considerably more atmospheric set. However, the broad riffs of ‘Atom Smasher’ are just as meaty, adding to the grand scale executed. This is emphasised on final song, ‘Lira’. Meanwhile, ‘Events Occur in Real Time’ is given a rare outing, adding to feral energy to Bossk‘s main stage outing.
ArcTanGent has a history of including off-the-cuff names. Scaler are one of these this weekend. Mixing pulsating electronica with the occasional riff, they produce an enticing set on the main stage. Accompanied by intriguing visuals, there’s a layered and hypnotic quality to what the industrial techno band does.
Having teamed up with Conjurer on Wednesday as part of Curse These Metal Hands, Pijn stepped up as a late addition. Producing a powerful display of instrumental rock, they’re another fine example of what can be done with little words. Musically composed and rich in their execution, providing an enchanting and intimate set.
Playing an album that is eight days old is a brave move but And So I Watch You From Afar brings ‘Megafauna’ to life with poise and energy. Having already played here this weekend, and being a regular feature of ATG, the crowd have a longtime appreciation and respect. Like many bands across the weekend, the musicianship on show is superb. The Northern Irish band returned the appreciation for the people of ATG, calling the festival a “Spiritual home for this band”.
Fellow instrumental rockers, Brontide, exceeded expectations as they played their first show in seven years. Opening with the pensive ‘Tonitro’, it gives way to the rapturous ‘Bare My Bones’. Tim Hancock thrives on guitar as William Bowerman pounds away on drums and Nathan Fairweather rides the groove on bass guitar. By the time they play the fret-tapping ‘Arioso’, any signs of rust are firmly shredded. The trio are clearly rejuvenated and delighted to be playing music together again. Comeback track, ‘Mineral’, seamlessly fits in alongside older cuts before ‘Matador’ closes out a triumphant return.
Some may suggest stoner rockers Electric Wizard aren’t quite your usual ATG band. Nonetheless, as main stage sub-headliners, it’s clear they have a strong following amongst the ArcTanGent masses. Accompanied by sleazy B-Movie visuals and bathed in red lights, they provide a sprawling, fuzzy set. Tracks such as ‘Black Mass’ and ‘Time To Die’ are swollen by vintage sludgy metal, that eventually wears thin for those passing by.
Caspian was the ideal palette cleanser ahead Mogwai’s headline set. Undoubtedly influenced by the latter, the Massachusetts group close out the Yohkai stage with a near-perfect display of post-rock. Much like their peers in Explosions In The Sky, they show their song craftsmanship, building mountainous soundscapes with poise and precision. A definite late entry for the set of the weekend.
After being one of the festival’s most asked-about acts for 10 years, Mogwai finally made their ATG debut. There’s no doubt you can appreciate the influence and artistry the Scottish band has had. However, there seems to be an absence of grandeur when compared to the previous night’s headliners. Sure, there are impressive, steady builds that segue into walls of noise. Yet when you’ve witnessed offshoots of the Mogwai’s influence do it better, the impact doesn’t quite meet the desired effect.
Nevertheless, when the Glaswegians do hit their stride, you can really appreciate them. Both for their influence and for how they can effortlessly flip between different styles and textures. One moment you’re captivated by ‘Every Country’s Sun’s breezy build, the next rocking out to ‘Like Herod’ and ‘Old Poisons’. Throughout, they sound crystal clear, making up for their lack of presence.
Conclusion
ArcTanGent 2024 was a fitting celebration of the 10 years that have come before it. Bringing together a healthy dose of post-rock, math, post-hardcore, metal, and more in various forms and guises, it exemplified that you don’t need to put on a show full of pomp and circumstance to make an impression. In its place is a widespread appreciation for great musicianship, and how music can stir up an emotion and connect, even without a single lyric sung.
At its core, community is the reason for ArcTanGent‘s longevity. The open mindset of its audience continues to embrace eclectic and intriguing arms of left-field music to the ATG sphere. This year was no different and was balanced out by a host of familiar and reliable names.
ArcTanGent has carved out its distinct place in UK festival market, and on this evidence, it is sure to continue to prosper for years to come.
4.5/5
ArcTanGent Festival 2025 will take place near Bristol from Wednesday, 13th August to Saturday, 16th August 2025.
Tickets are available here.
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