ArcTanGent Festival 2022: The Review – Thursday

Meanwhile back over under the maroon tarp of the Bixlar, it’s vastly different scene. Jutting between smooth and obtusely angular, Bicurious strut their danceable take on math tinged progressive rock with haplessly lovable flair. Whilst tracks from their recent LP debut (re)constructed see the duo doubling down on the kind of metallic math rock where it’s impossible not to envision sparks flying from the fretboard, songs such as ‘Sleep’, ‘Japanese Puppy’ and ‘I Don’t Do Drugs I Just Sweat A Lot’ see the mercurial two piece tap into a type of danceable energy that’s almost reminiscent of Soulwax. As the afternoon sun pours into the tent, it’s a highly energetic and haplessly enjoyable set that shows the fanatic chemistry shared and enjoyed between the project’s two members.

A more sombre tone awaits back within the main stage though. “It was pissing it down last time I was here, I’m kinda sad it’s not today”, A.A. Williams quips to the gathered throng on back under the main stage canopy. Purveying some of the finest sad, gothic rock you’ll hear, it’s a set that swells from acoustic quietude to full band moments, with melodramatic guitar and soft, crooning vocals.

On the contrary to their lineup contemporaries, Puppy scan their eyes backwards in time and worship the riffs that paved the way for heavy music as a whole. However, whilst many non-versed in the trio may see their take on riff-based music relatively primitive – especially when compared against a lineup specialising in progression as a whole – Puppy’s inherent progression is demonstrated in a more tactile and less overt way, with the trio translating the old way of metal for the new age. Tracks from their latest record Pure Evil sound fantastic within the confines of the Yohkai, with Puppy strengthening a thick atmosphere that was somewhat missing at the start of their set.

But back under the tarp of the main stage is an act that mirrors the ethos and history ArcTanGent in a slew of ways. Much akin to this unique festival, scene staples Delta Sleep have grown and evolved over the years without losing their core identity, creative integrity or the very crux of their being – which is something they present with fantastic flair today. New tracks from their recent release Spring Island show off their more soothing and pacifying approach to entangling math rock – a fact they openly joke about as they demand a pit for ‘Old Soul’ – but their inherent progression remains ardent within their sound. It’s tracks like ‘Planet Fantastic’ and ‘The Detail’ played alongside classics such as ‘Camp Adventure’ and ‘Lake Sprinkle Sparkle’ that demonstrate their brilliant shift in sound over the years, with such intricate yet universally lovable songs being performed with the care and attention that can only come from this band. As proven with this set, Delta Sleep are essentially masters of their craft this point; there’s no doubt that this band have inspired many of the acts appearing over the course of this weekend and as they close their packed out set with the sun-kissed joy of ‘El Pastor’ it’s impossible to envision this festival without their presence, be it physical or in the sound of many of the acts who perform here.

In similar nature to the mollifying and wholesome nature of Delta Sleep are Lakes. Despite the central Elephant In The Bar Room now being a transport hub for people crossing the site to access other stages, the midwest-tinged emo-pop collective ensnare all those passing by with their fluidly dynamic approach that pays it’s dues to the math scene in a way that’s nostalgic yet forward thinking. Tracks such as ‘Matches’, ‘No Excuses’ and ‘Peace’ just radiate a sense of progressive whimsy that’s impossible to rebuff, especially given the additional textures provided courtesy of so-called ‘Trumpet Tom’. It’s a different scene back within the Bixlar though; even a shocking mix can’t stop Imperial Triumphant bathing ATG in vile luxury. Their obtuse blend of avant-garde extremity and freeform jazz blows everyone’s collective minds, with a bottle of champagne upended over the front row to wash down such a twisted meal. Sadly the mystique was broken and never regained.

Photo Credit:

Jonathan Dadds

The perfect comedown to the overwhelming Imperial Triumphant, Perturbator mixes together synthwave, goth and post punk for an apocalyptic party with a jaw-dropping light show. With the skies having finally opened and with rain now bucketing outside the tent, it really feels like the party at the end of the world.

As the rain comes to a gentle close comes arguably the worst clash of the weekend – Alcest vs. Bossk. In the case of the former, Alcest bring their emotional, life-affirming blackgaze to a packed-out Yohkai tent, one that’s overflowing more than ten minutes before they’re due on. Unsurprisingly, they receive a rapturous reception with songs like ‘Autre Temps’ and closer ‘Délivrance’ receiving cheers that almost drown out the band. While the latter is booed, it’s only for being their last song, and as its final notes ring out there’s a real sense of shared catharsis.

Simultaneously, under the dripping fabric of the Bixlar, Bossk are phenomenal. Sounding monolithic, the group sound almighty as they swan through the astronomically devastating likes of ‘Kobe’, ‘Atom Smasher’ and ‘Heliopause’, with the build and release within the latter seeing the band expelling enough kinetic energy to power this event for years. However, the greatest surprise within this set is the appearance of Cult Of Luna’s Johannes Persson. Even with the appearance being expected it’s still the subject for what essentially qualifies as hysteria, the thousands in attendance headbanging in unison as he reprises his vocals for ‘Menhir’. We’ve said this following their appearance in 2019, 2018 and 2017 but we’ll say it again, Bossk bare all the hallmarks to be irrefutable future headliners of ArcTanGent.

As the evening sun begins to descend under the horizon, it’s the perfect time what follows under the darkened and yawning canvas of the main stage. Belgian post metal heavyweights Amenra bring a blistering, heaving setlist to the main stage, the monstrous, sludgy riffs pierced by Colin H. van Eeckhout’s harrowing shriek. Even its quieter moments are intense and suffocating, with an almost palpable air of tension and the cuts from latest album De Doorn are utterly monolithic.

Photo Credit:

Derek Bremner

In contrast, the Yohkai headliners Maybeshewill are spacious, beautiful but yet crucially poignant. With their collective finger on the sociopolitical pulse that’s now going haywire, the opening of ‘Not For What Of Trying’ and ‘Zarah’ feel like an overt statement on current affairs. But perhaps in a way less overt and not consciously intended, it’s also a statement that Maybeshewill are are the best within the global post rock game, with the following set being a magnificent showcase of their discography. Despite the differences ranging between each of the band’s records – from the riff-centred aggression of Not For Want Of Trying to the more orchestrally focused No Feeling Is Final – their beyond capacity set tonight is a comprehensive and sleek showcase of their tremendous and organic evolution as a creative entity. Truthfully, as classics like ‘Red Paper Lanterns’ and ‘He Films The Clouds Pt. 2’ gel seamlessly with more recent tracks such as ‘Invincible Summer’ and ‘Refuturing’, it’s impossible to be enchanted by the band’s flawless understanding of instrumental emotion. They may have played a series of shows prior to this stage headline set but this still feels like a true homecoming for the band, with their set solidifying the band’s nature of being immaculately perfect, human in heart and global in scope.

ArcTanGent has always been a place to allow emerging bands to enter the scene. Sadly tonight it also see’s We Never Learned To Live leaving music for good. Headlining the PX3 Stage, the criminally underrated post-hardcore masters perform their final ever set with the inherent human emotion that lies as the crux of their output. The final ever performances of ‘Human Antenna’ ‘Android Anaesthetist’ and ‘Crystalline, So Serene’ resonate with the packed tent, but yet it’s the closer of ‘Kepler’ that cuts through the festival like a blade, stunning the masses paying their final respects into fully invested silence prior to the final chord ringing out. It’s bittersweet set, with this being an incredible demonstration of why We Never Learned To Live where one of the best names in post-hardcore but one that will never be repeated again, a fact most heartbreaking. Regardless, as many migrate over to the main stage, Thursday’s headliners Cult Of Luna waste no time in cementing their status as the heaviest band in the universe. The lightshow is peerless, not a word is spoken between songs and the band reel off post metal odysseys one after the other peerlessly. From the opening alarm of ‘Cold Burn’, to deeper cuts like Vertikal’s ‘I, The Weapon’ and finally closer ‘Blood Upon Stone’, the band well and truly set the bar for one of the finest bands of the weekend, if not one of the best live acts you’ll ever see.

Photo Credit:

Carl Battams