ArcTanGent 2026 was always set to be an emotional one, with fans of the more niche end of the underground scene gracing the grounds of Fernhill Farm for the last time. Tickets sold out not long after the announcement that the festival would be moving to new pastures for 2027, and there’s a palpable sense on site that everyone in attendance plans to make the most of every minute of their time here this weekend.
Words: Ellie Odurny //Â Photos: Paul Lyme
Erotic Secrets of Pompeii
It’s not even noon yet, and local band Erotic Secrets of Pompeii might be just slightly too much for the late morning crowd at the Bixler stage. Sunlight floods into the tent, illuminating the shirtless vocalist in a way that feels at odds with the intentionally bizarre nature of their output. No shade to the band (pun intended) – there’s a buoyancy to their music which suits a cheery midday set, but with shadier undertones and a hint of the macabre, a smaller, darker setting feels like it might be better suited.
Meatdripper
Over on PX3, Meatdripper are less encumbered with sunlight, which allows their doomy sludge to permeate the tent and create an atmosphere of twisted, goblin-like psychedelic metal. Gloriously heavy, they stack groove-laden riffs on top of thundering basslines, with dual vocals winding and snaking around a distorted melody. Despite the hefty gloom, Meatdripper maintain a level of hazy warmth that keeps everything from veering into dirge territory.
Reclus.É
Reclus. É have only been in existence for a few months, so it’s not surprising that the crowd gathered to catch them at the Yohkai stage isn’t massive. Tummyache vocalist Soren Bryce switches between sensitive, melodic whispers and heartfelt, ardent screams in a set that undulates between slower numbers with jazzy licks and faster, more ferocious post-punk stylings. Subtle, intricate guitars weave around alt-rock rhythms that feel carefully considered and deliberately understated.
Din of Celestial Birds
One of the biggest challenges for any instrumental band is to convey a narrative without lyrics, and that is something that post-rockers Din of Celestial Birds do very well indeed. The soothing melodies flare into vast, penetrating moments of pure emotion before dropping back to emotive, sparse meditative sections. There is a profound sense that each member of the band is pouring their heart and soul into the performance, experiencing the serenity of the softer instants and intensity of the huge builds along with the audience. Moving and powerful.
Gösta Berlings Saga
If you can ignore the Breaking Bad style white boiler suits, Sweden’s Gösta Berlings Saga present a fascinating display of intricate musicality. With one percussion set-up looking like part of a retro sci-fi set, they are a synth-heavy instrumental prog band with a sound that is firmly rooted in 70’s psych-rock, but with a modern experimental twist. The steady beat keeps the momentum marching ever forwards, the twinkly keys and warped synth sound like a soundtrack to a journey through alien lands. It’s oddly eerie, but in a way that’s intriguing far more than it is spooky.
Oathbreaker
On hiatus since 2017, Belgian quartet Oathbreaker returned this year with a re-issue of 2016 album ‘Rheia’, and the crowd gathered at the main stage for their performance of the album is thick with anticipation. An Oathbreaker set is more of an immersive experience than a musical show, and there’s a sense that everyone here is ready to lose themselves entirely for the best part of the next hour. There are very few bands who manage to transition so organically between the softest, most delicate, stripped-back vocals and the raw, visceral power of abrasive blackened metal screams and furious drum rolls. During the solemn, introspective moments there is a tangible stillness to the crowd that makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. This stillness then explodes into an enormous outpouring of unadulterated fury, with vocalist Caro Tanghe’s emotionally charged wails demanding every ounce of attention and sucking you into an all-encompassing, expressive catharsis.
TTNG
TTNG are another band that haven’t been around for a while, but with a new EP dropping just in time for ArcTanGent, they’ve brought their mellow, intricate brand of post-rock back to Fernhill Farm for an affable Saturday evening slot on the Yohkai stage. Punctuated with nimble guitar picking and tender vocals, TTNG are a welcome tonic to the more extreme acts peppered across the stages, and their set offers a chance to chill out and appreciate artistic musicianship without necessarily losing your mind.
Eivør
The softly spoken Eivør mixes traditional rhythms of Nordic folk with elements pulled from modern rock, electronica, classical and jazz. Backed by the force of a double stack of keys and mixers as well as a full drumkit to complement the iconic hand drum, the result is a compelling blend of dark and moody synth and primal, ancient ritual. Ethereal passages sung primarily in her native Faroese glide over deep synth and pulsating rhythms, creating an atmosphere that builds from a slow and sensual groove into an immense combination of beats, chords and powerful vocals.
A.A. Williams
Closing the Bixler stage, A.A. Williams presents a masterclass in understated melancholy. Haunting melodies drift over dark and brooding guitars at a pace that forces the audience to lock in and zone out. The concentrated power of the slow, considered heaviness is no less impactful than the more high-octane, aggressive artists on the bill. Instead, it demands a more intentional focus from the listener, and looking around the tent it’s evident that the crowd are invested in each deliberately placed rise and fall, allowing space to absorb the full scope of Williams’ striking performance.
Cult of Luna and Julie Christmas
Neither Cult of Luna nor Julie Christmas are strangers to ArcTanGent stages. However it’s an incredibly rare treat to witness them join forces in a live setting to perform 2016’s ‘Mariner’ in full. As giants of the post-metal world, Cult of Luna deliver pounding rhythms and gigantic riffs which fill the space with dark intensity. But it’s the layers of Christmas’ shrill upper range over Johannes Persson’s fervent roars that make an already multidimensional sound that much more magical. The beauty of this collaboration is that it’s always floating around the edge of dissonance. The additional vocals from Christmas oscillate between melodic melodies and emotive screams, never fully blending with the crushing lower end, but never conflicting with it either. For an album centred on themes of space travel, the live experience is fittingly otherworldly, with dramatic backlighting silhouetting the seven bodies on stage in a shroud of interstellar mystery. Packed with raw emotion, musical prowess and deep narrative, the set exemplifies the spirit of the festival and delights a captivated crowd. As the smoke fades and the final notes of marathon closer ‘Cygnus’ draw to a close, it’s clear that this extraordinary show was a fitting finale for ArcTanGent’s last night at Fernhill Farm.