Bask in the glow of high spirits
Photos in this article are credited to Jonathan Dadds, Joe Singh, Derek Bremner, and Carl Battams, on behalf of ArcTanGent.
ArcTanGent (ATG) is the UK’s math rock summit, a post rock and metal paradise. For nerdy rock bands playing unusual music in the UK and beyond, playing ATG is a golden ticket. Even established get to bands play to their largest audiences of the year, as suddenly their niche approaches to genre fusion make them superstars for one weekend. Among the punters, the sense of disbelief around the sheer quality of the line-up, full of internet darlings and genre founders, not to mention the many smaller acts waiting to be discovered. Once you’re on-site, the feeling of togetherness within esoteric rock music is so tangible, no longer hidden by modern social media.
Some ground rules on my write up: I generally won’t be splitting hairs over sound and tech issues, as I broadly think these are useless comments. Such issues are typically not a band’s fault in a festival environment, and unless the issues were chronic, some variance should be expected. Except for one very case, the performing bands sounded great, particularly when you were standing further back. Arguably, the best sonic experience was to be found when seated casually outside their stage’s tent. One thing I will give context on will be my hour-by hour own energy levels, where relevant, as the energy you bring to a performance often pays out double to your enjoyment, and one’s energy is not an infinite well – at festivals as stacked as this, it must be carefully spent.
Wednesday
The festival began with the usual one-stage warm up day, which wass sized-up order to accommodate all the early arrivals. Getting to the Bristol hinterlands took all morning and most of my afternoon (involving some lovely chats on the train with fellow attendees), so the first act I saw was Bicurious. This is a two piece playing jubilant looper-based math rock, exploring all the angularity you can fit into a 4/4 rhythm. The wide barrier didn’t stop both members jumping into the crowd. I’d later run into Bicurious’ drummer on the subsequent days, who was as excited about the festival as any other attendee.
I quickly realised I needed a solid food and hydration break to take in any more music, but I was fully refuelled and human for Pupil Slicer’s set. Last year, they played ATG and clashed with festival closers Opeth, filling out their tent with ease – the moment that convinced so many that the Pupil Slicer are the new force in mathcore. Even though they now played the other “end” of the festival, the thronging tent produced a constant pit. Their set was increasingly new material, including one of the first plays of “Departure In Solitude”. I later caught up with Katie to discuss how the band had been doing following Blossom’s release.
Next up, Dvne brought a warm sunset with their blend of prog-doom. I haven’t kept up with their material since 2017’s Asheran, and the set was focused on material from the more recent Etemen Ænka, so it was absolutely the kick I needed to catch up. Their sound was crisp and riffy, with the harsh vocals hitting really well at the apex of each track. As darkness fell on the tent, Conjurer took the stage next with a darker interpretation of modern doom, infused of course with their very subtle blend of black and death metal. The whole band sang lines off-mic enthusiastically. They’re now a highly respected act in the UK heavy scene, able to fit onto most festival bills with the extreme depth within all their songs.
Scalping played the last conventional set of the night, but there’s no convention to what they’re doing. Shut your eyes and you would assume the stage was held by a reasonably busy DJ, pulling up samples in rote fashion. Scalping are nothing of the sort: five members including an acoustic drummer and guitarist, with the other three manning all sorts of digital synths. The set was a continuous piece of rhythmic trance, merging industrial techno with downtuned guitars and glitching human drumwork. It was particularly enchanting to spot the moments that the tempo rose, wondering how their disparate machines and human players worked to make it seem effortless. All the while, a visualiser spun images in the background like a cyborg’s bad dream: cybernetic tendrils, insects, and distorting bodies. Certainly one of the most unique bands of the event, and one that should be playing festivals of all kinds.
The night ended with Straight Girl, who joked that they had the challenge to follow “fucking Scalping” – the following night, they’d go one further, covering a missing band in the slot during Converge. I’d put that on my CV forever. Straight Girl is a one person electronic performance that takes Minecraft synths to their sensual limit, roping the audience into raunchy queer numbers. To top off the weirdness, it was a silent disco set, but it was spectacularly attended and led to a busy late night silent disco session that I didn’t leave until 1:30 am (I’m blaming the Deloused in the Comatorium channel for that).
Thursday
I started the day quietly with the Noizze podcast featuring members of Hidden Mothers and Skin Failure. I hadn’t expected to attend, but for those like me who chronically can’t sleep in, these early morning podcasts were calm, warm spirited, and insightful. Bring your camping seat for the luxe experience. ATG is not a hardcore festival, but the blossoming popularity of the genre means it can’t be ignored (not to mention that Converge were headlining later on). Grief Ritual still felt a bit out of place, but not unwelcome, particularly when the singer welcomed the audience with a friendly “come forward :)”. Their nasty hardman vocals were a gut punch, and their Nails inspired hardcore-with-blast-beats made for a good warm-up and a well attended set.
A more ‘classic’ ATG band followed: Din of Celestial Birds, with their instrumental post/math rock throwing back to the genre’s heyday of the ‘00s. Despite only releasing their first album a week beforehand, a clash with the hyped Chalk Hands, the tent was full up. They played their new record including “Downpour”, a track literally inspired by ATG’s weather. The three guitarists didn’t sound muddy even from my front row position. When the set concluded, the band were all smiles, having realised a big dream of playing their favourite festival. I later saw them navigating the various stages to see bands themselves, having a lovely time.
I caught a snippet of instrumental prog-doom band Mountain Caller. They had signed to Church Road Records only days earlier, and played a new song called “Hypergenesis”, a true epic with a big middle and an even bigger finish. They sounded approachable, cinematic, and groovy, and would have been a great act to catch if you were after something lighter. More post than doom, Burial Clouds were another Church Road band who played to a smaller audience than they deserved. The subtle songwriting across their debut record Last Days of a Dying World came over very well in a live setting, including off-mic screams from the talented Michael Malarkey. The band was disappointed to end a song early, but I think the set will remain a solid endorsement for them.
Svalbard vs Hypno5e was a tricky one, but I went with Svalbard as I know they’re a very solid live band from their Portals Festival performance earlier in the year. They didn’t have to ask for a mosh, or the usual request for audience participation to say “fuck off” during “Click Bait”. Singer/guitarist Serena Cherry was proud to call ATG the “best festival in the world”. After a bit of a jolly jostle, I needed a break, which I took in the shade of Cave In’s main stage tent. Their charming, heavier-than-average alt rock provided some good ground vibrations and a moment to recharge.
Chat Pile then played to a full tent, which was far from their only packed performance as they sold out The Dome in London twice earlier in the week. They put minimal effort into presentation, hardly muting accidental amp noise or relying on any tracks – they’re gnarly and they know it. The opener was the radicalising “Why?”, which hits a bit different when sung to an audience of campers. “Slaughterhouse” also went down a treat, though I’ll admit to being a bit lost during their less hook-y tracks.
Many had tipped Birds In Row to me as a fantastic live band. Familiar with their 2022 record, I arrived early to their barrier to savour their performance. To my surprise, they’re a three piece – the sonic density and complexity of the vocal delivery had me guessing at five members. The drummer was phenomenal, as they could have chosen much simpler drum parts again and again, but opted for complex patterns that made their post punk style so engrossing. Their light show was no afterthought, and the stage was dynamic and electric even in broad daylight. Their rendition of “Noah”/”Cathedrals” was perhaps one of the greatest musical moments at ATG 23 – when the crescendo of “Noah” returns to its proper rhythm (“you think you’ll fix it with money?”) it was utterly enchanting.
From one three piece to another, my 2022 favourites Brutus slayed, though I was disappointed to miss Elder who were playing a few tents over. Drummer/singer Stephanie Mannaerts looked incredibly cool taking up half the stage, spotlighted with a fan blowing her hair. I appreciated “Storm” as a song choice, a deeper cut from the new album, and “All Along” was added to the set due to some extra time. I only had the legs for a few more bands. Yourcodenameis:milo were doing a rare performance in their reformed state, having been an influential force in new millennium post hardcore. In that time, their vocals haven’t aged a day, and they still felt fresh, although a lot less “weird” than your average ATG band. They mentioned new recordings were in the works, and final song “All Roads To Fault” was a solid sing along.
The final act of the day for many was Converge, and I’d been saving my energy for this performance as I’d somehow never seen them. The main stage sits on a hill, giving a generally good view to everyone as far back as you can go. I enjoyed the chaos near the front of the stage, seeing a very experienced band rush through a discography of classics. Crowd enthusiasm led to a bemused Converge doing a second impromptu encore of “Wolverine Blues”, covering Entombed (there were shouts for “The Saddest Day”, but I’m not surprised they didn’t try that, as the band weren’t delighted by their rendition of it at Outbreak this year).
Friday
As incredible as Thursday’s lineup was, Friday was somehow better. I didn’t have a single gap in my schedule, and somehow managed to stick to it. Hidden Mothers started things off on the PX3 stage, playing their take on atmospheric black metal. To describe them briefly, think Holy Fawn from Norway. Few bands capture a ‘Cascadian’ vibe these days, but the reverbed vocals and echoing drums were enthralling, and their clean vocals were blissfully dreamlike. The first track they played must have been from upcoming material, as the vocalist started in the wrong place to some smirks. The material from their very strong self titled EP followed. At the Thursday morning Noizze podcast they mentioned they were unsigned – a proper label ought to pick them up for their upcoming full length release.
Curse These Metal Hands is the collaboration between Pijn and Conjurer. Normally when a collab record is released, as good as it might be, you have to write off ever seeing it live, so seeing these bands really doing it is a rare treat. This project explains how Conjurer keep their drab and dark persona – all the humour and positivity is channelled into this project. In reference to their upbeat sludge metal music, they donned “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Baroness” tees made just for their main stage performance, bringing on a banjo, and playing an overture that I swear was riffing on UK TV show themes. They were laughing like they’d conned their way onto the biggest stage, but their music absolutely deserves it, with “High Spirits” getting a big sing along. This was the third Curse These Metal Hands ATG appearance, and I don’t see why they shouldn’t do it again.
Mexican screamo band Joliette played next to a busy tent. This was their first UK outing along with shows supported by Chalk Hands and Dead Bird. On record, Joliette take the screamo genre and craft surprisingly varied and dynamic songs; on the large stage, they weren’t quite as subtle, but the performance was spirited. I briefly checked out Norman Westberg, best known as a guitarist in Swans, performing a solo ambient guitar set. It wasn’t well attended, but you can certainly count me among the weirdos who lap that stuff up, as I have enjoyed his dark, expansive, and engrossingly analogue records like 13 many times. The set went straight to snare-shaking bass drones, vibrating the tent at the critical point of amp-crackle, and those classic “post rock” tremolo drones. A lovely detail that kept his stage setup “analogue” was the use of an hourglass to time his set.
The next set I caught was Holy Fawn at the main stage. From my perspective, their 2018 record is a landmark release, throwing back to a style of post rock that had gone quiet since This Will Destroy You’s Tunnel Blanket era. Having seen on both of their previous trips to the UK, I already knew how powerful their live doom-gaze sound was. They played with two stand ins: Lorna Blundell from The Hyena Kill on drums, and Candice Maritato on bass of Woolbright. The special feature of this set was a performance of “Glóandi”, the first song they ever released, a song that blueprints their sound to this day. Finale “Seer” quantitively overwhelmed me. An absolute highlight set for sure.
My emotional recovery had to be fast, as it was time for a triple bill of esoteric black metal. Ashenspire were the first, playing dissonant black metal with themes of anti-austerity and anti-fascism. With many members including a saxophone, their musical complexity was something to bask in. A hilarious moment came when their singer climbed the tent rigging and promptly dropped their monitors, having to spend precious minutes trying to find it again. It finally re-appeared as the set ended, after “Cable Street Again”. Their comrades “Dawn Ray’d” played next, an anarchist folk/black metal three-piece: guitar, drums, then one member dedicated to either violin or vocals – it works brilliantly. The whole set was dedicated to their recent album To Know The Light, adding gritty dungeon synth interludes as tuning breaks. The third blackened project was Liturgy, an even harder to define group but certainly the most influential. Their set also focused on new material from the brilliant 96396 (except the obligatory live hit “Generation”). The recent studio material is full of orchestral parts, so the live renditions were comparatively raw – if you were there and found it a bit drab, check out the studio material instead. I’m looking forwards to an orchestra tour someday.
If you told 17 year old me that I was skipping a main stage performance of And So I Watch You From Afar for a lie down, you wouldn’t be believed, but it did have to happen. I took that rest at the PX3 stage where Spook The Horses were playing, coming all the way from New Zealand. Their approach to post metal is straight-to-the point songwriting with sonically oppressive soundscapes and gargantuan vocals. I’d have liked to give them more energy in return, but all I could do was bask in the tom grooves and cavernous drone that made the tent scaffold shake. The day also took its turn here as the rain began to fall, but this was almost perfect for the upcoming Heilung performance – by now the site was full of fans clad in druidic, witchy, and warrior-like garb.
The day had been a hit-list of esoteric metal acts beloved on the internet, and Bell Witch were now going to take that crown. The only compromise they took with their set was playing less than one song. They’ve expanded their gear significantly since they last visited the UK as Stygian Bough, their drummer now having two tiers of effects and synths to the left, and a gong on the right. It was a very different set, but the many slow headbangers suggested it went over well. Next up was Swans, a marmite outfit at this point, playing a set focused on their last three releases (thus, no material from the celebrated To Be Kind or The Seer). Previously I’ve really enjoyed their work, both live and in studio, but it didn’t sit well with me this time around, Michael Gira’s unnerving vocals and self-important stage persona imparting more discomfort than anything else. I did enjoy the lapsteel guitar textures that have been brought out on this tour.
The polar opposite aesthetic was beginning at the other end of the site with Sikth. Tech-djent founders were playing a rare set, and this was my chance to see them for the first time. They rattled through classics like “Pussyfoot” and “Hold My Finger”, plus my favourite “Skies of Millennium Night”. “When Will The Forest Speak…?” was not done in full, more of a tuning break, but the dip into dramatic poetry was enough to let audience members not in the know understand that Sikth are not simply another djent band. A surprise guest was Adam “Nolly” Getgood from Periphery, fill in the empty bass slot from “Part Of The Friction” onwards.
As Sikth finished, next door, Death Goals were firing up their cannons. I’d caught up with the band earlier as they processed their nerves before this set. Having heard them before in much small rooms, the festival tent gave them a different energy, as George’s vocals came through loud and clear. Harry’s messy tuning made for gnarly renditions of their classics. A loose pit formed, with hardcore fans coming out of the woodwork to throw shapes during Death Goals’ most braindead breakdowns. A particular highlight was the band’s moment of praise for the queer community, followed by a heartfelt kiss during the obligatory audience photo. The last thing my body could take was a brief look into Heilung’s main stage performance. It was theatrical and surprisingly catchy, but I didn’t linger long enough to really take it in. It was certainly a master-stroke decision to book Heilung as it will have pulled a lot of attendees outside of the usual nerdy math rock circles to the event. I left the main stage for bed, trying to embrace the rain as nature’s gift, though I’m not sure my tent felt the same.
Saturday
Shambling to the site after not a lot of sleep, the weather turned out to be merciful for Saturday at ATG. The line-up was, once again, a who’s-who, but I took the early afternoon deliberately easy. The exception was checking out local Bristol blackgaze/screamo band Copse. They had put out a fresh EP only a few weeks earlier that made up most of the setlist. “Old Belief” presented the band as a thunderous force of blast beats and tremolo picks, whilst “New Despair” demonstrated their epic ambitions with its uncut 14 minutes. Edward Gibbs (ex-Devil Sold His Soul) did some excellent cleans on this track. For their final song, I retreated from the barrier to the back of the tent, as the double kicks were excavating air from my lungs – a good feeling, but I was still in some form of recovery.
With more wind in my sails I took a chance seeing fakeyourdeath on the smallest stage (which, due to the stacked line-up, I hadn’t yet visited). The two piece were like a goth rave ‘68. I was impressed by Candi Underwood’s vocal control, even as her in-ears gave up mid way through the set. I felt that the electronic elements worked with the kinetics of drummer Sam Barnes – it felt fully live and performed, for lack of a better term. It worked for others, too, as a reasonably sized pit formed despite being 3.30pm. It strikes me that this band would fit well in all sorts of live bills, particularly in small spaces, and with a bit more stage theatrics, large ones too.
The first “big” band of the day was Rolo Tomassi at the main stage. They played mostly from Where Myth Becomes Memory, plus the live-hits from Grievances and Time Will Die… like “A Flood of Light”. This material really mixed in intensity which makes for great variety to their modern live sets. The pit really opened for “Prescience”, whilst there was stunned silence for the piano at the end of “Mutual Ruin”. This set underlined the enthusiasm that the bands had for one another, as keyboardist of Rolo Tomassi was already wearing a Joliette shirt from the merch stand, and the bassist of The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die would mention that “A Flood of Light” had them in tears.
Speaking of, TWIABP… were my choice for the next set, narrowly edging out The Callous Daoboys due to my long history with the band back to their very first EP (though this clash was agreed by so many to be one of the toughest of the weekend). Despite touring for 10 years of Whenever, If Ever, the band only played “Heartbeat In The Brain” from their landmark release, using the festival set as a showcase for their much darker, tappy new material. When they did play old stuff, it was soup-ed up with little tempo switches and soaring delays. I enjoyed the cuts from Assorted Works (“Katamari Duquette” and “Body Without Organs”), an overlooked release for the band.
Deafheaven were next on the main stage, playing a much hyped Sunbather set (also celebrating its 10th anniversary this year). For the ATG crowd, it’s perhaps the most important heavy album of the modern era, so it felt absolutely fitting for it to get played in full. Unfortunately, if you’ve heard anything about their appearance, you will have heard about the tech issues, first and foremost. “Dream House” went swimmingly, but the subsequent interlude and title track were absolutely mired with issues, mostly for the vocals. Once things stabilised, the renditions of (now relatively deep cuts) “Vertigo” and “The Pecan Tree” were fantastic. It’s a shame, as the band couldn’t respond to the tech troubles given their plan to play a record in full, they simply had to roll with the punches, so props to them for doing just that.
From one genre-defining band to another, The Fall of Troy played a sprightly set as the sun began to set. They’ve clearly mastered fun song intros and silly jams, slipped between their classic tracks. It was a throwback set to their respected first three records. One pleasant surprise was the power of Thomas Erak’s vocals, both harsh and squeaky clean, proving wrong the many grumblings I’ve seen on the internet.
The main stage had Igorrr, a truly unique act that merge breakcore, opera, and heavy metal. Having seen them on their recent UK run with Amenra, I was quite happy to enjoy them from outside the tent over dinner. I took a moment to sample Abraham, an experienced post metal band from Switzerland. Being so late into the festival and clashing with Igorrr, even I was disappointed by the attendance. I did like their hefty sound, driven through tom grooves by their vocalist-drummer.
Another tough clash was Haken vs Loathe (and Tokky Horror, though they unfortunately had to drop out). I succumbed to familiarity and went with Loathe, knowing Devin Townsend was about to give us our fix of prog anyway. Loathe’s festival setlist has been polished by their 2023 activities, and I’m always fascinated by how well they blend djent, hardcore, and dream pop. Ending the night was the inspiring goofball that is Devin Townsend. As usual he admitted his voice wasn’t feeling up to snuff, blaming “lasagne” this time and holding back on his harsh vocals, but if you know Devin his vocals are always brilliant. Seemingly effortless audience engagement made his newer material land well, like “Why?” and “Lightworker”. Balloons popped up to complete the atmosphere of togetherness. I personally don’t need additional encouragement to connect with his heavy, old favourites like “Deadhead”, “Kingdom”, and “Truth”. It wasn’t until “By Your Command” that a suitably goofy pit formed. Two Strapping Young Lad songs were pulled from the archives: “Aftermath” was a pretty deep cut, and the encore “Love?” has been a live mainstay since his Roundhouse “Retinal Circus” performance way back in 2013. Due to some unwise behaviour, I had to excavate an earplug from the tent floor – a lovely memory upon which to end this year’s ATG.
Concluding thoughts
Where does ArcTanGent go from here to top 2023, certainly their biggest year? This is an elephant in the room, as the festival has now booked pretty much every key act in the prog/math/post rock/metal universe, particularly having clinched Devin Townsend this year. One option is simply to maintain the current level and simply rotate the heavy hitters – it would certainly be a shame if the festival changed lanes and increased numbers, as the site feels the perfect, comfortable size. Of course, there are some key acts left to be caught: The Mars Volta, Sigur Ros, and somehow Mogwai are missing from their history (correct me if wrong). Perhaps bands like Polyphia should be added to keep up with the new wave.
I’d argue that it’s acts like Heilung, Igorrr, and Scalping that add the most value to ATG: not conventionally prog/math/post, or even particularly rock/metal, but objectively talented, fascinating bands that are pushing the envelope within genre lanes that most ATG attendees don’t necessarily notice. This also helps to pull people to the event that exist outside of the nerd rock bubble, and keeps everyone discovering new sounds and challenging themselves.
Another factor noted by many was the sheer heaviness of ATG’s line-up this year. No complaints from me, but consider the event from the perspective of someone, for example, not into harsh vocal techniques (a common sentiment that should be respected) – suddenly the line-up becomes a set of landmines. Maybe 2000 Trees becomes a better port of call, as their artists are lighter (on average) and are no slouches when it comes to creativity. I suppose it depends how the venn diagram of “likes prog/math” and “likes harsh vocals” is; maybe they have done the numbers, but I do think it’s important that sufficient lighter bands are booked to keep options in the schedule for non-metal heads.
Although I’m not here to review portaloos and bunnychow, it’s worth mentioning that the experience on site, outside of the music, is brilliant. I’m very excited to see who’s booked for next year, but above all I know I’m going no matter what. For those looking for something similar, consider Portals Festival in London, a “mini” ArcTanGent that focuses on math and post rock, on the 25th and 26th of May next year.
