ArcTanGent 2024 Retrospective – Friday/Saturday
Words: Chris Taylor and Matt Noble
Photos: Carl Battams / Joe Singh / Jonathan Dadds / Derek Bremner
If there is one thing I have observed at Arctangent this weekend, is how the smaller stages always have a more than decent turn out. Even those bands first in the day, when everyone is nursing hangovers, every performance has a captive audience.
Something that wasn't unnoticed by local Bristol band Haal. Beginning at 11AM with a tent full of people ready to be mesmerised by a unique sound of ambience, tension, and the occasional loud riff. Haal's music draws you in and accompanied by projections of eerie imagery, it's certainly one of the most mesmerising acts of the weekend. The band treat this like a big moment in their career, and that appreciation for people who got up early to see them more than wins over the crowd. Haal have most likely left the stage a fair few new fans who will be keenly watching for what they do next.
Modern Technology open the Bixler stage on Friday morning to a crowd who turn up in good numbers considering the time of day. A bass/drums two piece, they boast some interesting rhythmic passages and Melvins-y riffs to entertain the festival. With a sub-heavy bass tone, the sound maybe isn't on their side today, with not enough treble audible across the whole of the tent to carry the weight needed for a duo. Yet they show plenty of promise and bite that sets them in good standing for the future.
It’s a disappointingly thin turn out for London synth rockers Zetra. One would have thought that with the band’s fast rise through the underground, culminating in a Royal Albert Hall slot supporting VV earlier this year, that enthusiasm for the duo would be at an all time high. Instead the footfall at the main stage, while not dead by any means, is surprisingly lacking and response is a little on the muted side. Despite that though, Zetra perform like they always do.
With tight instrumentation, great visual presence despite how minimalist it is, and with the absolute best vocal harmonies of the entire weekend. The setlist was perfect, with tracks from across their releases flowing seamlessly with singles from the upcoming debut, and with sound just right to capture the atmosphere. One can only hope that after the release of their upcoming debut album on September 13th the band can continue their rising status, so that next time they play Arctangent, more people will know to come and watch this potential headliner in the making.
Maruja's avant-garde take on post-punk entertains the Bixler Stage nicely. Complete with a lead saxophone and a frenzied frontman climbing the pylon and whipping the crowd into a ball of energy, the bass interestingly takes up a lot of the sonic space, sounding like an organ at times when played higher up. They have some fun, dance-y bits amongst their general weirdness that translate well into a festival setting and hype up those who've turned out. A storytelling vocal style adds another layer of uniqueness to a set that feels at home at a festival like this one.
Performing what's the start of their final shows, the proggy instrumental madness of Three Trapped Tigers is a real treat. Each member delivers a masterclass individually, but the synergy altogether is even better. The EDM-inspired beats turn the tent into a dance room with insane yet melodic guitar and synth lines over the top, with energy poured in from both the band and their crowd. It's almost half an hour before they speak to the audience directly, allowing their spacey and otherworldly music to do the talking. With their final tour in November, if you missed this set - take this as your chance to NOT miss those final shows. Joyous, transcendental fun.
Sigh performed to a filled Bixler stage and gave everyone there one of the most visually striking sets of the weekend. Their experimental take on extreme metal would have been enthralling enough, but Sigh dazzled with flaming katanas, chalices full of blood, burning books and so much more. Beyond just the visuals, the music soared with many different instruments and vocal styles so no minute was the same as the last. Audience members continued to funnel into the tent throughout the set, almost as if word had spread about the spectacle happening within. It takes a lot to stand out at a festival as vibrant as Arctangent, but Sigh went above and beyond in all aspects of their performance. Musically and visually, this was a weekend stealing show. Needless to say this band will have gained a few new fans after this set, so expect them to return. Here’s hoping it’s with even more blood.
The dazzling Animals as Leaders are the second most attraction on the main stage for Friday. Comfortably switching up from super heavy djent sections to melodic prog rock - and back again - it's nothing less than a total instrumental masterclass, possibly the most notes played in a single set on that stage. An insane series of guitar techniques, including thumping the low strings and off-time lead shredding, takes centre stage for the set.
There's all kinds of dissonances and rhythmic trickeries, and the faithful respond well with an intense pit opening early on. Though some lose attention at the tent's periphery as the hour rolls on, with the stunning instrumental passages blurring into each other, it's undoubtedly a hugely impressive and commanding performance by true modern day guitar heroes.
You simply can’t beat that sense of tension when Meshuggah are about to play that first note, even when you know the first song is probably going to be Broken Cog again. Quite possibly the most anticipated show of the weekend, the mainstage is full long before the band take to the stage. Meshuggah have little to prove here with their signature style of progressive metal that goes heavier than everyone else, moving the crowd more than any other band this weekend.
There was a sense after the two opening tracks that we were getting a repeat of last year’s Bloodstock performance, but differing tracks such as Kaleidoscope, Humiliative and God He Sees in Mirrors give the set a fresh feel rather than feeling like a band going through the motions. And yes. The rumours are true, Bleed is back in the setlist. The much loved but rarely played classic has now finally graced our shores again for the first time in many a year and the energy of the crowd went nuclear. There wasn’t a single stationary head in the audience, just imagine all the sore necks the next morning. When the dust settled after the weekend concluded, there were likely many people considering Meshuggah to be their highlight of Arctangent, and that would be more than justified.
Despite it being the middle of the afternoon, walking into the barely lit tent for Bossk, performing as silhouettes in front of a moving visual projection displaying distant planets and galaxies, is like a step into the dark night. It's undeniably cool and atmospheric - and I've not started on the music. Their post-metal sucks you in, extremely thick and dense at its heaviest, ethereal and clean at its softest. Both elements of the band's music bleed effortlessly into each other. As always, the pentatonic bounce of 'Atom Smasher' gets fists pumping and people clapping, which can certainly feel needed on a festival occasion like today. Bossk are on their finest form, and are the complete package with the stark visuals complementing the intense and goosebump-inducing audio.
A late addition to the bill, homegrown post-rock heroes Pijn deliver a performance laced with their signature emotion and wall of sound. Every note played drips some sort of feeling and a sense of real life, turned into an art form that's landed them the following they can boast today. Going from gentle whispers and morose chords to big, climactic crescendos, they dictate the mood for 40 minutes, a set length that doesn't feel long enough. A powerful take of 'On The Far Side of Mourning' ends the set, breaking their hypnotic spell as the music dies away and they leave to deserved applause.
New York’s experimental metal legends Imperial Triumphant are a special kind of heavy. The band’s mix of jazz with black metal creates a sense of unease and menace that is unmatched by any other band. Given the frenetic, hard to follow structure of the band’s music, this isn’t a crowd of people head banging (I don’t think anyone knew where the beat was to be honest), or moshing. It was simply a sea of people watching in awe and letting the carnage wash over them.
Imperial Triumphant are not a band to just passively listen to however. The band know how to hype the crowd, with Steve Blanco messing with his pedals to create the most horrific noise you’ve heard a bass make and gesturing the audience to scream along with it, and of course, Imperial Triumphant’s signature moment, spraying a bottle of champagne over the front row. The band’s music is designed to sound like the musical personification of New York, with all its decadence and noise, and their live show mirrors that expertly. If you have a chance to see this band definitely take it, it will be one of the most unique live feelings you’ll have had. And if you get to the front you get free champagne so what’s not to love?
Birmingham collective Outlander impress on the PX3 Stage. A set led by slow, graceful post-rock, they're a live force to be reckoned with as three guitars weave layer upon layer of musical ideas, textures and atmospheres. Drenching the tent in reverb, the audience bobs away appreciatively. On a day (and event) with several top notch artists inspired by shoegaze they still stand out, elegantly downtempo in a way that can feel overwhelming, fragile and raw. A bright spark on this circuit.
Dorset legends Electric Wizard are the real deal in stoner doom, sounding super thick, fuzzy and classy sub-headlining the main stage. A screen of spooky, Satanic visuals and a wall of Marshall amps build the atmosphere for a set of heavy, angsty doom metal mastery. Liz Buckingham elegantly holds a lot of the set together, faithfully churning out each riff after riff, allowing Jus Oborn to sneer out each vocal line and go crazy with reverb- and wah-heavy guitar solos. Cloaked in smoke from the stage (and some from the crowd with a funny smell) Electric Wizard bring a sense of intrigue and mystery on a rare live appearance from a band with such a cult following. 'Satanic Rites of Drugula' and a particularly triumphant 'Funeralopolis' to close are set highlights, a treat for any Sabbath disciple in the crowd.
The night belongs to Mogwai, who close the main stage in style. For a band with mostly quite gentle post-rock on a festival that's become heavier in more recent years, they're extremely well received tonight, though do have moments of bite and grit woven in. Their use of atmosphere is really a cut above many of the other stylistically similar bands, and they introduce noise and heaviness in a way that many of those that followed them don't quite emulate. With trance like layers and dreamy soundscapes amid an intense light show, Mogwai deliver a real experience for those lucky enough to be present. They draw from several different albums to treat their longterm fans with a career spanning set, plenty coming from their most recent offering 'When The Love Continues'. A flurry of weird, psychedelic noises and feedback calls time on a memorable performance and a memorable festival, of which they were famously the promoters' main choice to headline for the tenth anniversary of Arctangent. Spectacular stuff.
Photo credits: Joe Singh / Jonathan Dadds / Derek Bremner
