FESTIVAL REVIEW: ArcTanGent 2019 – Saturday

We won’t lie to you, we were bummed out when we realised ArcTanGent was close to finishing. The weekend has already housed some of the finest performances of the year, and the Saturday truly was no different, but it was still sad to say bye to this soaking wasteland. However, as sad as it was, MESHUGGAH still had their set to play, so check out what we thought of the utterly stacked final say at ArcTanGent!

PUPPY – PX3 Stage

Something feels a tad off about PUPPY today. There doesn’t seem to be the same level of vigour as there usually is with their grunge-goes-metal performances. They sound good, but this is a given for the three piece, who have built their reputation on crunchy riffs and 90’s song writing, but there instead just lingers a general feeling of the band going through the motions. Being comfortable on stage is definitely a bonus, but PUPPY take this to a next stage, and whilst the laid-back attitude is perfect for an afternoon set, it doesn’t have what it takes to really stick in the mind given the calibre of performance this weekend already. As Ric Flair chants fill the tent before the culminating song, PUPPY do happily get a chance to flex their heavy muscle and send everyone home happy, even as the faint echo of “WOO” can still be heard.

Rating: 6/10

THE CONTORTIONIST – Yohkai Stage

Coming off the back of PUPPY, its performances like this one that remind you just why ArcTanGent is so special. THE CONTORTIONIST make their debut to the festival and do so with grace and poise, delivering an emotive set of progressive djent goodness. The group are tight, and use dynamics better than any other band on the line up. As their drummer gently builds towards the choruses, the guitars leap from melodic lead lines to mighty, thick chugs. Everything lands with pinpoint precision, and the transitions are impeccable, with every song bleeding into the next thanks to the humble and vulnerable mic work done by the vocalist. This is a stand out set from the weekend, and it is courtesy of six musicians all so clearly in love with their craft, and it reflects in their performance and open musical joy that comes across when you watch moments like the guitarist go mental on his upper strings whilst staring down the neck of his guitar like a telescope into the audience. THE CONTORTIONIST definitely delivered the set of the day here, and may have even stolen the weekend.

Rating: 9/10

AND SO I WATCHED YOU FROM AFAR – Arc Stage

By now AND SO I WATCHED YOU FROM AFAR are essentially the house band when it comes to ArcTanGent, and this year the band are also celebrating 10 years. In honour of this, the group are the secret special guests this year, and are playing nothing but the best cuts from their self-titled opus. The immediate thing to note is just how beloved this group have become as this festival. The crowd reaction is immense, and the band play off the energy so well. Making full use of the stage, every member uses their space to dance and stomp about, and it adds so much more energy into an already brimming set. The mix sounds massive, like absolute ginormous, and the Arc Stage is filled with bassy, progressive riffs that are lapped up by the crowd. It’s easy to fall in love with AND SO I WATCHED YOU… when you see them live, and if this is indication for what the next 10 years are going to be like, then count us firmly on board.

Rating: 8/10

CAR BOMB – Bixler Stage

Despite being a group for sometime now, CAR BOMB seemingly sprang up out of nowhere, and are now beginning to establish themselves as rhythmic death metal masters. Being on the same day as MESHUGGAH, there are obvious connections being made. The odd timings, the deep percussive elements and the general structure of songs bares the Swedish mark, but CAR BOMB are able to lay out some of the most technically sound and downright weird music of the weekend. The noises erupting from the lead guitarist when he isn’t slamming on the low string will make you double take, and it’s moments of originality like that make CAR BOMB stand out. The finest moments are when the newer material comes out to play, wielding deep grooves that really highlight how good the band are musically. On stage, it is the intensity of their music that carries the band through, as they are one of the more static bands to play today. It’s fair to say that when not having to compete or warm up for other bands CAR BOMB can really make their presences felt, but they are sandwiched between so many amazing acts, it spotlights where the band fall short more than it should.

Rating: 7/10

CULT OF LUNA – Arc Stage

Fucking incredible. Those are the only words left when CULT OF LUNA end their epic Arc Stage set. With a light show that washes them in white for the majority of their set, the whole performance comes together for an hour of crushingly heavy and brilliantly progressive metal. For every member of the seven strong unit, the sound is spot on. Both drummers find ample room the mix, and the trio guitar assault is balanced expertly, allowing for the massive riffs to crush and for the more atmospheric moments to truly soar over the fully invested crowd. This set does feel a cut above everything else, and it feels grand in scale. This is one of the festival moments where everything comes together to allow a truly stunning set of music to be performed. With a minor issue that causes the vocalist to be somewhat distracted, there isn’t anything preventing CULT OF LUNA from reaching the lofty heights they do, and it culminates by going nearly 10 minutes over their set time, but no one cares, cause CULT OF LUNA could well have closed the festival themselves.

Rating: 9/10

EMPLOYED TO SERVE – Bixler Stage

There is a lot of excitement surrounding EMPLOYED TO SERVE, and it’s been clear just how excited this crowd are for them given the amount of merchandise punters have been wearing all weekend. The crowd reacts immediately to the aggressive unit, as the pit swells in seconds, and even when the band ask for more, the crowd answer with glee. There is a sense of orchestrated chaos though as all the band members face away from the crowd whilst the guitarist crowd surfs, as well as the set list bring made up almost entirely of their most recent record. If you’ll excuse the pun, but it does feel like this performance is an opportunity for the band to force feed their new works to the ArcTanGent audience, saving two cuts from their The Warmth Of A Dying Sun album until the end and bypassing their debut entirely. With such a fine opportunity for this young band to show just why they are in the position they are, this instead feels like an advert for the new album at times, and with songs like Harsh Truth starting to seem like weaker cuts, some variety would’ve helped this set a lot. Even with all this, one cannot deny the intensity and quality of the EMPLOYED TO SERVE live show, and they have continued to prove themselves as a deeply exciting new prospect.

Rating: 7/10

MESHUGGAH – Arc Stage

If you haven’t seen MESHUGGAH live before, there is a tangible sense of excitement when you take your place in front of the stage. Even if everyone at ArcTanGent hadn’t heard music by the group, their reputation precedes them, and their legend is one all music fans enjoy hearing. And then the band start playing, kicking into Pravus with immense intent to tell the entire southwest that they have arrived. Immediately the light show synchronises with the mind-melting percussion and interwoven time signatures, giving a visual indication of the musical wizardry being performed on stage. The sheer, unadulterated power that comes from MESHUGGAH cannot go understated, as every colossal beat isn’t just heard, but felt as well. The set powers on like a locomotive and is about as heavy as one as well, but there does remain a couple of dastardly technical issues that give the set a couple of unexpected stop gaps. These gaps serve as breathers, and the fact that the band still maintain their attitude and presence on stage even in the face of silence is astonishing. The set picks up immediately where it left of, and tracks like Lethargica all hulk so massively that it keeps the entire crowd glued to the stage. By the time the closing Bleed and Demiugre descend, there is no doubting that is the greatest headline set ArcTanGent is likely to see for quite a while, and it remains an absolute coup for a festival as young as this. MESHUGGAH absolutely decimated. There really isn’t much else to say about the matter.

Rating: 9/10

And so, our coverage of this year’s ArcTanGent has come to a close. We’re big fans of ArcTanGent here at Distorted Sound and the festival is certainly a hidden gem on the UK circuit, we’re already counting down the day’s until next year’s festival!