ArcTanGent Festival 2025 – Where The Outliers Belong

Ah, the sweet ache of post-festival blues, that familiar mix of exhaustion and euphoria that lingers long after the final notes fade into the Somerset sunset. As music journalists with a shared passion for the weird and wonderful fringes of rock, metal, and everything in between, Thomas and myself have teamed up for this duo retrospective on ArcTanGent 2025. It’s our way of unpacking the magic, the madness, and the moments that made this year’s edition an unforgettable pilgrimage.

For us, traveling from afar, braving long flights, drives, and the inevitable logistical hiccups, wasn’t just worth it, it was essential. ArcTanGent isn’t your average festival – it’s a tightly knit community nestled in those expansive yet intimate fields, where the vibe feels like a massively upscaled backyard barbecue thrown by your coolest friends. From the sun soaked days (sometimes a bit too intensely) to the ethereal atmosphere that defies description, this event has a sorcery all its own, drawing us back year after year with its insanely curated lineups, laid back charm, and that undeniable sense of belonging.

We’ve both become self proclaimed veterans after three visits each, and each time, it only gets better, transcending the music to become about the family we’ve found there. Join us as we dive into the highs, the heartaches of brutal clashes, and the sheer joy of it all, proving why ArcTanGent stands as a beacon in the world of live music, thriving against the odds in these turbulent times for festivals everywhere.

Tom: Hey Rob! I am finally home after my pilgrimage for ArcTanGent 2025. Feeling equally fulfilled and tired over here. How about you?

Rob: Hey Thomas, so am I. The festival can really take its toll, never mind when you incur bad logistic choices like me, hahaha! We both traveled quite a long way to get there and most people hearing us talk about that would say we maybe aren’t in our right minds to do so. I believe that all of the below will change their minds, don’t you think?

T: Oh most definitely. Catching an 11 hour flight just for a festival might seem crazy for some, but I’d go even further for all that ArcTanGent has to offer. This has been my third time attending and it only seems to get better each time! I can honestly say I feel like an ATG veteran by now, and I feel right at home at its sunny (sometimes TOO sunny) fields.

R: It’s my third time as well and while for me it was only a 2 hour flight plus a 4 hour drive, the time in between adds up close to what you went through. Safe to say from my end as well that it’s worth the trek. We’re definitely veterans by now, though maybe not as much compared to the locals who’ve been to most editions. It’s interesting though how homely the festival can feel. I kept trying to explain to people how it all goes down, but I feel that a lot is lost in translation. I mean stripping it down, it’s just a big field with some trees, tents, and shacks. Though it’s big enough to feel like a proper festival, yet small enough to feel warm and tightly knit – feeling almost like some massively upscaled barbecue a friend is throwing at their house.

T: It does feel very intimate, and it’s all the better for it. If you ask me, ATG trumps any of the huge summer festivals out there for this exact reason – it’s just big enough for it to have a real, tangible community feeling. The first time I came, in 2023, I managed to experience a little bit of that, but by my second time in 2024 I was properly soaking in the feeling of being an actual part of this community. By now, I find it hard to imagine not attending ATG every year. It has transcended music and lineups for me, as I now have great friends I made there throughout the years. It’s about this family as much as it is about the music. And that’s saying a lot, as the music is always astoundingly good!

R: It’s all of the above, plus, something ethereal. It’s probably the only event/place of its kind I could ever agree that it has a specific vibe. I think that beyond the insanely well curated lineup, the lovely people, the laid back atmosphere, the lush assortment of foods, the vibe is what has us going back again and again. It’s so moreish and so welcoming. It just feels right. I’m not entirely sure what kind of sorcery is that, but damn, I’m glad it exists. At my first attendance, back in 2022, I was so overwhelmed with everything, it was just 3 days of grinning and constantly thinking ‘wow’ like I’m paid for it in gold. This magical aspect of ATG, I think, beyond being its hallmark, will be the main reason it will endure and stand tall as a unique beacon in the world of live music – as I see it.

T: Exactly! It’s honestly heartwarming that an event like this can continue to thrive, grow and retain its atmosphere in these trying times. Festivals all around are suffering and being cancelled left and right, so seeing an ‘out-there’ independent event like ATG keep its footing is honestly kind of a privilege. But anyway, let’s get to the good stuff!

On the borders of safety (Wednesday)

R: Indeed, it’s time to unpack, with all the good and bad (though there’s barely any bad if at all to be honest) we’ve witnessed this year at ATG. As I mentioned, I basically screwed myself with my logistic decisions, ending up with a departure in the dead of night and arrival in the early morning hours on the first day of the festival. I was especially psyched for this year’s Wednesday, since for the first time they opened 2 stages and added much more bands than before. Unfortunately I didn’t catch much as I was struggling with being strung out and setting up camp. I did hear Sans Froid‘s set clearly while I was unpacking, especially since not so many people were present and making noise, and I liked what I heard. I’m sure their stage presence was also great. I also managed to get glimpses of some of the other bands of the day but I retreated back to camp sometime before Wardruna took the stage. You did mention you got through quite a fair bit of the Wednesday bands right?

T: I did! I started of my Weds with Hundred Year Old Man, and they were ace! As usual, ATG‘s Wednesday features bands from past editions as sort of a ‘greatest hits’ welcome day, and I didn’t manage to see HYOM last year, so I was more than happy to make up for it. It’s post metal at its finest, and a baller start to a great day for me. I then saw some of God Alone‘s set – they were real fun last year on the silent disco and even more so with a full-on show. I was also really glad to see Healthyliving again! They were a personal highlight last year and I love their approach to sad, emotional rock. Year Of No Light once again delivered a real face melting set – I mean, having two drummers is just cheating! A pleasure seeing then again, as was seeing Kalandra. As far as folky bands go, they’re one of my favorites, and I was bawling by the end of “Borders”. The biggest highlight for me, however, was the mighty Slift! Man, what a powerful and hypnotizing show. I missed them last year in favor of seeing Caspian and I’m glad they played this year again, as every stoner / psych rock fan just NEEDS to witness them live. Opening up with one of my favorite tracks from them, “Ummon”, the band then took an adventurous route and played all new music from an upcoming record. Spoiler alert: It’s gonna be awesome! Mesmerizing show, in every possible way.

And of course, we had Nordic folk giants Wardruna as the big headliner for the day! It was a very special one off occasion where ATG opened up its Main Stage for the first time on a Wednesday in order to have the band’s full theatrical experience in play. There was a lot of work behind the scenes to make this show happen logistically, and I was wondering if it would be worth the trouble. Unfortunately, I ended up not really enjoying this show. There were some nice moments sprinkled throughout their performance and there was a lot of passion coming from all performers, but I found it hard to stay engaged throughout the entire show. Perhaps a hot take, but when it comes to this kind of music, I think Heilung put on a way better show back in 2023, both sonically and visually. Still, people seemed to have quite a grand time at Wardruna and the tent was packed, so perhaps it was worth the hassle after all.

R: It sounds like you didn’t really miss out on anything, you properly gorged yourself on what the lineup had to offer. It also sounds like you had an absolute blast throughout this first day – unlike me, hahaha! It’s fine though, a pinch of suffering is metal and will always make for good contrast with the better stuff. While I was still not fully me on Thursday, I was feeling able enough to tackle my absolute-musts for the day.

Helping them find the sea (Thursday)

R: I had a slow morning, loafing around the fest grounds chatting up with random people and 4 coffees later I was properly hyped for Maud the Moth. It was quite easily one of the most stand out bands from the fest. I reviewed their latest album back in February and I was very glad to have experienced some of that live. Truly shiver inducing stuff. My only gripe was that they were put very early, on a 30 minute set. How did your second day start?

T: I got early pretty soon for a double dose of post metal goodness with both Codespeaker and The Grey! Both promising bands, each with their own flavor within the genre and a solid wake up call! Nothing like having your coffee while being properly blasted by some thick riffs. I did cool down with Maud the Moth too! Love that Amaya did double duty this year, both with Healthyliving and her solo career. Can we have her every year, please? My first properly big show for the Thursday was We Lost The Sea, though! And man, what a show. Post rock is always best experienced live, but the Aussies honestly put on one of the best shows I’ve ever seen on ATG. The set was focused on their new album A Single Flower, which I listened to quite a bit, as I did review it. It’s already powerful on record, but live? I was blown away and I was properly sad by the end of it that I’d miss their Departure Songs the next day in favor of BTBAM. That is an evil clash though – but I’m getting ahead of myself here. What other highlights did you catch on your Thursday?

R: Honestly? I think having some Amaya Carromero project at ATG every year should not only be feasible, but necessary. I actually checked out Healthyliving per your suggestion after the fest and it’s nice, but I still prefer Maud the Moth. I would’ve loved to see We Lost The Sea, but I really wanted to see The Gorge, whose latest album I reviewed some time back. It’s probably one of the best bands in this technical, groovy, and heavy area of metal at the moment. I don’t regret my decision, it was one of the most engaging and powerful metal performances I’ve seen on set. The live mix was also extremely good. It was easily of the most clear and precise sounding bands and mixes I’ve heard. It was also pretty nice to see their first ever set in Europe. I also loved how the mosh pit was essentially composed of confused headbanging – so many weird time signature changes and generally complex things going on.

Afterwards I took the quickest breather and went in to Lowen. I know you were super psyched to see Lowen. I do have to say it was an extremely difficult decision to pick between Lowen and snooze. This is one of my few legit complaints, this clash was nasty. We got done dirty. I am 150% sure that there could’ve been a workaround for that. I am dead certain a lot of the same people would’ve been at both bands given the chance.

T: Oh for sure that was a hard clash, but I wouldn’t miss Lowen for anything. Their newest album was my personal AOTY last year, and I was beyond hyped to see them live! It was, of course, a great show, but unfortunately I do think their live mix was very off. Kick drums were drowning everything, and I wanted the riffs to hit harder! I do think the sound on the Yohkai stage, which they played, was off in general and that seems to be a regular issue over the years. Nevertheless, I was able to bask in the glory of Nina Saeidi’s vocal performance which is second to none. Lowen need to play next year too – this time, with a proper live mix! Fun times continued as I went for Melvins and then Kylesa. Both of those shows were properly amazing! I’m not really that familiar with the Melvins‘ music other than their big classics, but man is their live show good. It was another show with double drummers and I’m just hoping more bands hop in that trend, as everything just gets amplified into oblivion! Kylesa followed with a nasty, heavy set that was a proper headbanger! I’m very glad they’re back onstage, and I hope a new album follows soon enough.

R: I agree, Lowen‘s live mix was pretty bad. Though I do feel that most of the bands playing on Yokhai sounded pretty tight, like BTBAM and Maybeshewill for example. I went into essentially the opposite direction though, firstly to The Fall of Troy at the main stage. They put on one hell of a performance, packed with energy and brightness, though I wasn’t exactly enchanted with their set list, I expected more of the riffy bangers from them, but I did have fun.

Afterwards I ran straight to vianova, eager to see what’s in store. I almost lost it laughing with their over the top suits and get up, but I have to commend them for dressing up that thick in that heat and holding down a full set flawlessly, they are hardcore. I was also surprised at that time to find out they are from Germany and that this was their first gig outside of Germany. In my experience at least, German metal bands can be a bit dry or not super inventive compared to other regional metal scenes in Europe, particularly in contrast to northern scenes. vianova smash that preconception to bits. They are immensely refreshing in an off kilter way which just works. It’s kind of hard to describe, but it’s basically a mish mash of all kinds of disparate ends of music, glued together with nasty breakdowns and it slaps big time. Their delivery was highly energetic and very engaging, it was a delight to see them go at it on stage.

Then I took a well deserved break and afterwards went to sungazer, which was one of the most anticipated gigs for me. It was unrealistically good. Nothing could have prepared me for what this band means in a live setting. I was basically familiar with their material, but never had super strong feelings for it. I was essentially more into Adam Neely‘s YouTube videos about music related things. It was shocking in the coolest sense to see how markedly different Neely is on stage compared to what we’re used to seeing him like in his videos. He is cut from the very same cloth as all the big rockstars as I see it. He commands the stage, the audience, and his instrument like they are extensions of him. He is fully immersed, and fully engages with us, the crowd, and his band mates. Never mind the fact that his playing is just clockwork – same as the rest of the band – they are just world class in that sense. From hereon out, Neely makes far more sense on stage for me than on camera. The vibe was also something of a dream. So upbeat, colorful, rich, lush and exalting. The mix? My god it was hands down, without a shred of doubt, the best live mix I have ever heard across every gig I’ve ever been to.

I was so transfixed that I was simply stuck in place where I positioned myself in the crowd, like a statue. A few of my mates asked me after the show if I liked the set, because they thought I was bored. I was simply so utterly hypnotized and overjoyed by everything that I physically shut down almost entirely, just so I can make sure I’m sipping in every last drop of what I’m getting. It was truly a marvelous experience. I would nitpick that they could have closed with one of their own songs instead of a Mahavishnu Orchestra cover, but it was an outstanding rendition, so that’s just my preference. My one actual issue was the light show, it was just always strong beams straight in our eyes, I only managed to actually see half of what was going on due to having to avert my gaze constantly. It was pretty annoying, especially when you’re seeing a highly proficient and engaging band as them, where you really want to see not just what they do, but how they act it out. I think sungazer refers to us gazing in the sun which is the light show, hahaha! Nevertheless, it was exceptional and the crowd’s thunderous, deafening ovation is the only proof we need of that. That was a main stage headliner’s ovation they got.

That concludes my Thursday, I was spent afterwards and I honestly never was enough into GY!BE to push myself further. I just called it a night and prepared for the next day.

T: Man, now I am kind of sad I missed sungazer! I find it cool that more jazz-oriented acts are finding their way into ATG lineups, and they’re one of the big ones. However, I needed a rest after the belter of a set that Leprous did! It’s crazy for me to be able to see them playing a big stage to a packed crowd. I’ve been following them since the Coal days, and nowadays they are proper giants in the prog metal world. Even if I don’t love some of their recent material, I’d be lying if I said those songs aren’t killer at a live setting. Their performances are astounding as ever, Einar Solberg has developed into a great front man and they control the crowd like no one else. They even have pyrotechnics on onstage now! Leprous are officially ready for the big leagues, and I can see them headlining festival pretty soon.

After that, I saved my energy for Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and I’m glad I did. While I was never an avid listener, I do enjoy their take on post rock and people always said their live show is immense, and it was indeed. Presenting their newest album almost in full, dedicated to the victims of the Palestinian genocide, it was grand, heartbreaking and soul warming. Every good thing I heard about their show is indeed true – GY!BE live is a must for any post rock enthusiast. By the way, did you do any silent disco at all?

R: Oh I completely forgot about Leprous haha! I just peeked in for a couple of songs since I already saw them like 4 or 5 times by now and to be honest, I wasn’t thrilled with the new material, so the motivation to stay through the entire set wasn’t really there. Though I do have a weakness for Einar’s voice and them generally as a band, so I had to get just a bit of that in. I am not surprised they delivered yet again, they are a very consistent live band and never really disappoint in that sense. I agree that they are ready for the so called big league. They just keep getting bigger and bigger. I only hope that the new album is just a minor dip and the next one will pick things up better, the same way Aphelion did after Malina and some parts of Pitfalls. Sounds like GY!BE was pretty massive, glad you managed to take that in fully. I didn’t do any silent disco, it’s something that just doesn’t make sense to me, but it’s cool that it’s something that’s being done, people seem to love it and from what I hear it’s packed every year.

T: Oh, I didn’t do disco the first time I went too but I tried it last year and boy is it fun! I didn’t think I’d have the energy for even more music after 12 or so straight hours of shows, but somehow, I did! It’s always great fun and the addition of actual live sets during silent disco is a huge plus! Do give it a shot next time if you can.

This world is alive, indeed (Friday)

T: Anyway, how did your third day start? I went in early for Overhead, the Albatross and while I did expect it to be good, I wasn’t expecting to be crying at the very first set of the day. It was cinematic post rock at its finest and just a massively cathartic show and an easy festival highlight. It was a testament on how ATG‘s curation for the early day slots is just as tight as their main acts!

R: I’m not making promises, especially after an entire day of going around stages, though I will try to make it in that case to one silent disco gig. That’s pretty dense though to start your day like that, but it’s good to know, like you said, that at any given moment, there’s something amazing always going on. I started the day easy knowing that I have some important things to see. I just sat around on coffees and went straight to Ithaca, knowing it’s their last ever gig. I hate to say it, truly, but it was a fair bit disappointing. I’m not sure what happened with the mix, because it just didn’t sound right. Having seen them 3 years ago at ATG, just fresh off the hype of releasing They Fear Us, it just wasn’t the same. Their performance was just as good, don’t get me wrong, but it didn’t quite kick the same way. There’s also the added reason of Djamila Azzouz’s vocals being fairly shot, although, that’s not a reason to complain actually. She mentioned having had lung surgery recently, and she still held the gig and gave it her all. That’s just fucking metal my dude. Mad respect for that.

It was rather bitter sweet, knowing as well that they are disbanding, especially when they were on the upswing as a band. It’s quite unfortunate. However, we have the memories to cherish them and when those fade out, the music will be always there in one form or another, keeping whatever legacy is there alive and breathing, one riff at a time. I also feel it was just a fair bit ‘unjust’ to not at least put them later in the day for a longer set on main, they would have deserved that fully.

At any rate, I took a breather and went back to main stage for Car Bomb, who I only saw once in 2017 in Berlin in some dinky metal venue. It was absolutely baller, blew me right away, especially when they slapped us in the face with “Scattered Sprites” and “Gratitude”. Again, a shame they didn’t get a bigger set. It’s amazing how precise and powerful their performances are. Car Bomb are easily at the top of the modern metal food chain if you ask me. Then, I somehow lost track of time trying to decide between EYES and Emma Ruth Rundle and instead ended up missing both so I went to see what was the fuss about Coilguns. Never heard of this Swiss band, but they play an interesting blend of hardcore which at times can be very melodic and other times incredibly savage and pissed off. A very authentic and engaging performance if I were to sum it up somehow, despite not being particularly enamored with what I heard.

I went back to main for envy afterwards, because I was very curious how they would hold up. To no one’s surprise, they were top notch. They landed and sounded just like you’d imagine from what you hear on record. A band that’s emotional, poignant, creating a sweet blend of aggression and wistful serenity. I just sat in my foldable chair at the edge of the arena, just gently or more aggressively nodding along. It was surprisingly poetic for a band that was born from hardcore punk and screamo, as they adapted more and more post rock influences.

T: Hard agree on Ithaca‘s sound – also ended up being a tad disappointed by that very same reason. Also I may be in the minority here, but I ended up not really vibing with the Car Bomb set at all, also mostly due to the sound. It sounded… muddy, I guess? Maybe I was just to tired to properly enjoy it, as they are a band that demand your full attention. Before that, though, I got a good dose of the very best of my homeland’s music with Papangu! Gotta say, as a Brazilian, I was a tad worried about how international audiences would react to their stuff, as there is a fair amount of traditional, local music. However, everyone LOVED it! The lads put on a baller performance and even manage to get most of the crowd singing in Portuguese. That was super special for me, as no other newish Brazilian band deserves more attention than them, if you ask me. Proud of them for real!

And I did manage to catch the Emma Ruth Rundle set you missed soon after, and it was as beautiful as one can imagine. Her music is as intimate and vulnerable as it gets, and it’s insane how much the tent was packed. I mean, it’s an acoustic show, in a main stage, at a (mostly) metal festival. And there she is, keeping everyone hooked with just her voice and guitar. Emma is as unique as it gets, and every chance to see her live is special. Even with the huge crowds, sometimes I felt it was just me and her over there. Gotta say, I needed that show – felt like a whole new person after that. Music is quite amazing, isn’t it?

R: It really is. I’m glad people liked Papangu. Even though I’m not really into what they do, I applaud their artistic bravery and level of creativity and it’s obvious they are doing something powerful and unique. I’m also glad to hear Emma Ruth Rundle did another wonderful set. I missed her in 2022 and now as well and I’m a little bummed out by that. To pile onto that, as we’re writing this I started listening to Overhead, The Albatross and now I’m super bummed out I didn’t go to their set. This is some absolutely glorious post rock.

Moving on though, after envy I took a breather and went to Green Lung. I needed something more easygoing but I wasn’t ready to retire to camp. It was pretty nice, nothing particularly noteworthy if you ask me, although it was a solid performance and the tunes were nice. I then went next to Between the Buried and Me for their Colors set. When I say next to, I mean that. By the time I got there it was just too packed and I wasn’t feeling like cramming myself anywhere. I just enjoyed their set from afar. I only recently got per se into them, because I never really understood their music to be honest, despite being super into prog in general. I sort of now understand why they get the hype they do, but it’s really lost on me ultimately as I never caught the bandwagon when the trend was hot. I do have to commend them for an outstanding performance. It was incredibly well put together and they really got the crowd going.

T: Oh man, don’t get me started on the Colors set! When it was announced at the very first batch of bands for this edition, I already knew I had to attend. As time goes on, that album just reaffirms itself as one of the best prog metal albums ever, in my opinion, and one of my all time overall favorites. Seeing it live from the front row? It’s for sure one of the best and most insane shows I’ve seen in my life and a memory I’ll treasure forever. I am gutted that during that same slot, We Lost The Sea were playing their classic Departure Songs in full and I had to miss it. That clash in particular was just pure evil – many people also agreed that choosing between those two was a nightmare! I don’t think I’ve seen an ATG clash so remarkably painful since Brutus vs Elder in 2023. While I do appreciate Departure Songs a lot, there was never a doubt in my mind I’d take the opportunity to see Colors in full, though!

R: It only occurred to me after the festival that this clash was just as egregious as the Lowen and snooze one. To be fair though, we have to admit that this year had far less clashes that felt like this much of a struggle compared to the last few editions, so it’s obvious that the fest organizers are definitely looking at our feedback and work on it actively. To wrap up that idea, I’m glad you and my other pals along with the rest enjoyed BTBAM and had the chance to experience that. While, like I said, I never got on the bandwagon at any level close to that, you all got a massive treat and that’s awesome.

Now I have to tell you and everyone about my treat with Maybeshewill, which is what I went to next. It was the third time seeing them and it may have not been quite as super amazing as the first time I saw them in 2022 at ATG, or last year in October in Budapest, it was something else. Celebrating their 20th anniversary as a band, they came on stage with two violins and a cello, to add some more depth to their material. Obviously an orchestra would’ve been ideal, but keeping things realistic, it was still delightful to have this as it is. The songs definitely came together in a scintillating manner, showing me a side of them I never pictured having only listened to the studio recordings. I remember the first time seeing them, I basically cried of joy through the entire set. Back then and now as well they closed the set with what I think is their strongest song, “He Films The Clouts Pt. 2”. It’s essentially a pocket symphony and it’s magnificent. It’s further amplified by the short vocal bit in the middle of the song, which the crowd always pitches in to sing along. I belted out the words with all my heart this time as well. It was majestic. How could it not be? An entire crowd going along through a grand chorus as the song lunges you into a massive climax afterwards. I will never turn down a chance to see this band as long as I can carry myself to a gig. To me they are the quintessential modern rock band, emblematic in their powerful delivery on stage and on record as well, with as much prowess to present tender and lighthearted moods as well as groovy and heavy ones.

T: I guess the reason for less clashes is also related to this edition having one less stage than previous years due to budget reasons – this resulted in like 20 or so less bands than last year. However, I do not think this affected the lineup’s quality at all. There was not a single time slot during any day without interesting music going on. This is of course due to the great curation team at ATG, always booking the very best of each genre the festival embraces.

And I’m very glad you enjoyed Maybeshewill! It’s awesome how so many bands perform special celebration shows at ArcTanGent – the festival became a pivotal part of many artists’ history, and it becomes home to them as much as it is to us, perhaps even more so. Sadly, I did miss their set, for a good reason – I just needed to see headliners Karnivool up close. Now then, like you, I’ve a very soft spot for prog metal, and Karnivool, despite their short discography, is very dear to me. I’ve never seen them live before, and them being an Australian band makes any show in my homeland a very unlikely scenario. This was perhaps my one chance of ever seeing them, and I wanted the best possible experience I could have. I did manage to get right to the middle of the barrier, and bask at their live show’s full glory!

It was, of course, an awesome experience – their live show is super tight and they earn their headline slot with pride. It was very cool to see some of their new songs live, too! “Ghost” in particular is a total banger and it made my very hyped for their next release, which will finally see the light of day pretty soon. My main goal with this show, however, was hearing their classics. I can’t put into words how special it was to sing along to songs like “C.O.T.E.”, “Themata” and “Simple Boy” until my lungs were split open. The crown jewel for me, as I expected, was “New Day”. It’s a very powerful song for me. lyrically and sonically, a song that I’ve always came back to when I needed to reassess my life or reflect upon myself. Hearing it live was honestly one of the best moments of my life, and the catharsis it brought to me was almost an out of body experience. It’s another memory I’ll take to my grave as a defining moment of my life. Funny how many of those happened on ArcTanGent by now. This is probably why I’m so biased towards this place. It makes dreams come true!

R: Honestly, you pretty much wrung the words right out of my mouth with Karnivool. The only difference is that fatigue was starting to settle in and I was around the edges of the arena, silently taking it all in. At one point, I think after “C.O.T.E.” I felt like I was riding the waves of the songs through space and eventually melding and becoming one with the stream of sound. It was definitely an incredibly powerful experience and I’m very happy to have been able to see them at least once. I am also incredibly hyped for their new album. The new material is incredibly promising and it seems like it will live up to the hype and make up for the rather lackluster Asymmetry.

I don’t know what a Tesseract is (Saturday)

R: That pretty much spelled out the end of my penultimate day at ATG. I just went back to camp and loafed around for another hour or so before lights out. In the morning I got up determined to get to Sugar Horse at the main stage. They always deliver the goods and I figured it’s a good way to start the last day. They were obviously on top of their game as always. Though it’s a shame they didn’t get a longer set slot this time. They have really long songs and could benefit some extra time to develop the moods and set everything in. Who knows, maybe next year. Afterwards I decided to just get a relaxed lunch and conserve my energy for Burner.

When I got to Burner I basically knew what was going to happen. I know they are probably the most savage and unrelenting phenomena in mathcore adjacent territory. Yet, nothing could prepare me for their live set to be honest. They really are fire beyond fire. They deliver an astonishing level of unhinged savagery with a truly uncanny precision and ferocity. It’s a sight to behold. Literally headbang galore. Everyone walking out of that pit with George Fisher type necks. Their set really raised the bar for me in all these terms. It was simply wow.

T: Ah, I’m glad Burner was worth it! Really like them on record and seems like a bonkers show – but I couldn’t miss The Callous Daoboys who were playing the same slot! I absolutely adore their newest album I Don’t Want to See You In Heaven – I already know it’s claimed a spot on my personal AOTY list – and I was really looking forward to catching some of their songs live. And man, what a show it was! Honestly one of the most fun gigs I’ve ever been to, and hearing belters like “Two Headed Trout”, “Full Moon Guidance” and “Lemon” live was just awesome. And they’re just so effortlessly funny – everything from their background screens to their onstage banter was on point. It made me reflect how much ATG has made a lasting impact on my music taste. Some time ago, that type of crazy mathcore wouldn’t be to my taste, but now I just love it to death!

Speaking about crazy, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum was also an unmissable show, and one of those that you remember in the long run. I’m not super familiar with their music but that show made me rush to get more – everything from the theatricals to the sheer rawness of it was super cool!

R: Now there’s another clash I didn’t consider. The Callous Daoboys and Burner. When The Callous Daoboys played in 2023 at ATG, it was a clear choice, 0 conflicts. I was amazed by their energy back then. A super heavy and honest band on stage, explosive even. Having seen them at that time, this time around I wasn’t so motivated to lose Burner over them, as both bands are equally unlikely to play anywhere near me, anytime soon. However, I am happy that you got the chance to go through this experience.

I’ve been listening to Sleepytime Gorilla Museum on and off for many years now, I discovered them about 16 years ago, around the time I was slowly digging into that area of metal and becoming more acquainted with maudlin of the Well, Kayo Dot, Ephel Duath, that kind of stuff. I always liked Sleepytime Gorilla Museum for their oddly theatrical flair, which never crossed over into being cheesy or too over the top, as it can happen often with this kind of approach. I loved their set, it was essentially without reproach and it was definitely interesting to finally have experienced that side of something that used to be just me and a pair of speakers. Although, I’m not sure why I feel like it didn’t quite land with me at an emotional level. I guess it might be this baked in bias of underlying expectations and whatever else I visualized in my head, listening to the band across the years. Nevertheless, a very interesting experience which was met with a lot of warmth by the audience.

I decided to take a quick breather after this. Initially I planned on seeing DVNE a second time, but the quick breather turned into a longer break. I guess I just lost track of time sitting in the field, staring at the sky and idly skimming through the people around. This extended all the way after BTBAM finished their set, which I would have also attended. So I ended up checking out most of Unprocessed‘s set, which was pretty solid. I’m not big on this band in particular, but I do like that area of metal a lot. I think they have the potential to become much more and I’d like to see if that manifests somehow in the future. For fans of the genre, they are definitely worth catching live.

T: Everyone I met was really buzzing over Unprocessed too! Guess I do have to pay more attention to them eventually, as I did use their slot to take a breather. Guess it’s next to impossible to catch all of the slots, and it’s a shame to miss out when the lineup is this stacked, but I’m challenging myself next year to do at least one day with zero skips. Let’s see how that goes! Anyway, I did see BTBAM‘s second set for the weekend, this time focused on career highlights, and once again, a total blast! I gotta commend Tommy Rogers’ vocal performance – my dude is just on top of his game right now! Incredible how they seem to be getting even better live as time goes on.

Rolo Tomassi was also something beyond special. They chose ATG as their 20th anniversary celebration just like Maybeshewill, and they made the most out of it with a career-spanning set complete with a string quartet. From the sheer energy of their early work to the beautiful chaos of their recent era, it was just immaculate. “Aftermath” and “A Flood of Light” had me tearing up big time, as I was expecting. They’re second to none at what they do, and I hope they have much, much more in store for years to come.

R: Yeah man, Rolo Tomassi was just something else with the string quartet. Makes me wish they’d incorporate that into the next album. No doubt that these quasi-symphonic renditions of “Aftermath” and “A Flood of Light” were emotionally indelible. Even though it was my 3rd time seeing Rolo Tomassi, this occasion made it a special set and their performance is as usual top notch. They are probably one of the most solid bands in heavy music all the way from what they put to record and how they are on stage. I’m really glad we had the chance to experience this.

I headed to Adebisi Shank after this, though I can’t say I was particularly moved by what I heard. I guess it’s just not my thing to be honest. The band was tight though and the people loved it. Following this I went into Clown Core. I was very excited to see them, due to their almost mythical status at this point which ironically came out of nowhere over what should’ve been a meme side project. Now this pulls in more people than the rest of the members’ other projects combined. Honestly, I don’t know what i was expecting, but somehow it wasn’t that. The performance was awesome and all that, though I’d like to see more than 2 minute bursts coming out of the power duo. They have incredible chops and ideas, it’s a shame from my point of view that they don’t take it further. Some of the projections were cool but the rest of the AI generated nonsense was overly gauche, garish, and senselessly edgy. I can get behind a lot of kinds of shitposting, especially if it’s genuinely funny, but this was just too much to be perfectly honest. I left sometime after half the set was done as it just felt like I was in some kind of a loop.

I was finally reaching the end of my battery, from all points of view. I would’ve loved to see God Is An Astronaut, as I never had a chance to catch them. I had to head back to camp and literally crash out. I was absolutely spent. I definitely didn’t lose any sleep over missing Tesseract. Nothing to see there to be honest. Maybe back in their heyday it would’ve been something, but now there are literal dozens of bands who do the same thing but better. I also think it was rather ‘unfair’ to put them again as headliners. I’m sure there were plenty of other suitable options. Alas, this isn’t something I feel strongly for in any way, I’m just in a position where I needed to find things to nitpick about since I don’t have any real complaints aside from a few lineup clashes. I do have to say, it was lovely to fall asleep to the distant sounds of God Is An Astronaut‘s set and the crowd gently murmuring.

T: I went the opposite way during Adebisi Shank and saw Ahab instead! Now, I’m not that big into doom, but damn if Ahab is not the finest modern band on that spectrum. The sound on their stage was just pitch perfect – every riff was massive in a way that it was impossible not to get pulled into it. It felt like a sonic version of drowning, and I wish I could drown on that marvelous sea of riffs forever! A weekend highlight for sure.

Seeing Clown Core right after that was such a change of pace, too! I checked them out just because, and honestly I kind of get it now! It was funny, engaging and I think their shenanigans do work pretty well live. I would enjoy to listen to more ‘traditional’ songs from them, as in something a little more structured, but perhaps they’d lose their identity in the process. Nevertheless, it was a fun little treat before I got into God Is An Astronaut, which I’d been dying to see! Another bucket list band for me, as I consider them some of the best in post rock, and they did not disappoint, even if the sound could have been a bit tighter. The show was already pretty awesome and then, out of nowhere, cellist extraordinaire Jo Quail steps in and joins them! Now, I don’t remember that being announced anywhere, so it was a very nice and welcome surprise for me and it really added to the songs. They even extended their set for a bit, and I didn’t mind that at all.

As far as Tesseract goes, I did have the same thoughts as you beforehand, but you gotta remember they were supposed to be Wednesday headliners, which is all about repeated artists from last years, but scheduling issues made them switch places with Wardruna. I honestly think this swap ended up being a good thing – I didn’t really vibe with Wardruna, so having them as the last act on the festival would have been a bit of a sour note. Now, while Tesseract did play it safe set list-wise, I can’t deny it was a super tight show. The addition of two female backing vocalists added a very interesting layer to their melodies, and the stage just looked massive! And of course, those guys are just great live! I think they earned their main headliner slot and capped ArcTanGent 2025 in grand fashion!

I was super tired too, but since it was the last day – and my birthday! – I did brave through silent disco again, as that is just so much fun. The John Cxnnor set was damn awesome, and partying with my good friends at the soloers group is always the best of times.

R: Yeah, I do wish I would’ve had just a smidge more stamina to make it to at least God Is An Astronaut. I guess I’ll have to catch them another time. Maybe they’ll grace us with a Wednesday set next year, who knows? In any case, I’m glad you had a better time than I did on the last day of the fest. I do have to call back at your previous claim that you want to do a no break day and chain gigs – I wish you the best of luck with that extremely brave endeavor. I personally can’t see myself doing essentially 12 hours of loud music back to back, I’m not made of pure energy hahaha!

To wrap things up, I think it’s pretty obvious we love this festival to death and that it’s one of the most amazing events in terms of all things music going on. If our testimony here doesn’t convince others to go, nothing will. As far as I’m concerned, ATG isn’t just another festival, it’s a pocket universe and a vibe at the same time.

T: A pocket universe, exactly! It feels so good to be transported to a place where all my issues go away and my main problem is ‘which awesome band should I see next?’ As an outsider, I honestly feel very privileged to be able to attend ArcTanGent once again. I’ve mentioned time and time again that it feels like home to me, and I mean it. I feel free there, like I am a real part of the community. I could have a chat with anyone, make a new friend and have a great time. I think every smaller-ish festival aims to create such an atmosphere, but ATG just nails it.

I mean, there’s no lineup news yet, but I’m like 95% sure I’ll be making it next year too. Why? Because I trust the curation team to deliver the very best of weird, out-there music once again, and like I said, ATG is my musical home, and one can’t stay away from home for too long.

This has been a great chat Rob, it was awesome bumping into you at the festival and talking this through. If I can say anything for the people still reading this very nerdy conversation, it’s this: if you like your music weird and can only attend a single European summer festival in your life, make it ArcTanGent. Trust me.

Until we meet again…

As our dialogue draws to a close, we’re left reflecting on the profound impact of ArcTanGent 2025, a festival that once again proved its resilience and allure in an era where so many events falter and fade. This wasn’t just another gathering; it was a pocket universe where worries dissolved, replaced by the thrill of discovering which mind-bending band to catch next, surrounded by a community that feels like home no matter how far you’ve traveled.

The intimate scale, the ethereal vibe, the impeccable curation, it’s all woven together into something truly magical, heartwarming, and moreish, ensuring we’ll be back for more, lineup unseen, because ArcTanGent has earned our unwavering trust. It’s transcended mere music to become a yearly ritual of connection, catharsis, and unbridled joy, leaving us fulfilled yet yearning for the next chapter.

Before we sign off, a massive, heartfelt shout out to everyone who made this edition possible. To the festival staff: your behind the scenes dedication, from setup to teardown, keeps this independent gem shining bright, thank you for creating a space where magic happens. To the bar staff: you kept the spirits high (literally and figuratively) with your friendly service and endless energy, ensuring no one went thirsty amid the heat and headbanging. And to the food vendors: your lush assortment of delicious, diverse options fueled our adventures, turning simple meals into memorable highlights that added that extra layer of warmth to the experience. You all are the unsung heroes who make ArcTanGent feel like a welcoming family affair.

Until next year, keep the riffs heavy, the vibes welcoming, and the community strong – cheers to many more pilgrimages ahead!