“Fall into those arms again, and there you are always.”
This is our second article covering ArcTanGent in 2025 – we’ll get right down to the bands, as there’s so much to cover, but you can check our galleries and experiences for the first two days here.
It’s worth a quick shout-out to 2 Promoters 1 Pod (Gavin McInally of Damnation and James Scarlett of ArcTanGent and 2000trees), who ran a live version of their podcast for the second time at the festival on Saturday morning. This was an especially pivotal episode, as it was the first after the passing of the podcast’s editor Bri. Particularly for Gavin, who has worked closely with Bri for a long time, this has been huge to process in the middle of a busy summer. The podcast has achieved so much in the time it’s been running – in an era where encouraging online interaction from a reserved audience can be like pulling teeth, 2 Promoters 1 Pod has become the defacto watering hole for a huge portion of the UK’s underground music scene, cross-pollinating all three festivals and allowing everyone to become part of the magic. Needless to say, Bri’s talent and diligence supporting the scene in many ways will be missed. You can listen to the whole episode here.
All photography by Kieran White, except for Emma Ruth Rundle by Sarah Tsang, and Indifferent Engine and Kayo Dot by Dobbin T. Contact each photographer prior to any image use.
Friday
Ithaca (12:10, Main)
They told us all to fear them and we parted ways to let them through. The end of an era approaches faster than a speeding bullet as Ithaca mount the stage for what is to be the final time in a fruitful thirteen year long career. Their legacy as a titan of the UK’s mathcore and metallic hardcore scene is now officially behind them, like an elegant dress flowing in the morning breeze. If February was the “Cremation Party”, ArcTanGent‘s bright and early noon service was the scattering of the ashes in a place oh-so close to the band’s heart. Whilst the running order more closely aimed for a straight to the point tour de force of Djamila & Co’s breakout hits, as most festival setlists do: the mood suggested something deeper as both band and audience collaboratively egged each other on, partaking wholly and willingly to the bloodletting ritual that was Ithaca’s final moments. This included surprise tributes from both Ed Gibbs of Devil Sold His Soul and Kate Davies of Pupil Slicer stepping up to conquer the last ever instances of “The Future Says Thank You” and the aptly titled “Cremation Party” that a live audience would ever bear witness to. It’s an interesting feeling, to be banging one’s head and erratically throwing one’s body around to a cut-throat soundtrack of rasp and riff, but to also be violently sobbing in the process; a shared experience of which no fan present was spared from. Merely thirty minutes, and presumably several broken bones later, the tent fell knowingly silent after collectively realising they now lived in an Ithaca-less world, with not a dry eye in sight.
Thank you for everything, Ithaca – we will forever reject nihilism in your name. – Jack Crosby-Griggs.
Papangu (12:45, Bixler)
It was difficult to drag oneself to another tent after bidding Ithaca adieu, so why not change the vibe completely? Papangu are a completely wild blend of prog, Latin, and ballistic maximalism, arriving up in that coveted ‘Zheul’ category perhaps by accident. This was their first gig outside of Brazil, which you wouldn’t know as they sounded absolutely precise. From the back one could observe much jiving and even a jovial mosh down at the front. It would take even the most learned musical scholar an age to fully know their two albums, so the band helped out to teach the lyrics to their track “São Francisco”. Much like Bedsore, they’re doing prog in a way that is true to the genre’s roots – irreverent crossover action that doesn’t skimps on excess or pleasure. – Dobbin T
Car Bomb (13:20, Main)
Ascribed ‘tempo-agnostics’ by myself in our pre-festival coverage, New York math-groove merchants Car Bomb brought what can only be described as a display of the utmost prowess in crafting the ridiculous. As these rhythmically complex songs wound on and on, the rhetoric lingered that surely, somewhere this was all going to unravel. But no, Car Bomb, in all their chaos and precision, nailed every last hit and note of their deeply intricate, mind-and-face-melting set on the main stage this year at ArcTanGent. Truly a highlight of the weekend, one can only hope they’re given a longer slot next time – for my own benefit, certainly not theirs. – Maximo David
Emma Ruth Rundle (14:35, Main)
There were some slight nerves in the audience before Emma Ruth Rundle’s set – she had bowed out of her meet and greet and admitted to having a cold as she began playing. You would not know this from her performance. She was able to take her voice to all those unique places that only she can access, ridiculous heights and dynamics aplenty. The visuals behind her were captivating: oceans, streams, foliage, running horses, all gently affected with mirroring and reverse motion. It enhanced the supernatural quality of Rundle’s playing, which brought out echoes and deep, deep bass in a mix of deliberate and incidental sound from her guitar. She’s been touring acoustic for some time now, drawing material from her four key solo records and re-interpreting them for fresh results each night. Although Rundle takes it very well, it was hard to stifle swears for those who brashly yelled out between songs. Perhaps they meant well, but it still felt like disrespectful heckling. – Dobbin T
Envy (16:00, Main)
Envy are the legends of post-screamo, fully deserving of their main stage placement. In the crowd I spotted members of Underdark and Svalbard; if you’re familiar with the present UK scene, that ought to tell you what you need to know about Envy. With so many instruments being part of the fray, the sound was a blissful, all-encompassing wash, and could tighten in a disciplined manner for the most tense moments. Frontman Nobukata Kawai launched samples from his desk, a unique visual touch to their sonic assault. While the new songs from Eunoia were defined by their sharp, unexpected turns and infrequent clean vocals, the heart of the set lay in the poetic, screamed outbursts that have always been their signature. The whole set was fantastic, but I was particularly taken by “Footsteps in the Distance”, which is easy to say as it’s their most played song. But it has to be one of the greatest of its kind, and if anyone wasn’t having a good day yet, that track was the one that would have truly turned the sunshine on. – Dobbin T
Between The Buried And Me – Set 1 (Colors) (18:30, Yohkai)
In what was almost certainly always going to be a generational set for any budding prog fans at the festival, Between The Buried And Me’s Colors set – in which they played the 2007 classic front-to-back – was one of the coolest moments of the weekend. Fans packed into and spilled outside of the Yohkai stage to be treated to a once-in-a-lifetime playthrough of one of the greatest prog metal albums ever written. Despite some supposed behind-the-scenes technical issues before the set, and a classic case of a drum stick flying away during the first few tracks, this all-timer set went off largely without a hitch. From the moment “Foam (A) The Backtrack” kicked in, all the way until monolithic closer “White Walls”, Between The Buried And Me demonstrated here just why Colors has achieved the classic status that it has, and did it in style. – Maximo David
Mew (19:40, Main)
Whilst Wednesday’s SLIFT approached space rock with an oppressive boldness that demanded all eyes on deck, a gentler approach to the genre humbly introduced itself in Mew – another soon-to-be past tense alumni that embraced the audience not with desperate howls and boisterous riffs, but with a delicate intimacy so serene that curious unpunctuals would more than likely need to do a double-take that they were in fact at the correct festival. The most effective (albeit abstract) analogy with which I could explain the Mew experience as a blind observer would be to liken it to a warm but distant hug from a teddy-bear, whose soul departed decades ago, leaving behind a gritty layer of dust from its long untouched coat all over your chest and shoulders – all this to say it was delightful, haunting even. With visual aids that routinely leapt from breathtaking to paralysingly uncanny, the bittersweet liminality put forth by this fantastical five-piece had the entire main stage tent fully entranced and eating out of the palms of their hands (not that it appeared to phase them or even remotely shake their contentedly reserved presence). Quite frankly, I just found out this band existed and I’m already deeply upset that they’re going away – “don’t you just love goodbyes?”. – Jack Crosby-Griggs
Frontierer (20:40, Bixler)
After an intimate and vulnerable hour-long therapy session with Mew, I ended up making the horrible mistake of thinking that I knew exactly what I was in for as I sprinted from the main stage to Bixler for quite possibly the most egregious case of whiplash possible… as it turns out, I wasn’t quite as prepared as I had reckoned. It was as if Frontierer had personally taken the accolades of each and every exemplary ArcTanGent 2025 standout as a challenge. They called SLIFT’s bluff on the light-show equivalent of eating a military-grade case of flashbangs for supper. They laughed in the face of a multitude of serviceable pits by providing the perfect score for the anticipatedly rabid turnout to practically drill into the earth, hell, even giving the mighty Car Bomb a run for their money in terms of mind-melting mathematic mayhem. On top of all of that, there simply wasn’t a chance in hell keeping these guys still for even the briefest of moments. They virtually lined up by the barrier for a chance to climb the supports or eject themselves unto the crowd. I would’ve loved to have seen the face of any uninitiated individuals desperately trying to make sense of the ordeal – this wasn’t a war zone, it was an active war crime. With ten years of debut album Orange Mathematics looming on the horizon, the band had (and reportedly still has) a few aces up their sleeve, busting out the big guns through the reemergence of long-since-played belter “The Collapse” alongside former bassist Calum Craig (currently of Codespeaker) as well as ArcTanGent 25’s favourite hired gun Grady Avenell (Will Haven) making yet another appearance for a scathing rendition of “This Magnetic Drift”. I’d gladly go on, but frankly I couldn’t see a damn thing – and neither could you. – Jack Crosby-Griggs.
Karnivool (21:40, Main)
The first announced headliner was Karnivool, a progressive rock and metal band with appeal far beyond ArcTanGent’s crowd. Their booking surely pulled in some of their dedicated cult fanbase to experience the festival for the first time. On their last visit they stopped in some unexpected cities, rightly selling them out all the same. Personally, I had never taken the time to get into Karnivool, so 2025 was the ticket, and I’m so glad that ArcTanGent thrust this upon me. Their discography is fathomable in a short time – three amazing yet different albums, all of their time in a beautiful way. Far from being a nostalgia trip, Karinvool’s music remains as relevant as ever to the modern heavy scene, and they had a performance to match.
A key take away for the festival was how pleasant it was to have a rock oriented headliner that had clean vocals. Last year’s equivalents (Explosions in the Sky, Meshuggah, and Mogwai) never hit that mark, which wasn’t disappointing in and of itself. However, it seems odd that there wouldn’t be more bands of this ilk available for this spot. ArcTanGent often leans towards heavy bands at the top end, so Karnivool’s intensity felt all the more important this year.
The stage dressing was perhaps the most humble of the headliners (Godspeed You! Black Emperor don’t really count), mostly by comparison rather than lack of aplomb from the band. Opening with new song “Drones” and later playing “All It Takes”, the band is clearly reactivating meaningfully. My controversial take: justice for Asymmetry – “We Are” is great and deserving of a spot on the stage, but the rest of the album is great too, only being somewhat less accessible than the rest of their discography (i.e., perfect for the Arc crowd). Still, it’s hard to fit them all in, as many pivotal tracks from Themata and Sound Awake were omitted and, well, you just have to play “Deadman” in its full glory. – Dobbin T
Saturday
Indifferent Engine (11:00, PX3) (Max)
Opening Saturday with a flair for the dramatic, (our) local Cambridge post-hardcore heroes Indifferent Engine set the PX3 aflame with a raw, emotive and dynamic display of mathy, chaotic and brilliant melodic madness. Playing a wide array of cuts across their recently-released debut LP, Speculative Fiction, their wild stage antics and visuals only elevated these already-brilliant numbers. Tumbling across a stage littered with CRT monitors with reckless abandon, these local legends made a remarkable impression for such an early slot. Having caught these guys in our local circuit prior, it was monumental to see them play a festival as truly fitting as ArcTanGent, and if how this set went down is anything to go by, we’ll certainly be seeing a lot more of Indifferent Engine around these parts – on bigger and bigger stages, with any justice. – Maximo David
The Callous Daoboys (13:20, Main)
The Daoboys are a unit with a reputation that well precedes their presence, when I say this I mean it both in terms of rampant attendee anticipation and as a result of their mesmerizing backdrop loop, which contained footage of skatepark wipeouts, Shadow Of The Colossus gameplay, the WWE and last but certainly not least, intentionally grainy Naruto AMVs from an era of Latin-American YouTube long since passed. That description alone justifies the interest that it surely piqued from as far as the other side of the festival grounds, much to the a/bemusement of observers both intentional or otherwise. “no i don’t think the callous daoboys is a ‘good’ band name – i think it’s the best band name ever – that’s why we called it that.” it would occasionally read, and honestly? they’re absolutely right. As such, the band with the best band name must also set the standard for the performance as well, sensory overload is the name of the game when it comes to the patron-saints of supreme spoonerism and you best believe they weren’t taking that one sitting down. The sing-alongs, the spontaneous bar-fights, the hoedown dance parties: all actively warring for control of the overarching vibe as part of a setlist somehow as manic as it was forward-thinking. The icing on this potentially-lethal cake unleashed the payoff to foreshadowing teased by their exclusive ATG shirt design: a “surprise” cover of Enter Shikari’s “Sorry You’re Not A Winner” with a tasteful snippet of Norma Jean‘s “I Used To Hate Cell Phones But Now I Hate Car Accidents” to boot (featuring Hidden Mothers vocalist Liam Knowles because is it really an ArcTanGent 2025 set without a feature or two? I suppose Grady Avenell must have been preoccupied). – Jack Crosby-Griggs.
Between The Buried And Me – Set 2 (assorted works) (16:10, Main)
Following up their monumental Colors only set on Yohkai, BTBAM returned to Fernhill the following day on the main stage for an equally monumental assorted works set that went down a treat. Pulling from a wide array of corners around their discography, the prog metallers second set of the weekend felt less like a greatest hits, and more like connoisseurs’ choices. From the triumphance of “Alaska”, to the bombastic spirit of “Disease, Injury Madness”, and latter-day cuts from Colors II, as well as their brand-new LP, The Blue Nowhere, this carefully-crafted, career-spanning set felt like the perfect attempt at an ante-upper after what was a generational performance of Colors. – Maximo David
Boneflower (14:40, PX3)
An essential entrant representing modern screamo and shoegaze, Boneflower were yet another Saturday band playing against stiff competition (Sleepytime Gorilla Museum who The Callous Daoboys had given a shout-out to on stage, in case anyone was uninitiated). Boneflower’s tent still grew a sizable crowd for their desperate and blissful set. Every moment Eric Montejo didn’t have to spend singing, he threw his guitar out at every angle, as if it was trying to escape his gravitational pull. Their set was an even split between the split-new Reveries, their 2020 album Armour, and moments from their early discography and EPs. In studio their recent work doubles his vocals, something they didn’t do live in to keep it honest to their three-piece setup, and to make it as raw as possible. Perhaps you could call their live setup a vision of the heavy side of Boneflower, and that would be the case if not for the brief moment of the interlude “Boötes” they played before launching into “Starless”. It’s an emotional track, but for whatever reason, hearing it with those introductory chords hit like an emotional sledgehammer that my tear ducts absolutely weren’t ready for. – Dobbin T
Unprocessed (17:05, Yohkai)
One assembly in-particular whose very presence at the festival was worthy of intrigue would be none other than Unprocessed, as their slot alone implicated an all-encompassing attendance of multiple flocks. From HEALTH’s crudely coined “cum metal” enthusiasts to prog nerds alike – this was quite possibly the one banner of the weekend under which you’d find a little bit of every alliance rallied (despite ATG’s USP of niches and oddities). Much like a fork being found in the kitchen, this obviously entailed a stacked front row of ecstatic ‘ride or die’s reserving their spots well prior to the start of the race – one of which actually shared with me that they had flown in specifically to round out the dozen instances of which they had caught this band live. Even with stakes as high as such, the wild-wild-Wiesbadeners showed no fear in the face of their festival debut and actively sought it as an opportunity of the conquesting variety. Hellbent on making their mark upon the land, they actively invited and encouraged an entourage of crowdsurfers and moshers of all kinds to indulge in the decadent intricacies of their fingerstyle strings and buttery-smooth vocals that would equally devolve into hair-raising violence at the drop of a pin. Although a part of me secretly wishes they’d snuck Marc Zelli away from Bloodstock to run through hot-off-the-press sizzler “Solara” (especially given just how heavily marketed their forthcoming LP Angel was on site), Unprocessed seemingly ignited a flame under the flanks of Fernhill’s fanatics that shan’t dwindle any time soon – simply put: yet another first-timer I doubt we’ve seen the last of. – Jack Crosby-Griggs
Rolo Tomassi (17:55, Main)
I couldn’t quite believe that Rolo Tomassi’s set would include “Fofteen”, the song from that clip of them playing it in that clothing store; it was mathcore lore unfolding before our eyes. As promised, their set included a string quartet, entering after the band whizzed through their early and deep cuts. The warm up from the strings was “Crystal Cascades”, a fairly deep cut in the back of Grievances that’s perhaps been waiting all this time for such a moment. Several other tracks were inevitable. A suite from Time Will Die And Love WIll Bury It was tearjerking throughout: “Towards Dawn” into “Aftermath” was perfect, “The Hollow Hour” found new life in the format, and “A Flood of Light” was a more powerful tearjerker than ever before. Perhaps with a headline set they could have included “Contretemps” into “Risen” and completely satisfy my cravings for Prog Tomassi (but you can find those on their recent live album). As they concluded with two tracks from Where Myth Becomes Memory, there was such an air of finality to the performance – it was as if they were about to announce that this would actually be their final show. It’s not, but let’s take this moment to hope that the band still has at least one more studio album in them. – Dobbin T
Adebisi Shank (18:50, Yohkai)
If the newly coined term of “dudes rock” were to apply to any band on this lineup, I’d say that Adebisi Shank present an air-tight bid. The final frontier of our holy three-piece jam band trifecta saw an atmosphere commandeered by good vibes and a “fun-first” type attitude that sought to soften the blow of what was certainly a searing day of crushing doom and intense catharsis for all. It was admittedly a rather heartwarming sight to see everyone (and I mean everyone) gradually thawing out of their o’so deep and brooding shells for a little while to embrace an indisputably good time, free of the omnipresent judgement that would linger in the air of damn-near any other alt-music festival – only at ArcTanGent, I suppose! Given a decade-long extended hiatus, the Shank Squad evidently itched for the stage in a way that oozed gratitude toward the vocal fanbase that yearned for their return. They giddily darted from stage left to stage right and back again in a manner that equally matched the highly synthesized hoots and hollers of their “robot rock” string section, puppeteered by a complicated yet sophisticated frankenstein-esque pedal-board setup that laid menacingly at the feet of the axemen. Sometimes after a whole weekend of nonstop wailing into the dissonant void, all you need is three mute irish lads (one masked-up, eat your heart out Sleep Token) and some party vibes to remind you that a smile couldn’t hurt. – Jack Crosby-Griggs.
Clown Core (19:45, Main)
In what was certainly the most perplexing set of the weekend, masked freak-jazz outfit Clown Core finally made their long-awaited appearance at this year’s ArcTanGent. After a last-minute cancellation in 2024 left many (myself included) feeling disappointed, it’s interesting to see just how this highly-anticipated set panned out. A display of laser-precise musicianship to be sure, but anyone who witnessed the duo’s set on the main stage will likely have a slightly conflicted takeaway due to the band’s stage presence and visuals. Littered with AI porn, tongue-in-cheek(?) requests/thanks for money, and a general sense of disdain from the group for the audience – communicated through the display of gormless YouTube reaction videos of the group, that almost felt positioned as a reflection back toward the audience (almost as if to say “this is you, this is what you look like just by being here”). It was a stage show that could be taken one of two ways, either valid. Be that of sincerity (the band truly do have a heavy disdain for the success of the project) or a colossally confident bit (it’s all a bit of fun and they do actually enjoy what they’re doing) – either way, this main stage set left many confused for a variety of fun and perplexingly complex reasons. I, for one, loved it (at the very least on a musical level), but I have a feeling they may just hate us. – Maximo David
Kayo Dot (19:45, PX3)
Pent up demand for Clown Core meant that clashers Kayo Dot got a small but dedicated audience, and plenty of buzz for those in the know. As promised in our interview ahead of the event, the band played a setlist that touched on many parts of their discography, making for a set full of precise chaos and tension. The oldest were “Wayfarer” and “Gemini Becoming the Tripod”, tracing a line back to where the project began. Like good and evil twins respectively, it was extremely gratifying to hear these timeless songs which the heavy scene has yet to repeat nor fully understand. As typical for Kayo Dot, their own focus has shifted, and this was showcased by three modern cuts from Moss Grew on the Swords and Ploughshares Alike and Blasphemy. Just as irreverent, if not more, these tracks found even more space for synthesizers and curious rhythmic patterns. Greg Massi is a key longtime member of Kayo Dot (and maudlin of the Well) adding whirling shreds to these stuttering tracks. He joined just for this set, leaving the rest of the band to play a different set for the rest of the EU tour (and I’m not even sure which set comes out on top – cuts from Coyote, Coffins on Io and Hubardo, plus the chilling new material sounds amazing). The set was both intimate and challenging, with all of the musicians on absolute top form, somehow making it all look easy. – Dobbin T
Tesseract (21:40, Main)
Closing out this year’s stint at Fernhill, UK tech-metal legends TesseracT brought a stage show of monumental quality with them. Having caught these guys a few times prior, I thought I knew more or less what to expect – but the (admittedly lofty) status quo was swiftly surpassed by one of the most memorable headline sets I’ve seen at a festival in some time. Hailed as the final UK headliner for the War of Being album cycle, no expense was spared here. A world-class performance of tracks from across their storied discography, including some dips into unlikely places such as 2015’s Polaris, TesseracT’s swansong for their most ambitious era rang gloriously across a mesmerised audience at the main stage. With the backing of the stellar Choir Noir, an even further heightened sense of theatrics compared to their main fare, and a few welcome left-field switch-ups to the band’s established setlist, the band’s Saturday headlining set made for a hell of a closing ceremony for ArcTanGent 2025. With the band promising to be back with new music the next time they hit the stage, perhaps the wait between albums for these progressive titans won’t be so long this time. – Maximo David
After an anniversary year, there’s a natural expectation that a festival might not be able to put on a repeat performance. And whilst ArcTanGent 10 was absolutely brilliant, 11 was at least on par, if not an even stronger offering for lovers of weird and wonderful music. It was all helped by the tremendously good weather and a site plan that’s now close to perfect. If you are at all engaged in the genres that ArcTanGent explores, or find even a few artists that work for you on next year’s line up, you must go.