Another dawn breaks. The compounding festival hangovers are starting to take their toll inside tents like personal saunas. One more day to go, and what a day it is. Carpe Diem. Coffee ingested and life choices questioned, I make it to the PX3 stage as the “2 Promoters, 1 Pod” live podcast wraps up their special live edition of the show. Honestly I had every intention of making it to this as I’m an avid listener, however the previous night’s escapades have taken their toll. My head banging and sunglasses working overtime, I feel like Gav in particular would understand my plight. Indifferent Engine are the band on stage directly following them. I spoke to them at length, they’re a unique spin on post-hardcore, decidedly taking their own path both in presentation, influence and execution. Possibly two old-school dozen CRT screens dot the stage, flickering ambiently. The band has a clear nod to At the Drive-In and other early 2000s bands of that ilk, but organic swirling passages, analogue tape delays, and a violently impassioned frontman propose a different agenda. Adam Paul is all over the stage, confronting band mates and shredding preconceptions with an incredibly visceral performance. [LMC]
Wren are about as bleak as it gets at the best of times, but inside my head this morning they are painting an even more desolate portrait. Champions of the UK underground, the claustrophobic sludge metal is dripping with grim menace and captivating in its churn and punishing nature. This is music suited more to dimly lit, smoke-filled sweatboxes, but still delivers a hammer blow of crushing relentless sludge despite the sun blazing in through the tent flaps of the Bixler stage. Punishingly captivating. [LMC]
The onslaught continues with Rotherham juggernaut Swamp Coffin taking to the PX3 stage. I’m a fan of their album Drowning Glory and the band have been making strides thanks to their tireless work ethic as well as top shelf death-metal influenced sludge riffs. Crowbar meets Iron Monkey. Controlled, abrasive heaviness. Their declaration to attempt the world’s slowest wall of death has been making the rounds. A legion of broken festival goers oblige. The breakdowns crush and rebuild in fine form, everything performed wearing lead boots and trudging through a quagmire. [LMC]
In need of a pick me up, it’s time for Burner to set the PX3 alight. Let’s go! There’s a bang from the PA as the band begin. False start? Some black-shirted crew spring into action. Turn it off and on again? There we go. It doesn’t phase the band at all as they tear into cuts from 2023’s incredible Church Road release It All Returns to Nothing as well as a pair of tantalising new singles. Having shared bigger stages with the likes of Employed to Serve and Sylosis in the last year, the death-metal hardcore crossover unit have honed their riffs and tightened every loose bolt. The pits start moving. “You like blastbeats?” mouths charismatic singer Harry Nott. The throng affirms. People are throwing down and opening up, shaking off accrued hangovers. The breakneck precision of the performance enhances the well-crafted song structures. Melodic, dissonant passages work to build tension between each furious buildup and crushing breakdown. I love Burner. You can never tell, but their next release could send them stratospheric. [LMC]
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Scottish post-metal quintet Dvne take to the packed Yohkai stage to thunderous applause. Their Mastodon-esque progressive riffery is overflowing with ideas as each new layer unfolds on top of another, often working back on itself before lunging forward to another deafening crescendo. The band sounds huge, tracks from last year’s exceptional album Voidkind showcasing the band’s continued development in both structure and creativity. The heavy parts are devastating and the melodic sections thoughtful and crafted, at times ethereal but most of the time just absolutely massive. The band continue their rise in the genre and these big festival stages are not only becoming a feature, they are becoming where the band truly shines. [LMC]
Rolo Tomassi mark their 20th anniversary with a show on the MainStage at ArcTanGent and there is no more fitting place. Their unique spin on mathcore has continued to evolve over the years, and the band is as vibrant and innovative as ever and don’t show any signs of slowing down. The glitchy twitch of old has refined over time, but playing tracks from across their catalogue the band don’t falter to engage with the huge crowd. The additional string section adds boundless body to the already huge sound they produce. I wonder if the cellist is into this schizophrenic noisecore 9/8 section as much as everyone else? There are moments of profound beauty amongst the intensity, vocalist Eva Korman is flawless in delivery. Vocals soaring and laced with malice. Tracks from masterpiece Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It are personal favourites but the setlist is overflowing with gems polished to a hypnotic shine. The band will continue to evolve I’m sure, but this milestone shows both how far they’ve come and that there’s no limit to their creativity and vision. [LMC]
The reforming of Adebisi Shank for the festival was an exciting prospect for many in attendance. The Irish instrumental three-piece were once darlings of the UK math-rock scene that epitomised ArcTanGent so much. Their danceable harmonised guitar leads and sharp pulsating groove has not dulled in their absence and the Yohkai tent is bouncing in the afternoon sun. Along with the release of their first new music since 2007, the band’s recent shows mark their rise from the ashes and it is intriguing to see how they build. The reception suggests they are a sight for sore eyes. [LMC]
Clown Core is the unique and chaotic university project of Louis Cole and Sam Gendel, which gained enough of a following online that they decided to take it seriously… ok, not seriously, but at least perform it live. I don’t think anyone was quite prepared for Clown Core, whether you were familiar with their antics or not, this show was intense. I almost feel sorry for any confused, exceedingly drunk people who wandered into the visuals they provided. Their set was raw technical terror, overshadowed only by the need to balance it with utter absurdity. Each song was accompanied by the most intense and ridiculous use of AI I’ve ever seen. Then a section in which they showed some online personalities reacting to their music videos, followed by a hilariously drawn-out link to the band’s PayPal account, while ending the show with text behind them saying “Thank you for your money. Please leave.” I was looking forward to their set all weekend, and when I’d become so absorbed in other more “serious” bands, I had actually almost forgotten about them playing altogether. Being reminded put a huge smile on my face and that smile only continued to grow exponentially during their playing. I was very happy to finally be seeing Louis Cole, one half of Clown Core’s duo who I’ve been a fan of for many years, who is also the drummer from KNOWER and who has his own solo stuff, which is gorgeous by the way (and a lot less intense). This was a massive treat and his signature tight, breaky style shone through and held the attention of everyone there, while Gendel audibly assaults them and busts out blistering non-stop sax. They decided to have a playful jab at all the metal heads in the crowd and played a disgustingly heavy riff for what seemed like forever. When it got to the 12th bar, it was clear that this wasn’t going to end anytime soon and honestly, I was all for it, enjoying the utter silliness and the most fun performance of the festival that had people talking and laughing about it long after. [ST]
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The crowds have definitely thinned for the final band of the festival as TesseracT take to the MainStage on Sunday evening. End-of-festival fatigue has kicked in for some. Tired legs and aching backs abound. Nevertheless, their spectacular sci-fi influenced stage show definitely pulls out all the stops in terms of production. The band are flawless in both poise and delivery. Singer Daniel Tompkins teases that new material from the slick progressive metallers is in the pipeline and those fanatical about the band are elated with the news. Their professionalism is undeniable, their tracks and stage show magnificently crafted. This is a well-oiled machine that has many, many miles left on the clock. [LMC]
The Elephant in the Bar Room stage was cut this year due to price hikes in every area of running a festival in 2025. James Scarlett broke down the reasoning behind this in a podcast earlier in the year and it’s for good reason. This being the best decision to make for the long-term success and smooth, efficient running of the festival, with full intent on the stage making a reappearance in the future. Although the total number of bands compared to the previous year had been cut down by 18 due to booking costs also rising about 20–50%, the actual band budget had risen £92,000 from the previous year, and you can really see that in the absolutely stacked lineup offered this year. Neither of these informed cutbacks impaired the sheer awesome scale and feel of the festival at all. I feel, sometimes, when a festival does it right and really hits the nail on the head with the kind of vibe they’re going for, that alone can carry it forward with so much momentum, coupled with the passion and care put into the structuring around it, and the effort put into creating not just a well-catered space, but an absolutely stunning lineup that makes your teenage self weep with joy at the very thought. You’re doing it right, so kudos to them for working smart, and making it work. [ST]
ArcTanGent is a special place. A yearly pilgrimage for so many, a cross-section of deeply passionate music fans that have all found a collective home. Every niche welcome in the pursuit of sonic exploration and discovery. Everyone looking for a good time. As it has grown over the years it has continued to evolve as a festival but is still true to its roots while expanding its own horizons. What makes an ATG band? Hard to pinpoint. Outside-the-box thinking will always be welcomed. If you’re damn good and have something to say? You’re in! No one else quite like you? Absolutely. The bookings are done by a singular life-long music nerd and you can tell. Exciting, progressive, challenging and at the forefront of the UK’s REAL alternative music scene. This is the best festival in the country. [LMC]
Words by Linz Conway [LMC] and Sam Taylor [ST]
Header image by SnapRockAndPop
