2024 marks ArcTanGent’s 10th anniversary. Taking place across five stages at Fernhill Farm near Bristol, the festival specialises in progressive, largely heavy music. It is metal-orientated, but the festival’s remit also extends to other styles including indie and electronic music. ATG 2024 sees over 130 bands and artists performing over three “main” days plus a warm-up day.
Wednesday:
Wednesday’s warm-up day utilises just the Yohkai stage. Nevertheless, the atmosphere is already vibrant.
Following sets from Host Body, Hidden Mothers, Din of Celestial Birds, Cobra the Impaler, Psychonaut, and Curse These Metal Hands, Copenhagen’s LLNN take to the stage. Their powerful set is characterised by driving post-hardcore riffs, noisy interludes, and doomy heaviness.
Bossk are up next, and following a recorded choral intro they crash into a 50-minute set full of their trademark heavy and ethereal soundscapes.
And So I Watch You From Afar headline the Wednesday lineup with a set chosen by fans. Quieter jazz-infused sections trade places with explosive riffs as the lead guitar takes the main melodic role throughout the mostly instrumental pieces. The electrified full-house audience often sing along with the guitar lines during a set that includes “S is for Salamander” and finishes with a climactic “Big Thinks Do Remarkable.”
Thursday:
Thursday sees Oddism take to the PSX stage to deliver a set of mathcore replete with beatdowns and guttural growls.
Underdark follow on the Yohkai stage with a bleak and sombre yet explosive set of black metal and post-rock that includes brutal blast beats and atmospheric sections. As the tempos continually change, vocalist Abi Vasquez ventures down to the barrier to spit her anguished growls out to the audience.
Back on the PX3 stage, Hundred Year Old Man’s set gets underway with relentless, slow, doomy post-rock that continually builds in intensity.
Over on the Elephant stage, Sun Spot bring their brand of pop-infused progressive indie to ArcTanGent. The set is full of jangling guitars, shoegaze breakdowns and creative auto-tune.
Soon afterwards, over on the main stage, Japan’s Bo Ningen launch into their set of post-punk-infused noise rock that features squealing avant-garde guitars, blissed-out delay-drenched vocals, and hypnotic psychedelic grooves.
Back on the Yohkai stage, Belgium’s Wyatt E. arrive dressed all in robes and face coverings. Punishing doom metal drums (played by two percussionists) underpin swirling synth effects, drone-like riffs and crazed lead guitars throughout a set that continues through as one long piece punctuated by ambient breakdowns. The ultra-loud wall of noise is awe-inspiring.
Julie Christmas soon takes to the main stage with her band. Wearing a fairy light-covered dress she dives around the stage with infectious abandon. Christmas’ shouted vocals bark over the top of huge doom riffs and post-rock atmospherics as the set builds to a euphoric and climactic end.
A little while later Baroness follow on the main stage with a riff-filled classic rock-inspired set. Vocal harmonies trade places with bombastic guitar solos throughout a gloriously powerful concert.
Kalandra, featuring members from Sweden and Norway, are up next on the Bixler Stage. Vocalist Katrine Stenbekk’s wonderfully expressive voice soars over hauntingly emotive and dynamic dark folk throughout a captivating set.
Spiritualized take to the main stage soon afterwards to deliver their set of turbo-charged gospel music. Soft and tender sections, augmented by three gospel singers, lead into wall of sound noise rock wig-outs as the songs segue into one another. Sometimes melancholic, at others intensely joyful, the set does indeed feel like a spiritual experience.
Over on the Yohkai stage, Amenra begin with a droning intro before crashing in with crushingly intense heaviness. Feral screams ascend over the top of repetitive and dirge-like textures that expertly alternate between loud and quiet dynamics.
At the same time, Dutch outfit Textures bring their progressive metal to the Bixler stage, with chugging riffs, odd time signatures and emotionally charged vocals.
Headlining Thursday’s main stage lineup are Explosions in the Sky. They deliver a set of enormous instrumental post-rock characterised by gigantic riffs, euphoric post-rock textures, and tremolo-picked lead guitars. Ebbing and flowing in waves, the music is simultaneously melancholic and uplifting, and the audience is spellbound.
Read Part 2 here:
FESTIVAL REVIEW: ArcTangent Festival 2024 Part 2 – Live at Various Venues
WORDS BY DUNCAN EVANS
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