Words: Ash Bebbington  Images: Paul Lyme

GGGOLDDD

Dutch electronic gloomsters GGGOLDDD might not be one of the biggest names on the bill, but they certainly steal the hearts of everyone who’s turned out to see their set on Saturday afternoon. Their music sounds like a darker, more unsettling version of Depeche Mode at their most gothic, with a mixture of guitars, synths, and a drum machine creating a hurricane of nightmarish din. Vocalist Milena Eva is the star of the show though, her haunting vocals and bizarre dance moves melding to create a hypnotic performance that has the feel of a dark performance art piece.

The standout moment of the set, however, is the final song for which all but one of the band members leave Eva onstage to perform a deeply personal song about her own experiences with sexual assault. At points she appears to choke up, to which the crowd cheer her on with great fervour. Apart from that, however, you could hear a pin drop in the huge mainstage tent. Looking around the crowd afterwards, it’s clear how much of an impact her words have had on all present. Without that final moment, this would’ve been a truly great set. But with it, it’s elevated to become one of the best of the entire weekend.

fakeyourdeath

Brighton duo fakeyourdeath eviscerate the Elephant in the Bar Room stage with their heavy and aggressive brand of industrial hardcore. Vocalist Candi Underwood is an absolute whirlwind of energy, tearing through the set with a mixture of screams and cleans, while drummer Sam Barnes annihilates his kit throughout. The tent may only be around two thirds full, but those that’re present are clearly drinking in every moment.  

Rolo Tomassi

Considering they’re only in their 30s, it feels like Rolo Tomassi have had such a long career, and have really done the hard yards to get to where they are today. Their relentless hard work and honing of their craft have led to the greatest two records of their career, 2018’s ‘Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It’ and 2022’s ‘Where Myth Becomes Memory’. Their longevity shows in the quality of their performance as they rip through some of their more recent material which the crowd are evidently very familiar with. Indeed, the opening notes of each song often elicit excited screams from a large section of fans, even as some were still trying to figure out which song it was they’re about to play. In recent years, Rolo Tomassi have become one of the most consistently incredible live metal bands in Britain, and they prove it again here. Whatever the future holds for them, they’ve clearly got a dedicated audience who will follow them there.

The Callous Daoboys

“If you know the words to this song, I need you to scream very loudly. If you don’t know the words to this song, I need you to Google very quickly,” yells vocalist Carson Pace to a ripple of laughter as The Callous Daoboys launch into a racket of chaotic hardcore brilliance. This is a band that has blown up since the release of their 2022 record ‘Celebrity Therapist’, winning fans over with a combination of wry wit, chaotic hardcore brutality, and occasional moments of genuine melodic brilliance. All of those aspects of their sound are ramped up to the N’th degree in a live setting, to the point that people present who aren’t familiar with the band genuinely seem a bit confused. A couple of people even walk out shaking their head, a baffled expression plastered across their faces. The vast majority of the crowd couldn’t care less, though, and gets completely swept up in a set that’s fun and crushing in equal measure.

Deafheaven

One of the weekend’s biggest draws was Deafheaven playing their seminal 2013 record ‘Sunbather’ in full, which the organisers billed as a UK exclusive. Unfortunately for all involved, what looked to be a weekend-defining set is marred by technical issues from the get-go, taking the shine off what promised to be a celebration of one of the last decade’s finest metal records. It starts out well enough, with the Californian blackgaze kings delivering a note-perfect rendition of ‘Dream House’. However, at the song’s climax, singer George Clarke’s microphone cuts out entirely and doesn’t come back on again until part-way through ‘Sunbather’. This is compounded by frequent audio glitches and pops as well as issues getting the video backdrop working. The mood eventually starts to darken, with fans loudly exclaiming their disappointment and the band appearing frustrated.

To the techs’ credit, they do manage to fix all of the issues after the band have been onstage for around 30 or 40 minutes. To the band’s credit, they were consummate professionals, and keep on plugging away through what must’ve been a testing experience. Fans who stuck around for the whole set are rewarded with a glorious run-through of the final couple of songs from ‘Sunbather’. But once the set is over, the band look like they can’t wait to get offstage. Truthfully, it’s hard to blame them.

Tech issues happen. They are inevitable at an event of this size. It’s just really unfortunate that they happened to such devastating effect in a set that so many of the crowd were stoked to see.

The Fall of Troy

Post-hardcore trio The Fall of Troy sub-headline the second stage, melting the faces of those present with a perfect storm of noodley goodness. The tent isn’t as packed out as it has been for some previous acts on this stage, but those in attendance are having an absolute ball, throwing themselves around and yelling along to every word. It’s a livewire performance, the band members chaotically throwing themselves around the stage; especially impressive given the complexity of what they are playing.

Loathe

“This is our first time at ArcTanGent and we had no idea what to say expect but you guys have shown us an amazing time, thank you so so much,” says Loathe vocalist Kadeem France. This is no hyperbole, the legions of fans packed into the Bixler stage hang on the Liverpudlians’ every note for the duration of a brutally cathartic set. Everyone in attendance is clearly knackered after an incredible weekend, but tap into a final reserve of energy to match the controlled chaos of the sound coming from the speakers. Heavier tracks ‘Heavy is the Head That Falls With the Weight of a Thousand Thoughts’ and ‘Aggressive Evolution’ get a predictably feral reaction, while songs like ‘Screaming’ push the audience’s hoarse vocal chords even closer to snapping with rousing singalongs. It may sound cliche to say that Loathe absolutely levelled Fernhill Farm, but during a wall of death at the end of the set, it literally feels like the very ground itself was shaking.

Devin Townsend

“Oh my god guys, it’s a collection of power nerds,” says Devin Townsend at the start of his headline set, perhaps coming up with the most succinctly brilliant description of the ArcTanGent crowd anyone has managed.

The first clutch of songs in the genre-bending set are operatic and bombastic, providing the flagging Saturday night crowd with a much needed shot of energy. It’s clear that not everyone present is a massive Townsend fan, but he manages to win over even the most sceptical and tired of attendees with his razor sharp, self-deprecating wit, as well as his boundless enthusiasm. Devin Townsend is a man who is clearly absolutely thrilled to be there, and it’s nothing short of infectious.

He’s also an artist that clearly doesn’t compromise. “Here’s a song that you probably don’t know so, y’know, fuckin’ suck it,” he jests to laughs and smiles, but the joke betrays a steadfast determination to do things his way. This is underlined by the second portion of the set which Townsend describes as “weird stuff” that will cause “30-50%” of the audience to leave. They don’t leave but he’s not lying, this section really is downright strange. He keeps everyone onside with his patter, however, remarking at one point “this song has been voted the least enjoyable song for a festival environment so buckle up for the next five minutes!” This culminates – naturally – in a musical theatre-style piece that divides opinion but feels oddly fitting at the same time.

He then closes out his set – and the entire festival – with 20 minutes of his “heavy shit”, a whirlwind of fury that wins back those left on the fence by some of the set’s stranger moments. As he strides offstage, fans melt away back to their tents, with the most dedicated party animals heading to the silent disco.

After the show we got chatting with a group of friends from the Netherlands, first-timers at ArcTanGent who had travelled 12 hours by train to be there. We asked them if they’d be back next year, “oh for sure, we had an amazing time”. Off the back of a festival this stacked and this good, they surely won’t be alone.

Until next year ArcTanGent, the UK’s best metal festival.

Before we can get our Rolo fix we’re treated to a couple of strong supporting performances, the first coming from fast-rising UK heavyweights Heriot. The heaviest band of the night by a country mile, their abrasive brand of supercharged razor-sharp metal forces everyone in earshot to give their undivided attention to them, too scared to look away. They boldly open their set with their latest single ‘Demure’, and before it even reaches its halfway point it had opened a viscous pit that almost stretched the width of the room. It becomes immediately clear that the hype around this band is very real, and everyone in attendance tonight is feeling it. The set is largely made up of cuts from their debut album ‘Profound Morality’ which gets eaten up by both the hungry pit-goers and the head-bobbing observers – particularly that seismic ending riff of ‘Near Vision’ – but the biggest jaw drop comes as a complete surprise.

The second of the new songs they play – which I believe wasn’t named – is so intense that it completely silences the room, apart from a few cries of “oh my god” and “holy shit” that cut through the gaps in the breakdowns. The only respite from the onslaught comes in the form of a technical issue masked and covered by guitarist/vocalist Debbie Gough, who pushes her demonic banshee-like growls to one side to say, in the sweetest and most Brummie accent, “well, thanks for coming” to rapturous applause and cheer. When their set comes to an end the vibe in the room is one of bewilderment and shock, many left completely speechless and in awe of what they just witnessed. A true force to be reckoned with and one hell of a warm up for everything that’s to follow.

Next up is US black-gaze masters Holy Fawn, whose most recent album ‘Dimensional Bleed’ made it into countless album of the year lists in 2022. Rightly so, too – their blend of spacious, atmospheric serenity and dense black metal power makes for an almost transcendent journey, and the now very busy room was clearly keen to see how it translated to a live environment. They don’t just come on stage and play their music, they cast an atmosphere across the room and we’re all stood in it with them, and it’s impossible to take your eyes off of.

Surprising absolutely no one, playing these songs live just makes all of those traits even stronger. The bass and synths are so resonant they feel like they’re inside your body, rattling your bones from the inside out, and their music surrounds every single part of you. ‘Dark Stone’ and ‘Arrows’ most certainly provide that for the crowd, but the set highlights both come from their 2022 album, with the spine-tingling ‘Death Is A Relief’ and the bold and spacious ‘Void Of Light’ both putting the entire room into a sort of trance, all just staring forwards in wonder, totally speechless. Set closer ‘Seer’ ends their part of the evening in the most elegant and powerful way, the band stretching their dynamics to their breaking point to then release and stun the room. A very powerful performance, but in the opposite way to tonight’s openers – rich, moving and ethereal genius.

Every gig-goer in the room was beyond ready for the main event, something that became even clearer when the house lights dimmed and produced a deafening roar of anticipation. Slowly but surely, the opening tones of ‘Almost Always’ seep through the speakers and the band begin to emerge on stage, with lead vocalist Eva Korman arriving last to take her position at centre stage to kick off the evening. Her vocal performance, right from the get-go, is album quality – you could be watching them record it – and it makes the impact of the full band kicking in feel like a force blast. They have arrived and they have every intention of making tonight memorable, both for themselves and everyone watching.

Tonight serves as a tribute of sorts to the aforementioned trilogy of albums, celebrating what they’ve done for the band by visiting all three throughout the evening. Without warning, they rip straight into ‘Cloaked’ and the carnage gets underway. Pints flying, limbs flailing, bodies being flung onto the crowd, and the band clearly welcome what they’re witnessing – they give every ounce of energy back to the crowd, with vocalist and keyboardist James Spence thrashing in unison with the occasional grin glowing through. Now they’ve gotten started they don’t let the intensity drop, following with the full throttle ‘To Resist Forgetting’, the ominous ‘Labyrinthine’ and the downright evil ‘Rituals’ that all push the crowd to their absolute limit. Five songs in and it’s time for a break, coming in the form of the stunning ‘Opalescent’ that gives everyone a much needed breather as well as an opportunity to bask in just how good this band is. The way they’re able to switch from relentless metallic onslaughts to calm jazz-influenced serenity is second to none, and the crowd’s willingness to ride with them through the journey shows how passionate everyone in attendance is about this band. You could hear a pin drop in the quieter moments; that’s how transfixed the audience is.

After a frenzied waltz through ‘Stage Knives’, the band take a trip to their 2018 record for a couple of songs, treating everyone to flawless performances of the uplifting ‘Aftermath’ and the spine-tingling ‘A Flood Of Light’, both of which see Korman gracefully drift across the stage as she flows with every dramatic shift and turn. Followed by a powerful three hit emotional punch of ‘Mutual Ruin’, ‘Contretemps’ and ‘Prescience’, the first of which has the crowd in a funeral-like silence for the delicate piano outro, the main set comes to an end only for the “one more song” chants to begin building almost immediately. Without too much of a gap, the adrenaline-surging snare drum hits of ‘Drip’ burst into action, and the band return for one final blast of chaos. The pit reopens, drinks appear in the air, heads begin to bob for one final time, and the band expel every last morsel of energy they have for this closing display. As the song comes to an end, we are all left completely in awe of what we just experienced. A band on top of their game, but somehow making it feel like the best is still yet to come.

At around the midpoint of the set, Spence took a moment to really take stock on what tonight meant to him and his band, and his difficulty to locate the right words summoned huge cheers of encouragement from the crowd. It was a really sincere and powerful moment, and I think it highlights one of the most beautiful things about this band. There’s so much love shared from band to crowd and back again, and that love has just expanded as the years have gone by. Though tonight has been a really important marker in the band’s career, you get the feeling that this isn’t the last time that it’ll feel like this. Until the next one, Rolo Tomassi. Long may you reign.

DAVE STEWART

Words by Yasmin Brown [YB], Catie Allwright [CA] and Brad Stratton [BS]. Photos by Penny Bennett

HERIOT

Let’s hope you’ve got a strong stomach, because HERIOT are a lot to take in at 11am. That doesn’t seem to be an issue for the two-steppers who have congregated en masse, already swigging bottles of homemade Long Island iced tea and furiously headbanging. The Cave is aptly named and surprisingly full for such an early slot, but HERIOT are blazing a trail for themselves after releasing their debut EP in just April this year. Later referred to by James and the Cold Gun as “the best new metal band”, HERIOT’s performance is powerful albeit a little serious and stiff – they might have nailed down Debbie Gough’s shudderingly piercing vocals, drummer Julian Gage’s furiously relentless rhythms and guitarists Erhan Alman and Jake Packer’s chaotically intricate riffs, but it’s not clear whether they’ve loosened up into their fame enough to engage with their crowds and show us what a good time they’re having. But it’s still very, very early days for a band with such promise. [CA]

James and the Cold Gun

If James and the Cold Gun can be described in any single word, it’s ‘enthusiastic’. So much so, in fact, that front man extraordinaire, James Joseph, frequently finds his sunglasses slipping further and further down his nose as he throws himself around. It’s fairly dark inside the tent and sunnies certainly aren’t needed but it adds to the band’s edgy yet somehow flamboyant look – all part of their addictive on-stage presence. Joseph himself is the perfect front man, embracing a groovy persona and encouraging “the movers and the shakers” to do the same as they launch into a setlist full of cool rock songs. Flying their Welsh flag with pride, this Cardiff band aren’t afraid to cause a ruckus, particularly during the likes of ‘It’s Mutual’ and ‘She Moves’, and by the end of the set the previously modest and polite crowd join Joseph in the chaotic energy that now fills the tent. With bodies flying clumsily across the crowd by the time ‘Long Way Home’ plays out, it’s clear to say that this has been nothing short of a raging success. [YB]

Chapter & Verse

There’s nothing more impressive than a band that brings instant energy to a festival set. Many less well known acts take a moment to warm up – both themselves and the crowd. Chapter and Verse, thankfully, fit firmly into the former camp. Leaping onto stage in the jazziest of suits, front man Josh Carter demands that we move our heads to the music as they happily embrace their second appearance at 2000Trees. Their electro-rock sound goes a treat, the often poppy nature of their music making the heavier elements even more jarring in stunning juxtaposition. Carter is chatty and wholesome when interacting with the crowd but he’s given a whole new edge when he starts singing. Sounding exactly as he does on record, there are no faults to be found in his performance which shines brightly over the voices of those fans in the first few rows of the crowd. It’s these attendees to whom the band dedicate ‘Ink’ – “the ones who have been with Chapter & Verse since day one” and from the energy they’re throwing back at the band they certainly deserve this dedication, however it’s clear to see that there’ll be plenty of us standing with C&V moving forwards from today. Next time, this dedication will be for us, too. [YB]

Petrol Girls

You can barely squeeze into the Cave tent ahead of Petrol Girls’ afternoon set. Igniting their fierce punk with a tank full of gasoline, this “raging feminist” four-piece are certainly not afraid of ruffling feathers. They come with a message that they express not just through their music but their dramatic on-stage presence, too. Drummer, Zock Astpai, isn’t one to sit down, instead choosing to dance around in full connection with the songs whereas at the helm of the band, Ren Aldridge shows passion and ferocity through headbanging so hard you fear a concussion is on the horizon. At times, it’s so ferocious that it feels overwhelmingly jarring but then again, perhaps that’s the point. And if it is, Petrol Girls are achieving all they set out for and so much more. [YB]

Orchards

With a cute summer dress and a glass of wine in hand on stage, lead singer Lucy Evers is someone we want to be friends with (and take lessons in high-kicks from). She’s the perfect front for Orchards’ perky alt-pop sound, pumped and ready to party. But it’s not all dancing and trivialities as there are some important messages too: fuck the Tories, fuck The Sun, and don’t hold women accountable for fragile male egos. ‘Girlfriend’ is about just that – she could be your girlfriend, but she’s already committed to herself. Taken from their first album ‘Lovecore’, which was released in 2020, Orchards are now relishing the opportunity to play to bouncing live crowds after too long spent in lockdown. They’ve waited three years to be back on this stage, and are radiating energy and enthusiasm (even shedding a wholesome tear when the performance ends). The set is fun, authentic and has given us plenty of fodder for our summer listening. [CA]

ROAM

It’s a strange day for ROAM as while they see themselves on today’s mainstage, performing to a huge crowd of fans who know every word to their nine song setlist, there’s also a heaviness that accompanies such an accomplishment as today marks the band’s last ever festival. It’s a valiant farewell for this Eastbourne five-piece and as they faultlessly perform every note under the brutal afternoon sun, you can’t help but feel this is the perfect and only way for them to play out their swan song. [YB]

Puppy

They’ve forgotten their phone cable so there’s no “cool walkout music”, but realistically Puppy don’t need fanfare. The tent is a little sparse to begin with, but quickly fills as the deliciously catchy ‘Black Hole’ spills out from the Axiom Tent and draws in a crowd of eager moshers. Having first played 2000Trees in 2016, the festival rightfully saw something special in Puppy. And it doesn’t take much to understand why: it’s remarkable that such complexity and finesse comes from just three people. If there are better guitarists out there, we haven’t come across them yet! With a new album (‘Pure Evil’) now under their belt from a few months ago, Puppy have some fresh tracks to share with us including the almost satanic ‘Shining Star’, ‘The Kiss’ and ‘…And Watched It Glow’. But the crescendo is still ‘Forever’, the first song Puppy ever wrote – a high bar to set so early in your musical career (but absolutely not to say that more recent material is anything less). [CA]

HECK

This year’s not-so-secret Secret Set sees The Cave packed out for what has quickly become one of the must-see performances of the festival, as Nottingham noisemakers HECK make their triumphant return to the big stage five years after splitting up. Anyone worried that the quartet’s half decade away may have softened their approach to creating pure chaos in the live environment sees those fears quickly allayed, as co-vocalist and lead guitarist Matt Reynolds can be seen crowd surfing even before raging opener “A Great Idea Bastardised” has finished. What follows is 30 minutes of sublime mayhem, as it becomes near impossible to track where Reynolds and fellow vocalist/guitarist Jonny Hall are at times. The duo keep riffing away whilst passed above the heads of the crowd, perform in a circle pit at the back of the tent and keep screeching away on the mic at eye-popping heights after climbing up the tent’s middle pole. By the end of closer “Dave Lankester”, drummer Tom Marsh and most of his kit join the duo in the crowd, with bassist Paul Shelley the lone member left on stage as their set comes to a thunderous crescendo. That many onlookers left the tent struggling to process the bedlam they’d just witnessed is the sign that one of the UK’s most underrated bands are well and truly back. [BS]

Rolo Tomassi

Rolo Tomassi have made quite a name for themselves in the alternative / hardcore scene, so it only makes sense that today they easily fill the tent long before their set even starts. While the clean female vocals leave something to be desired, the guttural screaming is fierce and both facets of this band work in perfect juxtaposition to create an undeniably impressive performance. The popularity of this band is evident – you simply cannot squeeze into the tent no matter how hard you try, and make no mistake, many do – and it’s clear as to why. Their talent is boundless, their energy goes beyond even that and there couldn’t possibly be a better platform for them to express that than here today at 2000Trees. Long may they return. [YB]

Boston Manor

After an uncharacteristically lethargic start, the dusty main stage crowd quickly picks up following front man Henry Cox’s semi-aggressive encouragement. As the chorus of ‘Algorithm’ kicks in, Boston Manor are suddenly in their element at what is their “favourite festival”, continuing to easily engage the crowd for the remaining duration of their early evening set. It’s hot – like, really hot – but that doesn’t stop fans from losing their minds, obeying Cox’s orders like school children in a PE class as he commands that they successfully open and maintain a circle pit that goes beyond the sound desk for the duration of ‘Funeral Party’, embracing the heat, sweat and dust with glee. New songs ‘Foxglove’ and the live debut of ‘Passenger’ are received with uninhibited excitement, with fans screaming along to every word despite ‘Passenger’ only having been released a day earlier, in conjunction with the announcement of brand new album, ‘Datura’. Crowdsurfers catapult themselves into the air throughout the set but never more so than during ‘Plasticine Dreams’, making the most of the band’s last show for at least five or six months, embracing it with every last bit of energy they have to give. Following nothing other than a makeshift rowing boat in the middle of the dusty pit during the raucous ‘You Me & The Class War’, Boston Manor close off with some of their strongest songs to date. With one last chance to lose their minds, everyone who’s braved today’s heat launching themselves into the air, screaming the lyrics as euphoric adrenaline courses through them with ‘Halo’ playing as the soundtrack to this incredible moment. Boston Manor are everywhere in the UK scene right now – exactly as they should be. The next five to six months may be long without them but we’re certain that whatever comes next will be well worth the wait. [YB]

Turnstile

Turnstile really said “GLOW ON” and the sun said “okay then”. It’s a working theory that the heatwave across the weekend can be attributed to Turnstile being on the lineup, and witnessing their golden hour Main Stage performance was truly something special. Referenced by numerous other acts across the weekend, the crowd was (expectedly) the biggest of the day after the truly monumental reaction to their album released last year. If there wasn’t already enough anticipation, we were kept waiting for another fifteen minutes. But for the precious time we did have with Turnstile, we made it count. It’s hard to pin down exact moments when every track is a straight 10/10, from the glittering ‘MYSTERY’ and ‘BLACKOUT’ to get us hyped, to the frantic ‘HOLIDAY’ and ‘T.L.C (TURNSTILE LOVE CONNECTION)’ that bring the set to a heart-pounding close. Bassist “Freaky” Franz Lyons looks like he’s having the time of his life, with lead vocalist and keyboardist Brendan Yates enthusiastically swinging the mic in and out of the crowd to hear us just that little bit louder. “Until next time, I love you”, says Yates as he exits the stage – and he knows they’ve left us wanting more. [CA]

PUP

What’s up, freaks? Canadian punk quartet PUP didn’t realise there were so many losers at the festival and this self-deprecating rhetoric (a jibe at frontman Stefan Babcock’s grandmother who called being in a band a Pointless Use of Potential, inspiring their name) seems to be working. Their introduction was short and to the point – they’re going to rip through as many songs as possible in the time they have, pick anyone up who falls over in the pit, and just as importantly let’s have a great time. One person might have taken this slightly to the extreme, climbing a pylon and sheepishly shuffling back down when the crowd beneath didn’t seem willing to break their fall, but the rest of the tent is clapping, dancing and singing along to the likes of ‘Anaphylaxis’, ‘Sleep In The Heat’, ‘Morbid Stuff’ and ‘Kids’ – spanning their impressive twelve-year repertoire. This is the last date for PUP in a short but sweet UK tour and in Babcock’s words, festivals are hit and miss, but they were told that 2000Trees would be good and it didn’t disappoint. [CA]

Vukovi

Arriving right on time, Scottish three-piece Vukovi storm onto stage to a cacophony of marching beats and alarms. The clapping starts instantly as the “best up and coming band from the United Kingdom” appear in front of us and chants of “Here we fucking go” all but drown out the music. The anticipation builds up to an explosion as not even one song in people are squeezing into any available space left in the tent. The band exude boundless energy as always and this is something the crowd easily feeds off as, without encouragement, they throw themselves into the air in enthusiastic crowd surfing, screaming along to every word. This energy continues throughout as the band make their way through a setlist made up of endless Vukovi hits, with the likes of C.L.A.U.D.I.A’ and, of course, ‘La Di Da’ receive the strongest reception. Vukovi really are one of the greatest bands in the UK industry now and every opportunity to see them live feels more special than the last. It won’t be long before they make their way up the bill at 2000Trees and beyond and my God do they deserve it. [YB]

Thrice

Flailing limbs for Turnstile have been replaced with a quiet respect for this evening’s main headliner, Thrice. If you’ve been even mildly interested in alternative music in the past 25 years, you’ll at least be familiar with the name and there’s a real feeling of sharing our evening with one of the greats. The field seems divided between the diehard fans who have waited years to see the 2005 album ‘Vheissu’ performed in full, and those who can’t recite a single word but are still hanging off every one that leaves lead vocalist Dustin Kensrue’s mouth. It’s not a lively reception, but it’s the kind of melodic, emotionally heavy music that takes you inside your mind instead of wanting to outwardly throw yourself around. 

The ambience is taken to another level as the sky gradually darkens behind the Main Stage, putting even more of a spotlight on these masterful musicians and a perfect alignment with ‘Vheissu’s closing track ‘Red Sky’. With ten studio albums, the set barely scratches the surface of Thrice’s discography – but we’re treated to some of their other favourites like ‘Scavengers’, ‘Hurricane’ and ‘Deadbolt’ before we retire to our tents (or get stuck into the silent disco). If you get the chance to see Thrice in future, regardless of how familiar you are with their music, don’t miss the opportunity. [CA]

The insanely long queue for tonight’s show, which stretches all the way down the road from Oval Space and around the corner onto another street entirely, cements their immense popularity status with everyone discussing how much they love the band and how stoked they are to be here tonight. Once we finally make it inside the doors, that excitement hit the ceiling. With the band’s own ‘Where Malt Becomes Memory’ beer (which is bloody delicious, if you were wondering) filling the fridges behind the bar, a huge aircraft hangar-like venue as a setting and a room full of avid fans, you could feel the electricity in the air in anticipation of everything that was about to happen. This is going to be one hell of a show.

Hotly-tipped up-and-comers Heriot kick off the evening in the most abrasive way possible, flooding the senses with walls of heavily distorted sludge and feral vocal rage. There’s something so alluring about their sound, and the punch feels reminiscent of Code Orange – intense and unhinged in places – and the onslaught makes all the adrenaline in your system bubble furiously beneath the surface. Closing song ‘Cleansed Existence’ makes the biggest mark, getting impossibly heavier as it progresses, creating a crater of flailing limbs in the centre of the room. They set the bar so high for the evening and prove that all the hype surrounding them is worth it. They’re going to EXPLODE this year.

Next up are noise masters Pupil Slicer, whose terrifying 2021 debut album ‘Mirrors’ got countless heads gazing in their direction in awe of their math-metal assault. The first few songs of their set sound a little scattered and messy but after they get themselves warmed up, the tone of the set changes entirely. From that point on it’s calculated blow after calculated blow, dissonant stabs and thick riff jabs clocking you square in the jaw from every angle and leaving you bruised and confused. The performance they put on is chaotic and restless, just as you’d expect it to be, mirroring their music perfectly and adding that extra layer of finesse to their set. A slow start but by the time they reach ‘Wounds Upon My Skin’ they are a well oiled killing machine.

Ahead of Rolo Tomassi’s set, you can feel the static electricity in the room as everyone eagerly anticipates their approach to the stage, itching for the lights to come down. What will they open with? Will they gently ease the onlooking mass of fans into their pandemonium or open up a big ol’ can of nasty to split the room in two? To the delight of many, they choose option two, kicking off the night with a storming rendition of ‘Cloaked’ that sees pockets of the room burst into mosh mayhem. Launching into ‘Labyrinthine’ immediately after keeps the energy at peak levels, every ominous shift and bludgeoning guitar hit sending ripples throughout the venue. What a way to open the final night of their tour – no signs of fatigue, no notes out of place, just pure feral precision. Glorious.

‘Balancing The Dark’ provides the first breather, but not really. The moments of calm are fleeting, dotted alongside passages of pure melancholic onslaught that rip through the crowd like daggers. A sea of raised fists and a swirl of limbs continues to rage in the middle of the venue and the band keep poking the hive to make sure they don’t stop moving. New tracks like ‘Mutual Ruin’ and ‘To Resist Forgetting’ go down a treat and prompt deafening cheers during their quieter moments, older tracks like ‘Rituals’ and ‘Alma Mater’ encourage pure carnage but the most special moment comes in the form of the beautiful ‘Closer’ that ses the entire room come together in a collective hypnotic state to marvel at the absolute bliss flooding from the stage.

After a performance of ‘Aftermath’ that’s so perfect it could be the album version, they leave the stage and the night feels like it’s over too soon. It’s an epic way to close the set, sure, but there is a hunger in the room rumbling in the background that just needs to be fed. Lucky that the band come back to play a couple more then, right? The intro to ‘Drip’ slowly flades in through the PA and the room opens up once again, the remaining pit-hungry attendees with gas left in the tank preparing for one last hurrah. The ensuing onslaught is just as punishing as everything that has preceded it, every pendulous guitar strum connecting like a wrecking ball to a sheet of glass. ‘A Flood Of Light’ closes out the evening on the most magical note, delicately yet powerfully lulling the crowd into a state of absolute awe as we all try to mentally process what we’ve just seen. It’s so good it leaves the majority of the room speechless, and everyone that isn’t still can’t help but rave about how blown away they are. Simply magnificent.

Nobody leaves Oval Space with a thought in their brain that isn’t one of total amazement or sheer disbelief in what they’ve just witnessed. Rolo Tomassi are on the top of their game right now and looking at their trajectory over the last few years, they aren’t showing any signs of slowing the climb. With a stunning new album and a live show that reduced the majority of tonight’s venue to a stunned silence, they bookended a truly special evening. Three of the UK brightest stars, all in different stages of their career, united by uniqueness and an unquenchable thirst to blow people’s minds. What a night.

DAVE STEWART

Their 2015 album ‘Grievances’ and their last album, 2018’s critically acclaimed ‘Time Will Die And Love Will Bury It’, are amazing records. Both are menacingly dark with flashes of light, the latter spending a lot more time in the light, showing their growth from erratic genre-jumping acrobats to thought-out, detailed storytelling. Four years after their last release they’ve returned with another tale in the form of ‘Where Myth Becomes Memory’, offering up over 45 minutes of sheer sonic brilliance that serves as the perfect finale to their unintentional trilogy of albums.

Their unique brand of bedlam has become more and more magical as the years have gone by, and this album sees it at its most refined. Songs like ‘Cloaked’ expertly weave from unnerving terror to ethereal wonder, not snapping from one to the other but carefully navigating between them. ‘To Resist Forgetting’ follows a similar path, only that sense of terror is constantly hovering in the distance waiting for its chance to leap back into the foreground. There’s the towering and venomous ‘Labyrinthine’ and the ominous ‘Drip’ too, the latter wading in murky waters with the occasional flash of hope to distract from the sense of foreboding, and both tracks are equally mesmerising. If you came here wanting a hefty dose of Rolo Tomassi goodness, you’ll find yourself absolutely spoiled, and this barely scratches the surface.

The delicate side of this album is especially beautiful, the music sometimes left so bare that a single instrument occupies all the space to create an alluring vulnerability. The emptiness in those sections is spine-tingling, stripping everything back so much that you can even hear the keys being pressed on the piano. The cinematic ‘Stumbling’ immediately comes to mind, the piano blending with the fragile vocals to create haunting echoes that fill every molecule of space and summon every goosebump in your body. The wonderfully ambient ‘Closer’ does this in places too, flourishing and diminishing in all the right moments like a conduction of emotions, each one getting a chance to stand in the spotlight.

The balancing act is something that they’ve always been good at, be it emotionally or musically, but now it’s almost effortless. A prime example of this is ‘Prescience’, the unrelenting pummelling of which is initially staggering as it’s sections constantly evolve, leaving you unsure of what’s around the next corner or even when you’ll be making a turn. What’s special about this track in particular is that when they strip all the noise away, you still feel uneasy – what you hear is soft and harmless, but you know deep down that you aren’t safe just yet. That grasp on suspense is their ace in the hole, and what it does for this album is incredible.

Opening the record with ‘Almost Always’ and closing it with ‘The End Of Eternity’ is pure genius, by the way. Had to get that in before I stopped talking about the intricacies of the music. For the nerds reading this (hi, hello, I am one of you), the album essentially does a round trip and finishes exactly where it started. The first track fades in and asks questions like “what happens when it stops?” and “what do you do when you’re lost?”, and the closing number says “I feel something, there is no end” before fading out with the exact same tones it began with. It’s a cycle, which ties in with a lot of the subject matter that’s covered throughout, and it adds yet another layer to this already monumental album.

There’s something truly wonderful about the way this band writes music that makes for an almost transcendent listen. Parts of the record thrash and rage like a category 5 storm while others gently ebb and flow in pure tranquility, and the way the band dances between them is awe-inspiring. It’s genuinely mind-blowing to listen to a track from their early days like ‘Party Wounds’, something so unhinged and chaotic, to then listen to this record and hear how elaborate and emotively powerful their music has become.

Rolo Tomassi have cemented themselves as one of the most special bands to have come from our UK scene, and they’ve made yet another dazzling diamond to add to their collection. ‘Where Myth Becomes Memory’ is simply stunning, and the more you listen to it, the better it gets.

Is it too early to nominate a candidate for album of the year? Maybe, but I don’t care. Why? Because guess what – they’ve gone and made another masterpiece.

DAVE STEWART