ArcTanGent brings a brilliant bill to Bristol
With summer festivals slowly creepin’ up, the crew over at ArcTanGent have billed one of the greatest rock, metal and alike lineups we’ve seen in many years. Bringing a whole host of international bands as well as some classic and newcomers in the UK scene.
ArcTanGent were the winner of Best Small Festival at the UK Festival Awards 2018 and we were also shortlisted for the Best Line-up award – so five years on, they have only grown this mammoth festival to epic proportions. In honour of this truly mind melting line up, we present to you our top picks for bands performing over the 4-day extravaganza!
Do not sleep on buying tickets, which can be purchased HERE, they even have a buy now pay later scheme! Also, we’ve been sessioning THIS playlist in the office and our neighbours are starting to get the hump!
Top picks you’ve likely heard of:
Converge need no introduction. Being hailed as the epitome of Metalcore, Mathcore, Hardcore punk… the list goes on! Their 2001 album Jane Doe marked a surge in the scene, and is in the top 10 (if not #1 of so many greatest albums of all time lists!)
Sikth, the crazy cats from Watford, released 2 albums back in the early 2000’s, concocting a mixture of progressive metal with mind numbing avant-garde metal, they disbanded for a wee while from 2007-2013, but hit the ground running with their release of their thirds LP in 2014. A fantastic addition to the already jam packed line-up.
Rolo Tomassi have pivoted slightly from their mathcore roots and their last two-releases Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It in 2018 and Where Myths Become Memory in 2022, defined their new sound and were my favourite released of those years. Easily one of my top pick for the festival.
’68, this two-piece rock n’ roll n’ noise band, with one member of The Chariot – (Josh Scogin) & newcomer drummer – Nikki Yomada, prove you do not need 5 members to cause a ruckus. I’ve thankfully seen these guys a few times, and this set will no doubt have you leaving the tent wanting more. A MUST see!
The Fall of Troy, an early 2000’s crowd favourite. This 3-piece leave no prisoners with their chaotic time signatures, varied vocals from lead singer/guitarist Thomas Erak, and general fantastic banter on stage.
Top picks you may not have heard of, but definitely should:
Pupil Slicer, this four-piece self defined as Mathcore/Deathgrind/Powerviolence (fucking love it) started an online presence in 2021, popping up on forums and blogs, I actually discovered them on a Dillinger Escape Plan fan page on FB. Once I heard them I was fucking hooked, this band are making moves, and you best gets outa their way!
Pigs x7, from Newcastle, UK, they have an almost cult like following online. Their rambunctious performances on stage, have them noted as some heavy swingers in the stoner metal and hard rock circles.
Brutus, this three-piece from Belgium have a truly unique sound merging post-hardcore with shoegaze, and their hooks will stick in your mind for days to come. They’ve just released their fourth album Unison Life which is well worth a listen!
Petbrick, are Wayne Adams (from London) and non-other than Iggor Cavelera. Its pretty much a blend of metal and horrible noises. Worth a watch to simply see how the fuck they do what they do.
And last but not least, ArcTanGent bring the rituals of Heilung, to Bristol! I was lucky enough to catch this group in Sydney, Australia, last month, no words can do them justice, so just click HERE to see the imagery captured… As well as the review 😉
In short, this festival is not to be missed, and if you’re not a tenting festival goer, they even have pre-erected tents and tipi’s which is basically like sleeping in a house for the four days. See you in the pit!
Words by Adam Davis-Powell.
