ArcTanGent Festival 2023: The Review – Wednesday

However, it’s not long until this gloom is cleared. Swiftly becoming somewhat of an ArcTanGent staple, Bicurious’ unique blend of crunchy, sugary and sweet math-rock goes down an absolute treat with the now packed Bixler, the band’s musically upbeat sound dispelling the doom conjured from those just on stage previously. Tracks like ‘Sleep’ and ‘I Don’t Do Drugs, I Just Sweat A Lot’ witness the danceable groove this band has become renowned for both in the UK and areas beyond its seas, but the real treat comes with the airing of new material. Featuring full vocals for the first time in the bands career, ‘Acrylic Fences’ see’s the band reaching into new musical pastures without leaving the paddock they have grown in. But still, it’s the high octane energy and positivity of (Re)constructed’ that showcases this brilliant band’s penchant for writing music that’s both complex and joyous.

With the sun now reaching it’s zenith, Skin Failure bring the fire from the gates of hell below. Even with vocalist Will Gardner suffering from an unfortunate bout of laryngitis that will eventually see off his other band’s set Every Hell due for Saturday, they are bouncing with energy off the back of the previous weekend’s appearance at Bloodstock. ‘Sleeveless Jesus/The Void’ Will tests those vocal cords early and after burning their way through second song he brings the crowd on side to put their middle fingers up to the demons inside of him. With their backing they perform group exorcisms through songs ‘Meat Pond/Down By The River’ in a tent wide chorus singalong and other anti-Christ tunes such as new track ‘The Surfer’s Eye’, described semi-accurately by a previous fan as a ‘wicked Mastodon cover’. In the fiery performance guitarist Toby Stewart also has time to get his head shaved whilst riffing out. Laryngitis, as evil as it is could not stop the face melting power of rock n roll on this day.

Photo Credit:

Joe Singh | @snaprockandpop

As opposed to the mullet-donned thrash shenanigans of Skin Failure, Hippotrakor sound intellectual and composed; yet still crushing. The first of many bands playing under the Pelagic Records banner this weekend, the Belgian band inject a healthy dose of progressive intellectualism into hulking post-metal, resulting in a sound that’s, quite frankly, colossal. Featuring a tone comparable to the likes of LLNN and Vildhjarta, Hippotraktor meld the finest qualities of post metal with the contemplative nature of prog prior to expressing the end result with charisma and finesse. They may be a new proposition for some within the Bixler, but given how the tent reaches capacity before the end of ‘Manifest The Mountain’, the first song of their set, it’s clear that this band will the discovery of the weekend for many a punter.

Following the electrifying Hippotraktor, Pupil Slicer bring their serpentine, chaotic mathcore to bear. ‘No Temple’ detonates ferociously, its breakdown and subsequent Imperial Triumphant-esque bass melody snaking their way through the tent. As on form as the band are, the mix occasionally muddies the intricacies of songs, particularly newer cuts from second album Blossom like ‘Momentary Actuality’. Still, it’s a raucous, pit-inciting half hour from the Slicers, jagged edges flowing to soaring melody and back with ease, even if not all of hits as it should.

Photo Credit:

Jonathan Dadds

Sandwiched between Pupil Slicer and Conjurer, two incredibly brutal, beasts, Dvne stand out as a much more progressive, adventurous proposition. That isn’t to say that the band, who’s sound and lyrics are inspired by Dune, are a relaxing proposition. Amongst a flurry of cheers and bubbles (Not the first time they’ll be seen over the weekend) the band get the crowd banging their heads with stomping, techy riffs. Mixing Opeth style passages with fist pumping gallops, the Scottish crew spin science fiction yarns via harsh screams and uplifting clean vocals, leaving the crowd with spice tinged riffs embedded in their brains.

Returning to Fernhill Farm following their Main Stage set last year, Conjurer waste absolutely no time re-establishing their density as they open with ‘Retch’. Proceeding to blitz through the likes of ‘Thankless’ and ‘Choke’ with all the delicate grace of a bunnychow to the small intestine, the riff-mongers sound bestial and ravaging this summers eve, their bladed riffs brandished with a sense of genuine menace. Granted, ‘Those Years, Condemned’ and ‘All You Will Remember’ do see the band retract their sabres to meditate on the ironised emotion inherent to these tracks, but with the vile likes of ‘Suffer Alone’ following – it’s breakdown splitting the crowd like a brick to the cranium – this is a set mostly reserved for bludgeoning devastation. Give it a new album or two and Conjurer will be headlining this festival outright.

Photo Credit:

Derek Bremner

Post-rock Prodigy-come otherworldly guitar wielding dance band return to headline ArcTanGent’s Bixler stage once again, which is already panning out to be a weekend most will not forget, dependant on the ratio of pints vs. BunnyChow chilli they consume. Over the years Scalping have become a staple in this scene also headlining PX3 stage and performing at a warmup show in Bristol many lunar cycles ago. So deserved is their place in this eclectic scene of alternative guitar led music of course they can get a field full of hairy (mostly) hardcore and metal (broadly) fans to rave on a Wednesday night, just with yet another flavour to add to the mix. As the lights dim and a rumble emanates, the visuals kick in as if to question ‘did that tab of acid I took earlier kick in?’ and a haunted face appears. Fitting visuals for opening track ‘Silhouettes’ which builds slowly piece by piece rather than that instant whoosh of ecstasy on record. Layer after layer the futuristic machine grows in power with guitars and electronics.

For those unsure in the crowd of why Scalping has become intertwined in this scene their curiosity turns to foot stomping, arm manoeuvring joy. The light show accompanying the humanoid form warping and contorting on screen builds a larger world to the interstellar crossover music performed and it is instantly addictive for those in attendance. As Scalping weave two new tracks in between many off last year’s album Void they create a melting pot of anxiety inducing beats hinting at the next drop to full acid rave at points. There are few that do what they do and seeing them rise through the ranks in recent years is as grin inducing as that bag of something your friend took. From London pub basements with their visuals displayed on a white sheet hung precariously on a wall to support slots with Squarepusher, the fact Scalping can make a field full of hairy chinstrokers rave like it’s 1995 is proof that they deserve this slot and a future making shape throwing yet rifftacular music.