Well, would you look at that: June is finally upon us! What does that mean? For Europeans, it means the sweet smell of summer is almost here, with all the sun, rain, and of course, music festivals it brings to the table. I am Brazilian, so I shouldn’t have a reason to care about it that much… But I do have a reason, and it’s called ArcTanGent Festival! I’ve attended the festival for the past two editions, which may come as a shock for a lot of people who go like ‘you’re traveling all that way just for a festival?’ Hell yeah I am, as there’s no place out there like the ATG fields.
It’s a whole weekend filled with the best that the worlds of progressive metal, post rock, post metal, stoner, experimental, math rock, and out-there music can offer. As if that was not enough, you get to live that alongside the friendliest people you’ll ever meet. I’m very happy to be attending for my third time and to call myself part of the ATG family! I came for the stellar lineups, but I stayed for the vibes. And for the stellar lineups.
2025 will see the UK-based festival take on the daunting task of following up their special 10th edition, which was straight up legendary. How can you outdo yourself when you’ve just had Mogwai, Meshuggah, Baroness, and Amenra? Well the festival’s curation team was not only up for the challenge, they’ve knocked it out of the park yet again, delivering the most diverse and impressive lineup for this European summer festival season. I mean, just check this out:
That’s a lot to take in, right? I’m already beating my head figuring out who I’m gonna see, but there are a few unmissable moments at this ATG that I’ll be sure to, well, not miss. Here are some highlights from ArcTanGent 2025 that I think you should keep on your radar, too:
The biggest Wednesday the festival ever had
There’s a ton of things people love about ArcTanGent, and one of them is certainly the Wednesday lineup. Historically, the opening day for the festival features only highlights from previous editions playing at a single stage, allowing festival veterans to see their favorites again or the chance to catch a show they missed the last time in a more laid back day, meant to be enjoyed at a slower pace while you catch up with your ATG friends. It’s just one of the things that makes this gathering be more than just a festival: it’s a community, through and through.
This edition features a remarkable break from that Wednesday tradition: not only will festival goers be treated to two stages this time, making time for a longer day with more bands; they’ll be opening the main stage for the first time ever due to a very special act: Wardruna, making their ATG debut as the Wednesday headliner. The Norse folk giants are well known for entrancing and ritualistic performances, and anyone who enjoyed Heilung at ArcTanGent 2023 may wish to take note.
Honestly, that’s just a plus on top of an stellar day lineup. I’m very excited to see Healthyliving, Kalandra, and Year Of No Light again, and also to make up for the painful decision of missing Slift last year. Don’t judge me, they clashed with Caspian!
So yeah, if you’re considering ATG this year, I’d say attending the opening day is a no-brainer.
Some of the most promising upcoming acts are playing
Seeing the big names at a festival is of course always nice, but if you ask me, what sets ArcTanGent apart from other summer festivals is the opportunity to see smaller, upcoming acts that are destined for greatness while they’re still on their early days. The curation team always keeps their eyes and ears on what’s shaking the underground scene, and they really knocked it out of the park this time!
One show I won’t miss for anything is Lowen. Their latest album Do Not Go To War With The Demons Of Mazandaran is not just one of the best albums I’ve heard in recent times, it’s already achieved classic status in my book. If the idea of grand, cathartic progressive doom with the most epic vocals you’ve ever heard sparks even a hint of interest than do yourself a favor and listen to it. I’m sure you’ll join me in hyping them up at the festival too.
I’d also be a very bad Brazilian if I didn’t mention how excited I am for Papangu! They are without a doubt our most promising bands right now, mixing traditional Brazilian music with prog metal, jazz fusion and a ton of other influences. Trust me, it’s something. Oh, and this show will mark their debut on European soil, so you’ll have the chance to gain massive bragging rights.
There’s still a lot more to be excited about on the lower billing – Burner, Snooze, Overhead, the Albatross… Do yourself a favor and get acquainted with the smaller names on that poster. There’s some real gold in there.
Karnivool will (probably) be debuting new music
The Australian prog metal masters Karnivool are famous for a lot of things – melodic and cathartic songs, huge sounding choruses, fantastic live performances and for staying as far away as possible from a recording studio for more than 10 years now. Well, fellow Karnivool fans, our fasting period will be over soon – the band has just announced they’re debuting new material at their home country tour this year!
And right in the middle of said tour? Their headline slot at this year’s ArcTanGent. Now, will the album be out by then? I’m not sure. Will they play new music there, too? It’s not a certainty, but I’d be willing to bet so. Even if they don’t, Karnivool is one of my bucket list bands, so I couldn’t be more thrilled for their set and I’ll do my best to secure myself a front row spot for it, and to ready myself to cry a lot during “New Day”.
Legendary bands performing full album sets
Mixed setlists are great of course, but there’s something really special about hearing an album in full, and there’s some straight up GOATs set to hit the Fernhill Farm in their entirety this year that you should save a slot to see.
First off, prog metal stalwarts Between The Buried And Me will be playing the festival for the very first time! In order to make up for lost time, the audience will be treated to two sets from them, one of them being the mighty Colors in full. If you’re a prog metal fan, there’s a high chance you not only know this album: you love it to death, and I don’t have to sell this set for you. And if you don’t, let’s just say the album is a cornerstone in the entire genre and is essential listening, even if you don’t fancy prog that much. Me? I have a Colors tattoo, so that should tell you how much I’m looking forward to this.
There’s also festival favorites The Fall of Troy playing Doppelganger in full: a math rock classic that is as impressive as it is balls to the wall crazy. And if you lean a bit more into the post rock side of things, then you can’t miss We Lost The Sea performing Departure Songs in full, as well as another bonus set during the weekend.
Performances like this are quite rare, so do not squander the chance to catch these classics live! And if you don’t know these albums, there’s still a ton a time to get familiar with them. You won’t regret it!
Godspeed You! Black Emperor will play their only European summer date
ATG is a complete haven for post rock lovers, featuring the very best it has to offer. Last year, they had some of the genre’s biggest household names as headliners: Explosions In The Sky and Mogwai. How do you follow that up? I thought that the only possible answer would be Godspeed You! Black Emperor. And I was right!
This show will mark their only European show this summer, so if you’re looking for a chance to see them soon, this is it. I’ve heard nothing but praise for their live show, so I can’t wait to have my soul melted, reconstructed, then melted again by it.
Ithaca will be doing their last show ever
I’ve just recently been acquainted with Ithaca, and I get why they made such a big mark on the underground metalcore scene. Sadly following a great album in 2022, they’re hanging the coat and laying the band to rest for good… But there’s still a chance to see them live one last time.
Following a successful farewell tour, the band will make a special one-off show at ArcTanGent as their last hurrah. It’s sure to be a bittersweet moment: it’s a swan song and it’ll be sad of course, but it’ll also be full of that raw, angry, authentic energy that Ithaca can conjure on a live stage. As far as opportunities go, it doesn’t get much more unique than this, so I’d mark it as a priority on your agenda.
Massive, right? And those are just some of the reasons I’m excited for this edition. I mean, there’s still The Callous Daoboys, Ahab, God Is An Astronaut, envy, Pelican, Kylesa, Melvins… There’s something for everyone at ArcTanGent, and everyone is always welcome.
They’ve just released the full clashfinder at their official app, so it’s time to get to work and choose your battles! I’m already dreading some of these clashes, but with a lineup this stacked, you gotta make some sacrifices. Why did everything have to be good? How am I supposed to make time to eat something?
Anyway, if you still don’t have yours, you can grab weekend and day tickets via DICE and secure your spot at the coolest lineup this side of the ocean has to offer. It’s so good, I’m literally crossing said ocean for it.
See you there!
Live shot of Animals As Leaders by Joe Singh
