FESTIVAL REVIEW: ArcTanGent 2025

It’s that time again when fans of leftfield, progressive and downright weird heavy music descend upon Fernhill Farm in the Mendip Hills just outside Bristol for ArcTanGent. With the weather forecast looking uncharacteristically hot and sunny, and with a lineup boasting some of the finest genre bending bands the world has to offer, it promises to be a belter. 

Wednesday – August 13th

As is tradition, the Wednesday of ATG is mostly made up of bands who’ve were particularly well received in the previous years, brought back to provide a backdrop to the relaxed, pre-party atmosphere. This year the ante has been upped slightly; whereas in previous years all the action would take place on the PX3 stage, the organisers have opted to also open up the neighbouring Yokhai stage, eliminating the need for changeover gaps between bands. When one band finishes on PX3, the next one starts on Yokhai and so on, enabling fans to bounce between tents for a constant showing of live music. In another break in tradition, they’ve also booked a Wednesday headliner who’s never played ATG before and they’re opening the main stage especially for them, but we’ll get to WARDRUNA later. 

UNDERDARK – PX3

Vocalist Abi Vasquez enters the stage beveiled in a white wedding dress, her band members behind her in all black, a visual symbol of the harsh contrasts that UNDERDARK deal in. Their set, which pulls mostly from their beautifully uncompromising album Managed Decline, veers from rasping black metal to soaring, emotionally wrought melody. It’s as vicious as it is vulnerable and is utterly enthralling throughout. 

Rating: 7/10

YEAR OF NO LIGHT – Yokhai 

French experimental post-metal sextet YEAR OF NO LIGHT are firm favourites with the ArcTanGent audience, as is apparent by the fact they’ve pulled the biggest crowd of the day so far in the Yokhai tent. Their lofty and sprawling compositions Persephone I & II are delivered with punishing intensity, with two drummers providing a thunderous backbone. 

Rating: 8/10

COLOSSAL SQUID – PX3

Drummer extraordinaire, Adam Betts is no stranger to a festival stage, having lent his rhythmic prowess to the likes of SQUAREPUSHER, THREE TRAPPED TIGERS, GOLDIE and PULP, but today he’s up there alone with just a drum kit and a sample pad, as his solo act COLOSSAL SQUID. His blistering display of virtuosity proves why he is so in demand. The musicality of the triggered backing tracks and the groove with which he plays makes this an event worth revelling in, as he seamlessly blends urban sounds with avante garde jazz, making jaws drop and booties shake in equal measure. 

Rating: 8/10

SLIFT – Yokhai 

According to ArcTanGent booker, James Scarlett, one of the main reasons he booked French psych-rockers SLIFT to return to the festival was because he ended up missing their set in 2024. Thank the lord he did, because their set this time round is once again a mind-blowing display of power, prowess and brain-scrambling visuals. After opening with crowd favourite Ummon, the rest of the set is made up of mostly as yet unreleased new material, which is a bold move but it’s played with such aplomb that it’s hard not to get sucked into the vortex that SLIFT create. The three-piece are silhouetted against a backdrop of kaleidoscopic patterns as they lay down a constant barrage of rumbling bass and drums, with virtuous lead lines weaving through the din, with fever pitch being reached when they drop the psych-rock banger Ilion. 

Rating: 8/10

WARDRUNA – Main Stage

While Nordic trad-folk might not provide the party atmosphere you’d expect from a Wednesday night headline set, the sound, staging and production from WARDRUNA are so well put together that it’s still a spectacle to behold. The sound mix is impeccable and stage is dressed in a way it that looks like the ragged rocks of the Norwegian fjords. 

Otherworldly vocal harmonies are underpinned by antique stringed instruments and hypnotic percussion, and when they pull out the giant Viking horn it rivals the heaviest of dub step acts for gut-rumbling bass, despite looking slightly more silly. But despite the undeniable quality of an act like this, WARDRUNA clearly aren’t for everyone. While there are a good portion of the crowd transfixed on what’s unfolding before their eyes and ears, you do get a sense that many in the tent are just popping in to have a look before wandering off to hit the bars and collect their silent disco headsets so they can carry on the party for real. It begs the question whether the money spent on this set could have been used to book someone more in keeping with the opening night ethos. 

Rating: 6/10

 

Thursday – August 14th

CODESPEAKER – PX3 

Opening the PX3 are Scottish bruisers CODESPEAKER. Their muscular post-metal is enough to blow the cobwebs off for those who went hard last night, and set the tone for the early arrivals. Vocalist Greg Armstring cuts an imposing, almost intimidating figure, prowling the stage as the band churn out menacing riffs that hit like a glass bottle to the skull.

Rating: 8/10 

THE GREY – Bixler 

Immediately after on Bixler, Oxford’s THE GREY provide the perfect pairing with CODESPEAKER, their riff-forward post-metal being very much in the same vein. Their onslaught of punishing riffs interspersed with moments of melodic beauty, and CHVRCH is dedicated to anyone who is struggling or watching someone struggle in a heartfelt monologue from bass player Andy Price. It’s still a wonder how they landed WILL HAVEN‘s Grady Avenell, but his vocals perfectly compliment the colossal grooves of Sharpen the Knife. They even drop a cover of WILL HAVEN classic Carpe Diem, which levels the place, followed swiftly by Jaworski. It’s not even lunchtime and these two UK underground up and comers have set the bar incredibly high.

Rating: 9/10

AS LIVING ARROWS – PX3

The Brighton five piece provide a set of emotionally charged post-hardcore bangers. There’s gorgeous interplay between the three guitarists, the melodies chiming like bells over a throbbing rhythm section. And when AS LIVING ARROWS dig into the chugging riffs of Sun King or the frantic, blastbeat energy The Tower, during which vocalist Thomas Wagstaff gets into the pit, it’s an impressive combination of raw emotion and tight musicianship. 

Rating: 7/10 

WE LOST THE SEA – Main Stage 

While much of the buzz this weekend might be around Australian post-rock legends WE LOST THE SEA doing their breakthrough album, Departure Songs in full, it’s their first set this weekend that sees them lob their tackle out and lay it on the table. For their main stage debut they showcase their incredible new album, A Single Flower, it’s artwork adorning the big screen behind them, with A Beautiful Collapse from 2019’s Triumph & Disaster thrown in for good measure. Their thoughtfully composed and high energy post-rock is more than suited to this main stage and the sound is mixed absolutely perfectly. From the opening of If They Had Hearts, it’s cacophony of roaring guitars, the drums thudding through with serious heft. 

With half an hour left in the set, guitarist and frontman of sorts Mark Owen holds up a finger to signal “one song left”, it can only mean one thing: They’re about to embark on A Single Flower’s epic 27 minute long closing track Blood Will Have Blood. What follows is a winding journey through soft introspection to galloping, soaring majesty and back again and it is simply a wonder to behold. This is a band firing on every cylinder they possess. The riffs keep coming, the song keeps building, ebbing and flowing, washing over the crowd like waves crashing on the shore, leaving everyone in attendance drenched.

Rating: 10/10

LOWEN – Yokhai

The scope, songcraft, and creativity of LOWEN’s genre-defying album Do Not Go To War With The Demons Of Mazandaran earned the band much critical acclaim – in fact Distorted Sound’s own staff voted it the third best album of 2024 behind only BLOOD INCANTATION and KNOCKED LOOSE. And as they prove this afternoon, they also have the chops in the live setting. Nina Seidi commands the stage like a high priestess, her soaring, otherworldly vocals dominating while guitarist Shem Lucas delivers riff after hair-spinning riff, and guest cellist Arianna Mahsayeh weaves haunting eastern melodies through their punishing sonic tapestries. Although a slightly muddy mix does hinder them ever so slightly, the intensity of their collective performance still shines through.

Rating: 8/10

MERYL STREEK – PX3

“These songs are real and they’re about real fucken people,” declares David Anthony Mulvany, aka MERYL STREEK as he launches into his set. He bounds from side to side of the stage in such a lightfooted manner that at times you’d be convinced he’s floating on air. His vehement diatribes are delivered with pure punk rock energy and rage, although a touch of slap-back delay on his vocals means that his message doesn’t quite cut through as clearly as it could. His backing tracks are given a new lease of life with the addition of a live drummer, with deep electro grooves complimenting the punk rock madness. His anger and confrontation is aimed at the higher powers but when it comes to the crowd they’re on his side. They scream when he says scream, clap when he says clap and fuck up when he says “fuck up!”

Rating: 7/10

MELVINS – Main Stage 

As tea-time approaches, if riffs is what you crave then MELVINS have a veritable smorgasbord of them. Longtime sticksman Dale Crover is joined by Coady Willis and the pair of percussionists provide a thunderous backbeat, set against a giant backdrop Endora from 1960s sitcom Bewitched. Bassist Steven McDonald prowls the stage clad in white Elvis suit while King Buzz, clad in wizard’s robes, digs deep into their extensive back catalogue, Strangely there’s nothing in the set from this year’s Thunderball album, but it’s a masterclass in stoner-grunge-metal-weirdness nonetheless. Granted it may not the best the main stage has sounded this weekend but hell, it’s still the MELVINS. A History Of Bad Men is a particularly delicious highlight of this riff-packed feast, and the three song finale of Hag Me into Honey Bucket into Revolve gives the crowd plenty to chew on. 

Rating: 8/10

TAYNE – PX3 

When the clashfinder was released there were some who questioned why relative newcomers TAYNE were given a slot so late in the day, but it turns out to be an inspired choice. Their honking disco beats and industrial stomp are the perfect dancefloor fodder for when the sun is setting and the white russians have really started to kick in. Tracks from this year’s critically acclaimed album Love, such as Erased, Down and In This Trend are packed full of irresistible grooves, and the three piece relish the occasion of getting the crowd moving to their NIN-inspired thumpers. 

Rating: 7/10

ARAB STRAP – Yokhai

Even on a lineup as eclectic as ArcTanGent, Scottish art-pop stalwarts ARAB STRAP stick out like a sore thumb, but the healthy crowd they pull into Yokhai just shows how open-minded the ATG crowd is, and that there really is no such thing as a “typical ArcTanGent band.” Their combination of lo-fi indie, throbbing electro beats and spoken word poetry has the crowd entranced from the get-go. Adrian Moffat’s lyrics, delivered in his trademark Caledonian drawl, drip with sarcasm, dark humour and occasional yearning. Although the band formed in the mid-90s much of the set is pulled from this year’s brilliantly titled i’m totally fine with it i don’t give a fuck anymore, and its 2021 predecessor As Days Get Dark with tracks like Sociometer Blues, The Turning Of Our Bones and Fable Of The Urban Fox going down particularly well, but the lone older cut, Girls Of Summer sounds particularly gorgeous this evening. It’s a set that is sure to get James Scarlett thinking about what other sore thumbs to book in future editions of the festival. 

Rating: 9/10

GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR – Main Stage 

As one of the big hitters in the post-rock genre it’s no surprise the main stage is packed with anticipant fans eager to experience the wall of sound that the Canadian legends GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR are renowned for producing. 

They make the most of their extra long set, starting as they usually do with Hope Drone, an improvisational piece that builds from nothing into a cacophony of harmony and from there on in they take their time with each composition, building lofty peaks and abyssal troughs. There are eight of them on stage, with a few of the guitarist seated, giving the set the vibe of a glorious jam session. Violins interweave between the chest rumbling bass lines, while sepia imagery of industrial landscapes is juxtaposed against the shimming soundscapes. Much of the set is taken from last year’s NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 28,340 DEAD, the title of which makes reference to the number of Palestinians killed by Gaza airstrikes. There are many bands over the weekend who make statements about the conflict to cheers of solidarity from the audience, but it goes to show the power of GY!BE’s music that they can make such a powerful statement without ever speaking a single word. 

There’s enough time in their lengthy set to pop over to PX3 and see BATTLESNAKE rip through some incredible party thrash, including a cover of ACDC’s Let There Be Rock, complete with the singer disrobing and riding an inflatable dinosaur round the crowd. (Rating 666/10)

And when we return, GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR  are just as resplendent, churning out their laments as grainy footage continues on the screen behind them, and when the pace picks up at the soaring crescendo of the rapturous finale BBF3, it brings in some welcome, frantic energy to their spellbinding set.

Rating: 9/10

 

Friday – August 15th 

OVERHEAD, THE ALBATROSS – Main Stage

Although they’re relative newcomers to the post-rock genre who earned the favours of 2 Promoters 1 Pod co-host Gavin McInally on the quality of their recent album I Leave You This, they’ve seized the opportunity of opening ArcTanGent’s main stage with all hands. They look so comfortable up there, and they utilise the big screen better than most of the headliners, brining with them a reel of high-end, cinematic visuals that compliment each track perfectly.  Their sound owes just as much to the likes of FAITHLESS and MOBY as it does MOGWAI or EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY, especially with the pulsating back beat of I’ve Got A Few Years Left. When closer Paul Lynch, with its crushing lyric of “When people have to go, it’s hard to say goodbye” is dedicated to Damnation and 2P1P artwork creator Brian Fitzpatrick, it’s enough to bring a good chunk of the audience to tears. It’s a set that will be talked about for a long time in ArcTanGent lore. 

Rating: 10/10

ITHACA – Main Stage 

British metalcore boundary-pushers ITHACA illicit a singalong from the crowd before they even step on stage by blasting ROBBIE WILLIAMS’ Angels as their intro music, before blasting into a savage rendition of In The Way. It’s a bittersweet occasion given that it’s their final ever show and they make the most of every second, even bringing DEVIL SOLD HIS SOUL’s Ed Gibbs up for The Future Says Thank You, and PUPIL SLICER’s Kate Davies for Cremation Party. Vocalist Djamila Azzouz admits to not feeling her best having recently recovered from surgery, but she’s still clearly having loads of fun up there for one last time. The band leaves everything on the stage for the closer, Impulse Crush causing havoc in the pit and making sure that nobody will ever forget the impact this band has made on heavy music in the UK. 

Rating: 8/10

CAR BOMB – Main Stage

Up until the moment they step on stage, it seems like everyone you talk to at ATG has CARBOMB on their must see lists, and they don’t disappoint. They deliver a pummelling, rhythmic onslaught and guitars that go from sounding like revving jet engines to blasts of laser in an apocalyptic space battle. They are unbelievably tight, rivalling MESHUGGAH for levels of inhuman precision, and by the time they blast into the phenomenal Secrets Within it’s like they’re just showing off.  

Rating: 9/10

EMMA RUTH RUNDLE – Main Stage 

Given the sheer sonic excess that’s is an ArcTanGent lineup, it’s refreshing to watch something as stripped back as EMMA RUTH RUNDLE. She’s alone on the stage with nothing more than a chair, an acoustic guitar and a selection of pedals. By this time in the afternoon the predicted heatwave is in full effect, with temperatures reaching the low 30s. People look like they’re melting in the tent but frosty folk of songs like Living With The Black Dog and Citadel, accompanied by imagery of icy blue mountain streams is the perfect way to stave off the heatstroke. Despite the size of the tent, it’s an intimate affair and between songs it’s like we’re sat in her living room and she jokingly suggest she spend the next 20 minutes telling grandma stories, even busting out the riff from the Jaws theme tune to signal “a grandma story approaching”. Perhaps this set might have been more suited to one of the smaller stages, but for those paying attention it’s a more than rewarding experience. 

Rating: 7/10

COILGUNS – Bixler 

As the hyper-engaging frontman of Swiss post-hardcore outfit COILGUNS declares, “this band is all about love and oddity”. It’s fitting they’re playing in Bixler as he shares quite the resemblance to the tent’s namesake in hair, dance moves and delivery, at least when it comes to AT THE DRIVE-IN. Despite the heat, their frantic compositions have a pleasing danceability to them and it’s hard not to move to tracks like Placeholder and Venetian Blinds, and by the time they end with the bonafide rager We Missed The Parade, the temperature in Bixler is at boiling point. 

Rating: 8/10

GREEN LUNG – Main Stage

GREENLUNG’s “Old English forest dwelling mushroom eating God bothering heavy metal” was made for the big stages. Their stage-craft is delivered with high camp but backed up with masterful song craft and deliciously hefty tone. They’re also joined by a brass trio which a touch more sass and soul to the already sassy and soulful riffs of the likes of Woodland Rites and Let The Devil In, which are fast becoming hard rock classics. As vocalist Tom Templar declares, “we don’t have any polyrhythms, time signature changes or blast beats but what we do have is riffs, choruses, solos, and deeply researched lyrics about English Folklore!”, which it would appear is exactly what the crowd at ArcTanGent are after at this moment in time. Looking around, there’s beaming grins on every face in the tent, although that could be attributed to the game of inflatable rubber ring toss being had in the first few rows. It’s also impressive that they manage to command a pit to open up for the slowest song of the set, the doomy One For Sorrow. This is a band that has been steadily on the rise over the last few years and if they keep on putting in shifts like this one, they’re on a clear path to headliner status in the years to come. 

Rating: 9/10 

WE LOST THE SEA (Performing Departure Songs In Full) – Bixler

Today has been an emotional rollercoaster already but it reaches its peak when WE LOST THE SEA return to the stage for the second time this weekend to perform their magnum opus, Departure Songs, in full. With the passings of people like Brian Fitzpatrick and Ozzy Osbourne no doubt fresh in people’s minds, alongside the many personal memories of absent friends and family members, it goes without saying that the performance of a concept album about heroes who left us too soon is going to be an emotional yet cathartic experience. The tears begin to flow in the crowd as soon as those delicate, heartwrenching notes of A Gallant Gentleman chime out and for the next 75 minutes the audience is enraptured, allowed to grieve, mourn and celebrate as the Australians deliver a masterclass in post-rock majesty, through the dark and contemplative Bogatyri, to the sorrowful Last Dive of David Shaw. 

The band and audience alike are given a few moments to gather themselves at the album’s midpoint, and they return to deliver the Challenger Part 1 – Flight and Challenger Part 2 – Swan Song in a barrage of soaring melodies and crashing chords. It’s not often you get to see one of the finest post-rock albums ever written performed in full at probably the best post-rock festival in the world, so this set is another that will no doubt go down in ArcTanGent history as one to remember. 

Rating: 10/10

KARNIVOOL – Main Stage

KARNIVOOL‘s blend of tight, proggy grooves, soaring vocals and earworm hooks is perfect fodder for ArcTanGent’s main stage headline slot and they arrive in fine voice, as do their loyal fanbase, many of whom have likely been bussed in on day tickets just for this performance. Hits like Drone and Simple Boy elicit a huge sing-alongs from the crowd, and the music from the band itself is as polished as it gets. The deep, metallic grooves of Goliath and Themata prove that KARNIVOOL can throw down riffs with the heaviest of bands on this weekend’s bill. Closer New Day unsurprisingly gets the biggest sing-along of the evening and by the end of it, even the casual listeners are converted. 

Rating: 8/10 

 

Saturday – August 16h

SUGAR HORSE – Main Stage

The day may just be beginning, but SUGAR HORSE’s doom-infused post-metal sounds like the world ending. Office Job Simulator has no business sounding this heavy this early on the day, although there are moments of respite in Shouting Judas At Bob Dylan, when Ash Tubbs’ vocals drop to almost a whisper. This makes the screams hit all the more harder, especially accomopied as they are with walls of screaming feedback and gut churning bass, and guitars that sound like what you’d imagine the final screams of a mastodon would have made as it sinks into tar. The final moments of looping feedback that carry on long after the band have left the stage are probably what the last sentient beings will hear as the universe collapses in on itself. 

Rating: 8/10

SWAP COFFIN – PX3 

SWAMP COFFIN’s marketing in the lead up to the festival and between song banter may be light hearted but their set of blackened doom is as serious as a car crash. Not only are their songs crushing, there’s a surprising amount of emotional weight to tracks like Chapter And Hears with its “I’m mad as hell!” sample from the movie Network. There is a genuine moment of levity as they finish their set with As Cold As Blood, which features the World’s Biggest World’s Slowest Wall Of Death, the entire tent splitting down the middle before, very slowly, charging into each other, participants and onlookers in stitches as they do so. 

Rating: 8/10

THE CALLOUS DAOBOYS – Main Stage

Fresh off the back of releasing one of the most exciting albums of 2025, Atlanta wrecking crew THE CALLOUS DAOBOYS return to Fernhill Farm to cause more havoc. Their previous appearance has become the stuff of legend due to levels of insanity and violence both on stage and in the audience, and while their step up to the main stage, replete with its huge screen showing snippets of skaters bailing, and 90s wrestlers, might not be as violent, it’s no less entertaining. There’s great stage chemistry from the self-declared “millennial math core money metal music” heroes, and in tracks like Lemon and Star Baby they’ve traded the mosh pit for the dance floor. That’s not to say they’ve softened as they’ve matured – “Make an enemy you nerds!” yells Carson Pace as they launch into the savagely batshit What Is Delicious? Who Swarms?. Always ones to surprise, they welcome HIDDEN MOTHERS own Liam Knowles to the stage for an inspired rendition of ENTER SHIKARI classic Sorry, You’re Not A Winner, which has the audience clapping along with glee. 

Rating: 9/10 

INTER ARMA – Bixler 

Richmond Virginia’s INTER ARMA bring some much welcomed mid-tempo death metal to Bixler. This is ArcTanGent so of course it’s not just going to be meat and potatoes death metal. Elements of post-metal and even jazz are weaved into the brutality. Vocalist Mike Paparo delivers his gurgling growls and pig squeals in Violet Seizures with boggle eyed intensity, while guitarists Steven Russell and Trey Dalton provide soaring solos and build crescendos. The tremolo picked passages of The Long Road Home rival any of the post-everything bands on the bill for levels of sheer majesty. And then they introduce An Archer For Emptiness with a snippet of VAN HALEN’s Hot For Teacher because why not? As savage and inventive as as their songs are, you get the feeling it would be much more impactful in the darkened rooms of Damnation rather than in a tent in the late summer evening glow of ArcTanGent.  

Rating: 6/10

ROLO TOMASSI – Main Stage 

Mathcore darlings ROLO TOMASSI are celebrating 20 years as a band and what better way to do it than with a main stage slot at ArcTanGent. They’re even greeted with a chorus of ‘happy birthday’ by the crowd before they fire into Oh, Hello Ghost. They’ve pulled out all the stops for this set, bringing a string section with them that lends a grandiose beauty to tracks like Crystal Cascades. Singer Eva Spence delivers every line with utmost passion, be it in her soaring falsetto or guttural screams. It’s a set packed with drama, which is heightened by cinematic interludes that are worked into the song transitions, and songs like The Hollow Hour and A Flood Of Light contrast between tear jerking beauty and teeth gnashing savagery. Here’s to the next 20 years of this utterly essential band. 

Rating: 9/10

CLOWN CORE – Main Stage

Having cancelled last year due to health reasons, anticipation levels are high, as the ArcTanGent faithful wait to see exactly what the viral meme-turned-cultural phenomenon, CLOWN CORE has up the sleeves of their boiler suits. Chuckles ripple through the crowd as the big screen flashes up seizure warnings and parental guidance notices, little do they know just how seriously those warnings should be heeded. Eventually, the anonymous clowns are escorted onto the stage by a pair of handlers. Once in position, they stand statue still for an uncomfortable amount of time before, the images on the big screen catapult us through space, towards earth and eventually into what looks like a carpark. 

Then, all hell breaks loose and for the next 45 minutes a barrage of hellish imagery featuring AI porn, dissected human bodies, fornicating animals, portaloos and penises are flashed on screen to a musical accompaniment of dissonant jazz, thumping electro and horrendous grindcore. The audience reaction is a mix of belly laughter, chin-scratching appreciation and abject disgust, especially from those who brought children with them. At its core (no pun intended) this isn’t a gig, it’s a piece of absurdist performance art that challenges the audience, forces them to engage, and to think, which is made all the more engaging by the inhuman levels of musicianship on display from both the drummer and saxophonist. It’s uncomfortable, stomach turning and horrific but by God it’s entertaining. 

Rating: 8/10

MCLUSKY  – Bixler

“This song was grown in a lab for ATG” claims MCLUSKY frontman Falco as he introduces You Should Be Ashamed Seamus, his tongue firmly in his cheek, “It’s so slow it’ll make you think about mortality”. There’s a hilarious moment when he has to stop the song as the crowd are clapping out of time. “This stage may be named after a member of the MARS VOLTA,” he jokes, “but we like to play in time with what’s happening in relation to the instruments on stage.”  The witty banter is backed up by the road worn, high intensity performance of the band, who are sounding punchier than ever. Newer track Unpopular Parts Of A Pig sounds feral, and the ballad, She Will Only Bring You Happiness causes an absurd singalong of the lyric “Our old singer is a sex criminal”. The early 90s greebo vibes of Alan Is A Cowboy Killer has the place pogoing in gurning glee. James Scarlett may have declared recently that Falco’s other band FUTURE OF THE LEFT is the best band in the world, but with performances like this, MCLUSKY must be a close second. 

Rating: 9/10 

TESSERACT – Main Stage 

Quite the contrast to MCLUSKY‘s spit and sawdust attitude and DIY aesthetic, tesseract bring one of the best looking, polished and highly produced shows to the main stage of the entire weekend. That said, there are relatively few people here to see it; when MESHUGGAH played this stage last year, you couldn’t fit a rizla between the shoulders of the audience members, however while TESSERACT are on, you can breeze your way down to the front with ease. Those who are here, though are treated to a masterclass in modern metal. 

Vocalist Daniel Thompkins commands the stage from his ego riser like a total pro, throwing shapes that make Bruce Dickinson look like a wallflower. The rest of the band use every inch of the elaborate staging, moving around in almost choreographed fashion. The sound is impeccable and there is such a satisfying twang to the djent riffs of tracks like Natural Disaster and The Arrow. When they pull out the big riffs of Concealing Fate Part 2, and pull out all the stops for the incendiary Juno, they make it clear why they were booked to headline. Yes, there could have been other bands that may have commanded a bigger crowd, but few could put in a performance as professional and polished as this. 

Rating: 8/10 

Check out our extensive photo gallery of this year’s ArcTanGent from Sarah Tsang here: 

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