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.

The song apparently reflects upon the political changes in the UK in the past few months. It also acts as a teaser for the direction of their next record. The band released their debut EP ‘Change Nothing’ earlier this year, which was followed by a signing to Big Scary Monsters.

The single is available as a flexi-disc 7″ release on their upcoming tour with The Fall of Troy and Tiny Moving Parts this month.

Listen to ‘False Flag’ by Terrible Love on DIY.

SEPTEMBER
09 NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms
10 LEEDS Key Club
11 GLASGOW Cathouse
13 NEWCASTLE Think Tank
14 LONDON Scala
15 BRISTOL The Fleece
16 MANCHESTER Sound Control
17 BIRMINGHAM Asylum

Featuring former members of Bastions, Funeral for a Friend, Grappler and Goodtime Boys, the band released their debut EP, ‘Change Nothing’, earlier this year, which is available now via Big Scary Monsters.

SEPTEMBER
09 NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms
10 LEEDS Key Club
11 GLASGOW Cathouse
13 NEWCASTLE Think Tank
14 LONDON Scala
15 BRISTOL The Fleece
16 MANCHESTER Sound Control
17 BIRMINGHAM Asylum

“More art is always better, we think,” they open on their official website.

“When we were making this album, we wanted to do a few things we haven’t had the chance to do previously in our career; work with multiple artists, work with multiple producers, and work only for our fans.”

“We understood when working on this album that everyone hears The Fall of Troy differently. We would like to respect that, and you, as much as possible.”

“So, here is a different take of the album, with a different take on the artwork. ‘OK#2’ represents a different version of us; the raw fury you hear at our shows and our earlier albums.”

“If you would like to continue to support, pay us what you want, or don’t. This is for you.”

As with ‘OK#1’, the record is available entirely for free from The Fall Of Troy website, although there is the option to donate to the band.

“This album represents hope; that things can be different, that the past doesn’t have to always weigh on the present. We give this album to you now for free, because we know that you deserve it.”

“If you would like to support us further, you can do so through donating what you see fit, or by purchasing a vinyl or merch bundle.”

The album drops as the band confirm a lengthy word tour, taking in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and mainland Europe, and Russia.

There’s loads of dates available to see on the poster below.

UK tour dates w/ Tiny Moving Parts

SEPTEMBER
09 NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms
10 LEEDS Key Club
11 GLASGOW Cathouse
13 NEWCASTLE Think Tank
14 LONDON Scala
15 BRISTOL Fleece
16 MANCHESTER Sound Control
17 BIRMINGHAM Asylum

There’s no news on any other shows right now, but maybe it’s time for a Songkick Detour campaign or something…

Well well well… How is everyone? We know it has been quite some time since you’ve heard from us… But we agree it’s about time we get together and play some of these songs that mean the world to us, and invite anyone who wants to come.

Tim, Thomas, and Andrew

http://www.facebook.com/thefalloftroy

Twin Atlantic played with well rehearsed precision and despite questionable sound difficulties and a docile crowd they were well received. My favourite thing about Twin Atlantic is that they don’t cover their accents and to me this was the most outstanding aspect of the set, something I understand they get a lot of praise for. The Scots only played for 25 minutes, and I think this didn’t really give them time to do themselves justice. Vocalist Sam McTrusty first addressed the audience by claiming ‘birmingham hates us,’ which was charming. They made the most of their short stage time and played their catchy set with enthusiasm, treating us to songs off their new mini album Vivarium. I really look forward to seeing these boys and hope to catch them on their upcoming tour to see what they can really do.

I found that The Fall of Troy sounded really different live to recorded – I don’t mean this in a bad way and I appreciate that their sound is somewhat unusual but tonight the balance just didn’t sound right. Chances are this may have been down to the venue but the mix sounded far too bass orientated and the vocals were lost and I struggled to hear what was being sang and spoken. The set opened with a fairly epic introduction which didn’t really seem to match the feel I got from the band and seemed somewhat disjointed from their opening song. However I cannot fault this three piece from Washington who played with sheer determination and did not seem phased by the cold audience who were slowly warming up. Two songs into the set vocalist Thomas Erak got off the mic and spoke to the room about his passion for the band and encouraged us to dance. Unusually this plea seemed heartfelt and not at all like a rehearsed crowd pleasing spiel. With heavy bass and complex guitar riffs mixed with accompanying sweet harmonies and screaming the sound was confused and you could be forgiven for thinking that three or four bands were headlining tonight’s show such were the differences between the songs played which included tracks off all four of their albums. Mouthes like Sidewinder Missiles and I Just got This Symphony goin’ were both crowd pleasers butF.C.P.R.E.M.I.X was undoubtably the favourite. I feel The Fall Of Troy were like a piece of modern art that I didn’t really understand at first, but as the night went on I opened up to their progressive and technical sound and understood that it’s just that they’re pretty fucking crazy and ridiculously talented individuals. I know I will most definitely be giving these boys some more of my listening time.

Libby