By Jase W
I think I’m still drunk. A pint of orange juice and a Bunnychow should see me right soon… I think? Either way I’ve slept in and had to get ready pretty quickly because Caligula’s Horse are one and I’m not missing my second chance to see them while they’re on this side of the planet.
Blasting through a pretty similar setlist to what they played at RADAR but with a sound mix that I can only describe as a bit “off” with the bass drum being insanely loud compared to the rest of the band. ‘Rust’ is clearly going down well with the crowd and I can hear some people nearby commenting on how they had no idea who Caligula’s Horse are but they’re bloody loving it: more fans added to the Australian prog metal scene! Nothing but adoration for Caligula’s Horse though, it’s no small feat running through a tour like that when you’re about as far away from home as you could possibly get, safe trip home lads.
A quick step away to the Bixler stage next for the extremely last minute fill-in for Unprocessed, blanket. Not that I’m complaining or anything, I bloody love these, the whole shoegaze/post-rock sound they’ve got fits ArcTanGent like a glove. Their mix is pretty outstanding as well, great balance and floods the Bixler stage with sound and surrounds me like a nice, warm… blanket. Definitely one of the more chill acts I’m seeing today, I did miss the backing video they sometimes use on their tours. I wish they had a bit of a better turnout but it was fantastic all the same.
Next up is a 180 turn to the main stage for Holy Fawn who I’ve been told many times are great but I’ve never had a chance to see. Keeping the shoegaze theme going from blanket although a lot heavier and frequently using terrifying screams. They’ve packed out the main stage tent so I’ve opted to have a sit down on the grass outside to rest myself a bit because we’ve got some big hitters on today! This sort of music feels like it would work a lot better in a darkened room to really get a feel for its overwhelming power, as I’ve remarked before, middle of the day in a field sometimes doesn’t quite feel right for some bands and Holy Fawn feels like one of them. I’m definitely enjoying what I’m hearing but my lack of familiarity with them is probably limiting that a lot as I’ve not gotten round to listening to them prior to this. I don’t doubt I’ll be kicking myself after a proper listen.
After a break and some chats and the like back at camp, next up is Project Mishram from India and their djenty fusion with Indian folk music. Since seeing them at Tech Fest a few years back, I’ve become a massive fan of theirs! Every bit as intensely melodic as they are rhythmic, using Indian gamaka style singing along with various backing synths and what looks to be a fiddle mashed against palm muted, rapid fire riffs. I’m fairly sure this is the biggest crowd they’ve played to in the UK as well! Seems quite a lot of people are new to them and are marveling every bit as much as I did the first time I saw them. Something about this fusion of styles really scratches an itch for the unusual mix and does it really well. I truly hope this is a sign that they’ll be able to return to the UK and Europe more frequently!
And the band I’ve been waiting all day for, along with wearing the t-shirt, And So I Watch You From Afar (ASIWYFA for short). One of the premier post-rock bands from this side of the Atlantic and favourites of ArcTanGent draws in a predictably massive crowd and I’ve decided to keep my spot sitting down outside the tent and just taking in the music.
One of ASIWYFA’s main draws is how dynamic their music is, you’ll often find a lot of post-rock tends to build up layers towards a peak and while some of their music does do that, the set they’re playing right now showcases they do far more than that. Switching gears to sometimes outright chaotic noise and pounding riffs, and no better way to experience that than at a festival that’s repeatedly had them back over the years and built a massive following as a result. Great show.
After resting at camp to duck out of the sudden change in weather which is pretty standard for ArcTanGent in all honesty, it’s time to duck inside the Yohkai stage tent for SikTh. They start off and the first song gets pretty messy part way through due to some bizarre guitar issues but it seems they’ve got it sorted quickly. I’m also wondering where on earth is Nolly (ex-Periphery/Red Seas Fire) as I could have sworn he was supposed to be filling in on bass tonight. It’s a bit of a rough start but to celebrate Justin officially rejoining the band, they’ve gone with ‘Philistine Philosophies’, and it looks like we’re back on form! Seeing these technical metal legends back on stage is something I’d never take for granted again.
Following a solo spoken word piece from Mikee, the shrill scream of ‘Pussyfoot’ signals the start of one of SikTh’s biggest bangers! Admittedly it seems that the technical issues have rattled them a bit and despite the solid setlist, I don’t think it was one of their strongest performances but that happens now and then unfortunately! Nolly finally makes an appearance towards the end of the set, great to see him up on stage again! Despite not really thinking the performance was stellar, I still enjoyed it on the whole!
I’m orgoing Heilung tonight in favour of Death Goals followed by LLNN because I’m a glutton for the loud and heavy stuff tonight. And as I’m getting a pint I hear Death Goals start with a cacophonous roar of noise and screaming, perfect. Their guitarist and singer flung themselves around the stage, smacking the guitar neck while screaming into the mic, it’s pretty intense to say the least. Just non-stop riffs for 30 minutes that seemed to get progressively heavier as the set went on to the point of absolute absurdity. A relatively short set but keeps my energy levels high by giving me the energy to just throw down straight for the whole set, outstanding.
Even LLNN’s opening track causes the bass to drive through my chest, arguably one of the heaviest bands of the weekend. Starting with just the singer screaming at the audience to start before the rest of the band appears on stage. The rest of them walk on and get straight into dishing out earth shattering riffs, as if giant boulders were smashing together. As we’re now in the midst of night, the darkness helps emphasise their use of strobes to drive the heavier sections and adds more atmosphere to this performance. I really cannot overstate just how stupidly heavy LLNN are, they’re competing with the likes of Humanity’s Last Breath for outright grit. Inexorable, relentless, crushing, obscenely heavy, everything a metalhead needs to throw down and go apeshit.
A superb way to close off Friday night at ArcTanGent… Now where did I put those silent disco headphones, as I sense another 3am finish \m/
- Early bird tickets for ArcTanGent 2024 are now on sale.
- PHOTO CREDIT: Photographs courtesy of Carl Battams/Derek Bremner/Joe Singh/Jonathan Dadds.
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