ArcTangent Festival, Fernhill Farm, 13-16.08.25
Wednesday 13.08.25
Ben - In 2023 a relentless flurry of responsibilities, a postal delivery betrayal and events out of our control resulted in us regrettably missing the first day of the festival. Due to the previous experience, everything was prepped and prepared by the 6th as to prevent any inconveniences between festivals and ensure our arrival on that first day that I’ve heard so much about.
Alas, we appear to be cursed to forever miss the grand opening. As inhaling enough dirt/dust at Bloodstock to build one of those horrible man made islands you get in Dubai caused my throat to bleed, which we figured was best to get checked out as to make sure I wasn’t dying. Luckily, I wasn’t.
Unluckily, this resulted in us missing Healthyliving (please get in touch and let me know if that name puts you up in searches in the current climate or gets lost amongst all the “healthy living” influencers), Underdark (Anti-Fascist black metal), Year Of No Light (Atmospheric instrumental post metal that reinforces my theory that the French Metal scene is one of the most diverse and intelligent sounding at the moment).
Colossal Squid (a must for pundits of percussion), Kalandra (ethereal Nordic folk influenced atmospheric beauty), Slift (expansive space rock fortifying my French theory once more) and Wardrunda (spiritual atmospheric transcendence drawing from Norse culture that often featured in the hit TV show Vikings).
I have since listened to all of these bands, am absolutely gutted to have missed them and would highly recommend each of them to every reader of this review. With the all clear, an early drive is at hand to catch as much of day 2 as possible.
Thursday 14.08.25
Ben - The experience this year is much like that of 2023s (which is a great thing!) I even think we may be camped in the exact same spot. Which I’ll admit is why this introduction will be almost word for word the same as the last! Come on now, It’s not as if it’s memorable literature.
ArcTanGent is a more relaxed experience than most metal festivals. The crew are extremely accommodating and genuinely seem happy to be working here .With the modern wonders of pop up tents big enough to fit a double mattress + room for extras It’s time once more to take a look at the main attractions.
5 stages close enough to each other and the camping sites to comfortably head between but not too close to cause spill ( an impressive and perfect ratio) are surrounded by a wide array of food and supply vendors, taps for free water, an adequate amount of toilets, bars, merch stands and a team of dedicated litter handlers that manage to keep the site the cleanest festival I have been to in the UK. It’s not just the team responsible that keeps ArcTanGent looking this good. The regular ArcTanGent punter has an eclectic taste and perhaps this is a trait of maturity. As festival goers seem free from drama and make use of the many “General Waste” bins in the area.
Perhaps they are allured to the General Waste signs as it could easily be the name of one of the many artists playing over the weekend. Either way, the immediate feel and look is impressive. I’d like to add that I mean maturity in the best possible way here. These people are still having fun.
And over the course of the experience, we ran into many interesting and eccentric characters; This year included a legend who had spray painted his own awful late 90s flame shirt, a man with a dear head on a large stick ( which was regularly seen sticking out of the crowd while watching the bands) and many colourful, creative ridiculous outfits! Of course the majority are still dressed In black.
One of the main benefits of such a niche experimental line up compared to a more mainstream festival is that you’re never in danger of having your ears invaded by overplayed nausea or anything heavily derivative of popular tosh. I had also noticed that the unique roster attracts solo visitors from all over the world.
Imagine coming to Bristol from Kiribati because you heard that Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Melvins, Clown Core, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and General Waste would be in the same place at once. It’s just a bloody beautiful thing.
Maria - I sometimes like to experience a band or artist having no prior knowledge about them so the performance can speak for itself…and in this instance it fucking comes to take your head . An absolutely devastating vocal performance conveys the complexities and emotional fallout of the artist’s history which I did not yet know.
Nina Saeidi’s vocals deal an impactful blow which is intensely powerful and moving. She at points brandishes props from knives to drums to lend a visual aid to the violent and empowering narrative. The sound conveyed through the music, although simplistic, needs to do exactly what it does to form the perfect platform for something that has survived against all odds.
This is mesmerising story-telling at its best. A perfect fusion between traditional, Middle Eastern music, progressive, post-rock and doom. Lowen (9) delivers a spine tingling performance that will stay with me long after the stage falls silent.
Ben - Dublin, Ireland-based abrasive post-punk exploring themes of alienation , social disillusionment and existential angst. Touching on political and social issues Meryl Streek (9) do not mince words, pushing the point that we’re all fighting for he same fucking thing and as bleak as it gets it’s a reality we must face up to together! It’s the energy you’d expect from raw Irish anarchy punk. As he stomps, storming the stage as if about to incite a riot
On top of the issues most of us face he even addresses and assaults the music he plays and the industry, with quotes like “ If anyone has a problem with these backing tracks, just remember to go fuck yourselves!” and “95% of the people in the industry are fucking dick heads!” amongst the madness there’s something very likeable about him! Like a real council estate’s Rage Against The Machine that's pissed off and ready to say it!
This is the type of punk noise needed for this stretch of time, and a voice applicable for many other periods of oppression and division. Unfortunately this was a bit early in the day to have the crowd moving as much as I’d hoped, yet the crowd engagement is still top notch.
The synth motif during the second song through me off a bit, I’m not entirely sure it worked, but fuck the rules aye! The word fuck is used to record breaking proportions, pretty sure I heard the shouted word “Moist!” at one point and “Yeah fucking ‘roit!” is repeated throughout.
It’s extremely nostalgic for me as my youth was full of listening to bands of similar stance! The full tent is clapping as a song almost turns into a disco type beat. Is this accessible anarchy!
How a man can get away with saying “Get the fuck up” more times than Fred Durst without sounding ridiculous is beyond me. The crowd fucking love it and give a great response as he confidently shouts “Free Palestine!”. I’m going to listen to more of this when I’m back, as the parts he addresses between sets have made me fascinated to read the lyrics that I couldn’t make out beyond “GET THE FUCK UP!”. Recommended to everyone pissed off with the world we’re forced to live in ..I.e EVERYONE.
Maria - Lord of the Riffs, Buzz Osbourne (King Buzzo) the wild-eyed guitar shaman, lead the Melvins (9) through a ritual of riff mastery, grooves thick enough to choke, and that unmistakable Sabbathian swing. Buzzo holds court, while Dale Crover, sporting a psychedelic Bee Gees jumpsuit, delivers the kind of strange energy that can only come from decades of pure, unfiltered experience and surrealism.
Even after four decades in the game, the Melvins' sound remains a potent brew of stoner riffs and hypnotic, sludgy rhythm. Tracks like A History Of Bad Men and Honey Bucket twist and coil like an endless, acid-drenched spiral into a dark, groovy void.
The band’s iconic two-drummer setup creates a tight, pulsating rhythm that feels like something far more sophisticated than the sum of its parts. Still as heavy, still as buzzing, the Melvins prove, once again, that time is of no consequence when you are the kings of cool. I had my first crowd surfs of the festival as I felt it would have been rude not to.
I’ve long considered Aiden Moffat to be Scotland's answer to Alanis Morrisette. I only wrote this because I’d love to hear him tell me to ‘fuck off’ one day. I actually have been a fan for around a decade now and got extremely excited to see them on the line-up this year. I was anything but disappointed.
“This is a song about shaggin’!” Aidan Moffat grins as Arab Strap (9) slip into Compersion Pt. 1, to begin the set. No grand gimmicks, no abstract experimentation…just raw, gritty intimacy that speaks to the most broken parts of ourselves. Arab Strap unapologetically perform their set as a heady mix of grit and catharsis. Even cuts from their 2024 album, I'm Totally Fine With It, Don't Give A Fuck Anymore, which reflect the distance of the post-pandemic digital age, crackle with intensity.
Closing with the haunting Turn Off The Light, they leave the crowd scintillated, elevated, and with a sense of purposeful unease. And I put another tick on my bucket list. Fucking beautiful!
Ben - The decision to be Introduced by a soundbite from Monty Python And The Holy Grail’s monk chant scene “ Pie Jesu Domine, dona eis requiem” *smashes face with bible. Prepared us to expect something entertaining and a little bit silly. This feeling was maximised when singer Sam Frank treated us to a dramatic reading before the rest of the band emerged looking like the Knights who say “Ni”! changed their wardrobe from black to white and decided to form a rock band.
Spinal Tap on more crack with more power poses than Kiss could ever dream of pulling off. In fact, I’m not sure I've ever seen every member of a band power pose at the same time before, and it’s pure cheese brilliance! The monitors almost seemed designed as vanity steps for these Australian entertainers. And I'm all for it!.
Battlesnake's (10) sound is a tongue-in-cheek mish mash of high energy traditional heavy metal with dashes of doom groves and a cut of prog in places. Their sound is intense, exciting and catchy! There’s a certain creative freedom that comes with adding self aware comedic elements. Allowing the stage presence and show to borderline on childhood dreams of being a rockstar and fantasy. The musicianship is proficient and the stage show is extremely entertaining and hilarious when in on the cliches that they unapologetically exploit. Monty Python’s Flying Judas Priest.
Sam has such a great range of vocal ability and guitarists Ben Frank and Dainiel Willington frequently end up in duel harmony motifs, shred offs and guitar battles, be it perched on opposite sides of the stage, back to back, side to side like Iron Maiden and everything in between.
Starting with I Am The Vomit, an epic Judas Priest-esque with vocals switching between Les Claypool and metal barks with guitar leads straight out of 1989s Golden Axe for Sage Mega Drive. Motorsteeple features the Bruce Dickingson style catchy vocal motifs + more over the top 80s guitar. Murder Machine had me grinning the whole way through (look it up, watch the video . NOW!)
Sanctum Robots mixes it up with more modern heavy breakdowns. Shepherd Hunter is balls to the walls heavy metal … speaking of balls, the singer jumps quite a lot and that gown he wears is pretty light. Expect to see lots of… inner thigh… And as sacrilege as it may seem, I actually found their ending rendition of AC/DC’s Let there be rock more entertaining than the original.
Do not mistake my description of this band as a one trick pony. They are a highly skilled and entertaining outfit who know what they’re doing. In an experimental festival where most bands are stereotyped as being rather serious, Battlesnake were a refreshing tonic for the crowd to let their dusty hair down and one of my personal favourite experiences of the event. Highly recommended.
Maria - When tasked with imagining the perfect headliner for ArcTanGent, one need look no further than Godspeed You! Black Emperor (10), the post-rock titans whose very name echoes like a forgotten curse.
Tonight, the Montreal overlords prove their worth with their epic and never once faltering brand of musical alchemy. In fact, they seem to own the stage—a testament not just to the density and complexity of each of their tracks, but to the sheer raw emotional power they wield in this darkened realm of live performance.
With a stage drenched in blood-red light, they step forward—a sea of players, each lost in the hypnotic swirl of their dissonant symphony. Behind them, unsettling video reels flicker like broken memories, guiding the crowd into dreamscapes and nightmares that blur together in a fever dream.
Godspeed exist in a world of their own—a world where compromise is a foreign concept and every note is a deliberate scar carved into the atmosphere. The likes of Raindrops Cast In Lead and Pale Spectator…may sit uncomfortably in the noise and chaos of the festival, but when the climactic BBF3 erupts, it consumes everything. The crowd, now a mass of lost souls, are carried away by the wave—overwhelmed, yet strangely reborn.
Godspeed, indeed. Their journey isn’t just heard—it’s felt in the marrow of your bones, a haunting that stays long after the final note fades.
Friday 15.08.25
Ben - Campers log: and what a log it was! Before I continue to ramble on about toilets, I’d like to address that this is in no way a dig at the festival. ArcTanGent manages these amenities better than most, it’s one of the few festivals where the smell of human doings doesn’t linger and follow you wherever you go. And remember, this is a working farm ! good bloody job ArcTanGent!
Anyway!. As I drag myself sluggishly from the tent to partake in the morning ritual, I chose the wrong porta-privy. A sudden and rude awakening as I was met face to face with a chestnut beast of unreasonable, ungodly, unimaginable proportion! A freak of nature not only worthy of, but requiring documentation.
This is mainly to do with its preposterous rigidity that allowed the behemoth to protrude like an oppressive obelisk beyond the threshold of the bowl (without touching it somehow), meaning that this could only have been a stand up job! Its impressiveness only matched by the sheer horror it deeply evoked on the faces of those unlucky enough to enter the holdings of the creature. As inappropriate as it may seem, such a spectacle & dark miracle of nature has to be written about, dare it to be reduced to anecdotal evidence, demoted to dubious myth & legend.
Another observation/ revelation this morning was that wasps really do seem to love a good metal festival. Having just left Bloodstock, it is safe to assume that they prefer the more commercial side and are less privy to the experimental brilliance of ArcTanGent … banded philistines!
And now back to the real reason we are here
Alice - Total silence fills the space as the bassist walks to the stage and drapes a Palestinian flag over his shoulders, making a statement that would either divide the crowd - or pull them together. No one moves, we're all quietly waiting for what would follow from Overhead, The Albatross (7).
It takes an excellent performance to keep an all-instrumental intro relevant and captivating enough so that you'll stay there wanting for more, and admittedly I was a bit sceptical. About half way through the first song, however, we were joined by a cellist - not on stage - but via clever use of a video running in the background. Brilliant use of technology, whilst sensibly adding another instrument to their performance! I'm paying attention again. Later on we see a saxophonist, but I fail to hear sax in the line up and I wonder if the fault is mine or if the concept is flawed.
The vocalist now cites poetry, it's dark and it's timely, but I personally feel like at this point I had seen so many similar acts as of late that there had to be something more to keep me interested. The music shifts to a dreamscape like synth melodies that blend in with this gritty post-rock jamboree and I'm digging it. I take notice, that the singer has at no point addressed the audience - he is facing away, toward the bass-guitarist to his left as he continues reading. They talk about the people who couldn't be here today, as the background pays homage to those lost before their time.
We traverse through explosive scenes no doubt portraying a warzone and further painting the picture of the political statement they want to deliver, as the music grows enraged before finally settling to soothe us. Is this it, is this what an albatross sees flying over our heads, I wonder, and as the vocalist cites his final lines and turns to the audience I realise nothing about the performance was accidental.
I received numerous recommendations to see Ithaca (7), but hadn't had the chance to listen to any of their material prior to the show. So there I was, standing in a huge crowd, unsure of what to expect. People around me loudly exclaim how the singer is meant to be "better than the one in Hole", and my ears perk up - I now had expectations.
The guitar goes hard, I'm feeling the drums and somewhere silently joining in is the bass; this is it, let's see what could-be Courtney Love's got to give, I think to myself as the singer takes the stage. But I'm not feeling it, something is missing - am I seeing the wrong band?
She clearly has a voice, but something is holding her back. I go through several motions, where I'm always at the cusp of enjoyment, but she doesn't quite take me there (is this what it's like to be edging emotionally?).
We see a few co-vocalists over the next few songs, and the vibe is different, but I'm still waiting for that something-something.
And there it is.
Midway through the fourth song she comes alive with a powerful growl that shakes the atmosphere. I disregard my prior bitterness, as I witness this evolution; It's raw and it's backed up by that surge of emotion we needed to take us to the big O. By the time the next song begins - sharing the title of the group: "Ithaca" - I feel regretful that I hadn't heard of them before, as this was to be their final performance.
They take the time to promote a positive mental attitude and remind us to look after ourselves, and with it set a tone that unifies the crowd for the rest of the set. I'm pleased to have stayed for this despite my initial scepticism, as it was one of the better shows I had spotted so far in the event.
Ben - Listed as an innovative and experimental band from the US, known for aggressive and complex fusion of mathcore, technical death metal and industrial elements. I was excited to catch this one. The chaos and carnage congregated from the get go! A much more satisfying wake up call for those who avoided my own.
The occasional offkilter proggy guitar melodies over the brutality is very rewarding to the ear and props have to be given for the tightness considering the time changes. A surprising amount of pick scrapes and natural harmonics seemed like a nostalgic nod to the early 2000s. Considering their description I found Car Bomb (7) to be more accessible than expected. Perfect for a circle pit, it’s a shame that they weren’t billed later in the day. I would have expected more energy from the onlookers, however, they pulled a good crowd nonetheless.
The drumming was robotically good with a snare moving like Rocky Balboa’s speedball at peak montage. Many riffs were deserving of and caused a severe case of “stank face” amongst myself and the crowd. The dissonance of the riffs clashing beautifully with and against the odd clean vocal section. Some top tier breakdowns that would make Gojira blush, bringing me back to the pick scrapes / Nintendo sounds. With a drummer almost up there with Ethan Spargo of Ofnus and lead sections proving the virtuosity of the guitar players.
I must confess that even though the band performed extremely well and pulled off some absolute pearlers and stand out riffs, due to the description, I was expecting a little more on the guitar tricks side of things. Spoiled by the technicality of bands like Archspire and Allegaeon, I could not give full marks. As stated earlier, it may have helped if they had played later in the day, which of course is not their fault, as this was definitely a band that was ideal for pits, surfers and walls of death. Personal reasons aside, Car Bomb are another high recommendation and certain addition to the playlist of fans of the genres they so flawlessly and ferociously combine.
Maria - Sporting the all too familiar ‘’depression hairdo’’ and casual t-shirt, Emma had to go through a quick line- check before proceeding with her set. The day has been rough for Emma Ruth Rundle (8), yet regardless of her sickness, she rises. With nothing but an acoustic guitar and her voice, she conjures something vast, haunting, and at times, fairly heavy. As the rain, rivers, and tides swirl behind her, the air fills with a sense of desolation—an empty world, yet one she commands with tender, fragile intimacy.
She weaves her way through songs like Living With The Black Dog and Blooms Of Oblivion, raw and unfiltered, each note a brushstroke of fragile emotion. Despite the weight of her sound, there’s an unexpected levity in her spirit. Responding to a shout from the crowd, she quips, “I’m not sure what you said, but I’ll take it as encouragement,” before launching into the brooding Citadel, an “uplifting number” in her world of shadows.
When it’s time for the final song, she leaves the choice to the crowd, ending with the gorgeous Marked For Death, a soul-cleansing catharsis that leaves the audience feeling purged—emotional yet renewed.
Even in the rawest, most stripped-down form, Emma Ruth Rundle stands peerless—a mystic of sound, forging beauty from the broken.
Ben - Festival Food Just wanted to give some love to food vendor Bunnymans/Bunny Chow (pretty sure that’s the name) and their massive proportions! Not too wise to consume mid day but it’s the perfect kind of stodge to soak up the booze and enough energy to last you the entire adventure.
Happy Bangers were great! hot dogs with real quality meaty sausages, not that cheap horrible watery crap you get with American hotdogs. And Banging Burritos were as the name suggests “Bangin’!” generously dense with steak and absolutely delicious! I also had a bite of Maria's chipotle chicken that was equally bangin’. Prices are also respectable for festival food.
Ben - Driven here by name alone, I approach to check with someone outside of the tent that I’m at the right band. “Meth?”, In a different time and place this would have been a very different conversation, especially if the random was an undercover cop … Meth. (8) are an experimental band from Chicago focused on pushing the boundaries of extreme music with raw, unfiltered intensity.
A big fan of the energy and high back of the throat black metal-esque vocals over the cacophony, one of those prog wasps has somehow managed to trap itself under my foot and the soul of my shoe and I don’t even care. In fact the pain almost feels fitting to the harsh battering ram they sonically assault the crowd with. I’m absolutely loving it , and not a slight on them … Here's the big but … BUT, modern metal in general has oversaturated dissonant breakdowns, making them no longer surprising or original, which is a massive shame.
With that said though, elongated minor second harmony sections more than make up for this (for those less versed in music theory, it’s basically the most horrible sounding combination of notes you can produce, and I love it!) .
Outstanding drumming seems like a pre requisite to get onto the ArcTanGent bill by this point, so as you can expect, the percussion is mind blowing. A circle pit and mosh emerges! The festival has such a relaxed vibe that if played anywhere else I’d imagine enough carnage and brutality to fill the medical bay.
And yet, many people here seem more reserved to enjoying the music over allowing the energy to physically consume them into wild beasts. Both a pro and a con, but appreciation for experimentation is what it is all about. A music nerds (in a good way) festival, connoisseurs of the truly alternative.
The blood curdling screams and intentional organised discord sound like the internal monologue through the struggles of the harshest characters of the movie train spotting. To add to the confusion, the bassist struts his stuff and grooves as if he’d fit well in a glam rock band, even though audibly the music couldn’t be further apart, a good sign that the artists are also enjoying themselves.
The pen takes a break so that I can film the next song to show friends how “extreme” should be done. Picking the wrong moment, the rug was pulled and the group changed to a much more atmospheric number. For a second it almost went annoyingly emo, which, if planned to disrupt, is the most diabolical thing a band has done this year. Obviously as soon as I give up and put the phone away, they go straight back into the havoc and mayhem that initially captivated me.
Not sure how to explain this, but through all their “smarts” & experimentalisms, it somehow retains an element of Nu Metal without actually sounding like it … I guess you have to be there and of a certain age. Glam skills bass man now has his top off and I try to read the Phill Anselmo type tattoo across his stomach but these fuckers move with a purpose.
Competent at post melancholy, intense metal and a multitude of genres in between! The swap over vocals are reminiscent of early Mastodon and although I'm not personally a fan of the clean vocals, they’re far from the disney rubbish that you get in the mainstream.
Brutal post punk tech death blackened noisecore + could be the genre. I’ll admit that the breakdowns of Lorna Shore quality start to grate on me, but I do appreciate a good fake out ending.
Another way to explain them could be to imagine if the horror inspired intros of Slipknot's early works were fleshed out into more frenzied full songs. Another high recommendation from me for anyone who wants to be assaulted by their music of choice.
That's right, I'm here to push meth. on you.
Maria - In a festival teeming with oddities, Green Lung emerge as the true wyrd gods of ArcTanGent. Their olde English, black magic doom may seem conventional amidst the chaos, but it only lets them tower even higher. A brass trio parps the opening fanfare before they launch into Woodland Rites, a swirling mass of Deep Purple riffs and dark tales of dancing naked under the moon.
Tom Templar, channeling a diabolic David Lee Roth, leads the charge, joking about their lack of polyrhythms but claiming “we have riffs, solos, choruses, and well-researched songs about old English folklore,” all of which land like a heavenly curse. Scott Black’s guitar, like a minstrel with a Gibson SG, shreds through history.
Witch Queen and Mountain Throne crush the crowd, but it’s the folk lullaby of Song Of The Stones that resonates like a secret whispered across ancient fields. With a "Hail Satan!" chant, they dive into Let The Devil In, and One For Sorrow builds from melancholy into an explosive breakdown that grows more thunderous with each performance.
In this heathen land, Green Lung (8) are not just playing—they’re conjuring power few can match.
Alice - In some sense I had been waiting for this moment for nearing 20 years. My taste in music has changed more times than the colour of my hair over the past two decades, but my appreciation of good music remains. Mew (9) was there through my confusing indie-emo era, where anything outside of the typical drew me in. And once Jonas softly voices the first lines of their opening track Rows, even those unfamiliar with the band will know exactly why.
- It's pure, it's unique; it's like bathing in warm milk.
And the most notable thing of all is how it sounds exactly like you remembered, right? He perfectly manages to keep the familiar high-pitched tone, despite undoubtedly being haunted by the passing of time.
The setlist was beautifully curated to cater to all eras of Mew following, with inventive (often haunting) animated backgrounds setting the scene. I personally felt like I was on a drip receiving 30mg of nostalgia straight to my veins and was transported back to my early 20s as if not a day had passed. As they close their farewell set with Comforting Sounds I return to the present filled with pride and joy for - not only how far Mew had come but - how far I had come myself.
I'm not going to lie guys, I think I cried a bit, but we don't need to talk about that.
Despite being more into my angry, melancholy-laced doom and gloom these days, I am 100% satisfied with having witnessed one of Mew's final shows on this day. They've shown me that good things are worth waiting for, and that we don't always have to change to stay relevant.
As far as farewell tours go we've seen a few on this weekend alone, but these guys have set their own tone and I wish the guys all the best on their future endeavours.
Ben - We part ways as Maria goes to review Karnivool yet the concept of Gost (7) has peaked my interest. An American producer who blends synthwave, industrial and metal isn’t quite enough to persuade me, but, drawing inspiration from the darker side of 80s horror soundtracks? Count me in!
Met by a masked murderer and a buff bassist with curls to out do the permiest of final girls, the duo get into their brand of instrumental thrasher-techno. The synthwave is pure sleaze at an almost constant head bobbing hip thrusting tempo.
Here for the 80s horror, I personally find the music closer to those underground dark red lit clubs of every edgy movie from the 90s. Apart from the odd horror motif that was promised and occasional heavier more aggressive sections, the overall sound is quite consistent and repetitive.
A fan of the use of soundbites and Psycho stabs, It’s not ideal as a live show, but would make for excellent background music. Evil metal synthwave can’t be a bad thing, and before anyone thinks it, it’s not an alternative universe's Nine Inch Nails either. Either way, someone got the decade wrong, as I definitely feel more like an extra in Blade or The Crow than Fright Night or The Lost Boys.
It’s fun, does what it says on the tin and entertaining enough. I hear a few people complain that they’ve abruptly finished 20 minutes early, but I’m happy enough. I won’t be running to catch them live again, but I will be listening to them in the future as they do work pretty well for background music, whatever the occasion.
Maria - The Australian masters of prog, Karnivool (9), may seem an unexpected choice to headline ATG 2025, but their performance feels like the return of forgotten gods. A decade of silence since Asymmetry has done little to dull their fire. The classics hit with a mighty force, Goliath still crushes with brutal power, while Simple Boy weaves between jagged metal and smooth prog. Deadman paints grand, sweeping landscapes, and Roquefort brings the grit and rawness.
Ian Kenny’s voice remains as commanding as ever, and the band plays with precision, each note sharp and intentional. New Day stands as a perfect mainstream anthem—catchy, anthemic, and yet rich with depth. It’s a solid performance, a masterclass in restraint and energy, but what’s clear is that Karnivool isn’t finished by a long shot. Fingers crossed for new material soon.
Ben - The Nightlife Report As history is said to repeat itself. Much like last time, we’re roped into shenanigans with bands, crew and punters alike for some “refreshments”. The nightlife here is fantastic and everyone we meet seems entertaining and interesting. Drinks, contacts and friends being shared in an inviting yet not over stimulating environment.
I’m introduced to what appears to be a drink of choice for a number of people at this bar - A “White Russian with Oatmilk”, it works surprisingly well, but personally I think I prefer the original. And that’s it on the nightlife. Dare I stumble into mindless intoxicated ramblings to give the editor of this piece a nightmare of a job on his hands. Here’s to those that were met - “Cheers!”
Saturday 16.08.2025
Ben - Morning Report On the last morning we were greeted by Philodromus aureolus the “Wandering Crab Spider” an interesting species of spider who decided to make camp in our tent. Considering its flattened crab like appearance and the knowledge that their fangs are too weak to penetrate human skin, this was a welcome visitor to the base. There we go, some arachnology rather than scatology and a lot less words this morning. You’re welcome.
Ben - The Rotherham masters of sludge metal, Swamp Coffin (9), are as heavy as a swampy coffin sounds, a swampy coffin packed with the corpse of an osmium boned mammoth + 14 bears in Doom Slayer armour.
One can not help but headbang to such grooves, and by headbang I mean headbang from the waist … but waist-bang just doesn’t sound right. With a voice of uncompromising nihilism. The music is not overly original, but it is on the high end of what you’d want from a band named Swamp Coffin. It’s so perfectly heavy, spacey yet violent, with the type of involuntary head jerking beats that are sure to leave you with whiplash.
There isn’t a great amount of movement on stage, yet, it is an appropriate amount for the genre. Although not moving much themselves ,they demand movement from the crowd along with the words “Know you are worthless!” and for this time of day, there is a significant increase in motion from the audience. They are also the pioneers of and introduce “The Worlds Slowest Wall Of Death!”
A hilarious, awkward and memorable experience for fans and curious witnesses. A parody and contrast to the usual energetic crash of sweaty bodies becomes a mass of zombies clumsily stumbling into each other, lumbersome and ungainly while accompanied by the swell of sludge grooves from the band. Truly a sight to behold and a unique experience to be a part of.
Swamp Coffin are immediately added to the playlist! it does exactly what it says on the tin, and they do it extremely well!.
Side note / Important observation: Extra points to ArcTanGent for being a festival where you can comfortably sit against a barrier or wall without sitting in or inhaling piss.
Ben - My introduction to Sleepytime Gorilla Museum (10) was another one that I chose for name alone. With no prior knowledge of this band, this was like finding the holy grail of experimental avant-garde-prog. Listed in genre as “unclassifiable” and pretty much earning it. The array of bonkers instruments on stage ( including some custom ones built by the band) and eccentric theatrical look of the characters lets you know that you are about to witness something special.
Every member is a multi instrumentalist which I feel impressed enough to introduce.
(Note: If you have no interest in reading an unreasonably long list of instruments then skip to the next paragraph): Matthias Bossi; Drums, glockenspiel, melodica, percussion, piano, xylophone. Nils Frykdahl; Vocals, autoharp, flutes, guitars (including percussive), recorder (and you thought you wouldn’t see another one since school), saxophone, Tibetan bells.
Carla Kihlstedt; Vocals, autoharp, bass harmonica, electric and Stroh violin, nickelharpa, organ, percussion guitar, pump organ. Micheal Iago Mellender; Accordion, euphorium, guitars, toy piano, trumpet, and according to wikipedia - Lever-action lever, Electric Pancreas, Triangularium, Valhalla, Vatican and Wheel.
All of which are either custom creations, jokes or instruments that have bypassed my knowledge. And Dan Rathburn; creator of the “Slegehammer- dulcimer” - a 7 foot tall striking idiosyncratic instrument that uses piano strings and is played with two sticks (which had me bamboozled until looking it up afterwards), vocals, autoharp, bass guitar, lute, recorder, trombone, tuba and ( fuck knows what these refer to) the pedal-action wiggler, roach, “thing” and of cause, someone at some point played a “Bowed spatula”.
Amongst the art-metal are old Hitchcock like soundscapes, off kilter theatrics expressionistic in both sound and flowing performance and comic deliveries between songs by the front man who strikes me as Devin Townsend if he was a mythical demonic Japanese deity.
As Devin so jokingly refers to himself as “lower mid-tier prog-metal” as a self depreciating humorous term. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum are an upper-tire musical equivalent to ( and I’m just going to use my notes here as I’m struggling to make a comparison) “insert really good art-house movie here.”
And it doesn’t help shake that comparison when ( from the crowd at least) the bassist resembles David lynch with his wild white hair. Without trying to sound too pretentious this is the sound track and visuals of the nightmares of those who wish to follow commercial trends.
Musicality goes without saying. So special mentions go out to the moments of synchronicity, including synchronised percussion and amazing articulated and instrumental harmonies. Each of them has their own voice and plays off of each other perfectly.
Vocally the front man reminds me quite a bit of Townsend, but at times has a tribalness to his voice and bizarrely on one occasion crossed into the groove rap-esque stylings of bands such as Coal Chamber. Carla Kihlstedt hits haunting notes and performs in a way that I haven't experienced since first hearing the experimental band IGORRR .
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum are true to the word “experimental”. A highlight and great discovery for myself and I’d imagine many others. If not writing I would have been entranced, and the amount I wanted to capture for reference almost made me forget about battery preservation. It was also nice to see them stand up and unapologetically and confidently address and speak out about the atrocities going on in the world right now at the end of their set. Which I massively respect.
A hard recommendation as they are definitely not for everyone, I think any musician and fans of music owe it to themselves to give this band a go.
Ben - Waldo's Gift (7) are listed as a dynamic fusion of math rock, post-rock, electronic and modern jazz. As a sucker for impressive guitar licks, I’m here to cleanse the pallet with some “virtuoso” shred work. The band portray the energy of stumbling drunks (in a good way) which is an interesting polarity to their clear and precise playing.
Of course we’re back in for some heavy use of dissonance, great drumming and a lovely traditional “guitar hero” lead tone that I’ve been looking forward to. However, with clever use of looping pedals and creative unique glitchy patterns using a Hologram Electronics Microcos (which can and is used to basically play back what you’ve just played into it at double speed) I’m equally disappointed as I am impressed.
Although clearly a tremendous player, looping riffs back at us at twice the played speed while he kneels down tweaking the pedal boards isn’t exactly exciting to watch. With the guitarist seeming to spend almost half the gig crouched over tweaking knobs like a DJ without a table, the visual and edited sounds unfortunately override the creativity leaving me feeling a little cheated. Also the licks are more shreddy than jazzy, but who cares! Guitar whinge out of the way, let's get to it! The front man is a great spokesman and tells an intimate story about the forming of the group.
And an improvised piece, or “gift” if you will, is a phenomenal display of talent and shows great connection and comfort amongst the members of the band. More lush desolate melodies , synchronisation and smart syncopation amongst riffs, the band clearly pay close attention to their sounds and sometimes create moments of sheer beauty. It wasn’t the jazz I was looking for, but I’m happy to be surprised and catch something new.
With it not just being a festival gig but pretty much a home gig for them too, both band and crowd are full of energy. The Drum n’ Bass song was a nice touch too! Especially for those who somehow may have stumbled here from Boomtown. Worth checking out for something different, especially if you’re a gear nerd.
Maria - Rollo Tomassi (8) opened the set as atmospherically and kick ass as ever, as we were led though a beautifully arranged set, filled with Eva Spence’s tonally beautiful vocals which were at times very delicate and sensitive before packing regular power punches; that served a myriad of delights to the ear and a very enthusiastic crowd. The bond between the band and audience is reinforced by the humble respect and gratitude they pay to their fans between songs; both a moving and soul affirming appreciation that is in every way mutual.
One of the best things about Tomassi for me is that they are consistent and solid as they deliver an energy packed and sonically dynamic performance. With a sound rooted in traditional, goth, metal, horror, they breathe a fresh energy into their expert blend of these genres. Their energy and talent are undeniable as is their presence and resilience. Rather than stand with my pen and pad in hand; I ended up putting them away and just allowing the immersive sounds to carry me though a very enjoyable ride indeed. Go add them to your playlist!
A big juicy behemoth of a surprise was discovering the music of Ahab (10). Their deliciously evil sounding, Sabbath-esqe, sludgy, visceral, chonky, doom-beef captivated my full attention for their entire set. It felt almost ritualistic at points and I genuinely thought this is the perfect soundtrack to summon demons or have Christmas dinner with the family to.
This band were so dynamic and multi-layered, sensitive yet brutal, they built a phantasmagoric atmosphere at points before shattering it with demonic girth. I could see many a stink face in the audience as they weaved track after track into one another, really establishing the sense of space and ellipsis that moves me through many melancholic emotions but conclusively left me wanting more!
This felt very immersive and the vocal performance was so natural sounding that I actually had goosebumps as he moved fluently between throat and guttural growls, appeasing very much my younger goth self, Daniel Droste’s vocal artistry reminded me at times of the late Pete Steele. Thank you Ahab, it was emotional. Absolutely out of this world.
Maria - Well then…
Where the hell does one start with this one?
Fuck me. Here we go…
It is a known and well accepted trope that some forms of art are indeed confrontational and divisive. And these are my favourite types. The discussions and debates that took place on the various ArcTanGent forms following this performance display that Clown Core (10) are intentional in every way down to every meticulous detail and they get just the reaction that they want.
For example; We found it beautifully amusing that they bought one t-shirt in each size to the merch tent. To quote the vendor “They sold out in seconds at 60 quid each’’ The joke is on us. And it seems the irony is not wasted.
After entering the stage both masked members stood completely motionless for about 4 minutes staring at the audience as if they were observing their social experiment that we were about to become unknowingly privy to well after they had left the stage.
Well played Clown Core, well played…
The excitement and tension built an electric atmosphere, I knew that they had quite the ‘’treat’’ in store…and indeed they dealt the surprisingly naïve crowd a gigantic punch to the throat.
Clown Core for me, hold up a mirror and drill forth a cynical and playful, meta, piss-take around the grotesque nature of capitalism and consumption. In all honesty I could write essay upon essay whist giving myself fellatio in regards to the layers I read in their set…but I’m not that much of a twat and I’m sure, dear reader that you could use the time more wisely by going for a wank rather than read me drivelling on and on about what for me; was an utterly psychotic genius moment in time.
Musically these are two of the finest musicians that I’ve ever heard and sadly I don’t believe that everyone was really listening with more than their eyes…
Which brings me to the unavoidable subject of the visuals.
Along with some very humorous moments (such as reaction videos to their videos, taken from YouTube) the pop up visual screen behind them (also notably, between intermissions of calm and beauty, displayed some very brutal, at times violent and graphic images that caused a very polarising experience for all that attended.
Once again art is subjective but for me I think the images (that were AI generated and extreme) were edited to have this effect on people and not for the sake of ‘’shock value’’ but to confront the audience with the atrocities of human nature which drives capitalism which in turn consumes the consumer.
For me this was blatant and so well put together but disappointingly people could not see beyond the pornographic images and I really think a lot of people missed the point. And yes, I’m aware that this review can come across as arrogant but I’m the reviewer and if you would like to have your say then Musipedia Of Metal are always looking for new contributors…See you at the staff Christmas party.
They finished their set early with the message on the screen that read “Thanks for your money” then “ Now Please Leave” which is only the beginning of the anthropological study which unfolded, right into their hands.
I’ll leave you to make up your own mind about the rest.
Maria - By the time TesseracT (9) take the stage, the sun has cooked the festival into a ghost town. Four days deep, and only the diehards remain—dazed, sunburnt, half-feral. Perfect conditions for a sonic exorcism.
The screen behind them isn’t a screen anymore—it’s a hole torn in the side of some dying starship, revealing the cold gleam of deep space. The band looks like they’ve time-jumped in from a sci-fi fever dream. And the sound? Weaponized precision. Concealing Fate, Part 1, The Grey, Natural Disaster—all hit like neural implants firing off in sync, brutal and meticulous.
King and Tourniquet shift the tone, pumping raw human ache into the circuitry. Then Concealing Fate, Part 2 bleeds into Juno, a galactic gut-punch that feels like twenty years of craft exploding into one perfect moment.
The encore, War Of Being, is pure chaos wrapped in control—like a hardcore black hole. And just before they vanish back into the void, Daniel Tompkins drops the bomb: new music is coming. The crowd twitches. Eyes widen. You can feel it—this band isn’t anywhere near done. They're still charting new constellations in the soundscape, and we’re lucky just to witness the launch.
Ben - For me, very much like last time: Everyone I asked whilst here once again said that ArcTanGent was their favourite UK festival, be it to play in or to watch bands and for the second time round, this feeling has only grown for me. Still the place to discover new music, and the amount of skill and creativity on display is inspiring. Seamlessly/ meticulously planned and organised. Each band starts their sets to the minute once more. And the staff, crew and punters were all so relaxed, friendly, considerate and just enjoying themselves. Here's to the great vibes
Thanks again ArcTanGent!
And see you next year!
Maria - THE best festival in the UK by far. A safe space. Not just a beautifully curated line-up; the festival crowd are treated with utmost respect with plenty of well kept facilities which lead to short queues and very happy punters all around, creating a very relaxing, inclusive, diverse and euphoric, community based vibe. I would be very comfortable attending as a lone woman anytime. Sustainable, inclusive and just perfect. Everything about ATG is pure class Thank you organisers and onsite teams, security, medics; you all did an incredible job. Also, Bunnie Chow, Banging Burritos and Happy Bangers were excellent quality and value for money. See you next year!
