10 bands you should definitely see at ArcTanGent Festival

Arctangent is a musical paradise for music nerds who want to mosh. A true otherworldly experience filled with heavy, experimental and downright bizarre music. The 2025 edition of the festival is full to the brim of acts that you definitely would not want to miss, but as the lineup is so dense with quality acts, this list aims to show you a rough starting point of acts you will enjoy seeing at the festival.

Leprous

Legendary proggers Leprous will grace Arctangent once again with their unique take on music. Their sound is heavy but nowhere near the heaviest act playing the festival. As a live act, they truly come alive as a unit, creating an impressively dense wall of sound. The frontman, Einar Solberg, truly puts his heart into every performance, delivering masterful vocals and virtuosic keyboard parts. They are a joy to see take the stage. They are the perfect band to see at Arctangent if you want to bask in the sheer glory of proggy goodness.

Ithaca

Many thought their final headline show would be the last we see of Ithaca. Tensions were high at that gig, many upset to be seeing such a great band for the final time. But at the end of the set, an excellent career-defining set, a glimmer of hope shone through. “See you at Arctangent”. Another chance to see this excellent band live. Hey are heavy, brutal and above all else honest. They carved their own place into the history of heavy music. This may be the last chance to ever see them. The perfect band to see if you love heavy music and just want to cry.

Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum

Do you enjoy bands that sound like no one else?  Do you want to see a band that feels like a nightmare? Then Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum may be for you. They push the boundaries of what music can truly be. Their music is obtuse, heavy and dense, yet it is truly captivating. Playing much of their music on custom-built instruments and having elaborate routines on stage, they are not a band to be missed. This will be the first time the band return to the UK after reforming in 2023. The perfect band to see if you want to see instruments you won’t see anywhere else.

Melvins

The Melvins are very influential, if not by accident. They are the reason Kurt Cobain met the rest of Nirvana. The band covers a variety of genres best being known for their sludge metal stylings. The band tries and constantly push what a Melvins album can be. The one thing in common is that they will always melt your face off with great riffs. Led by Buzz Osborne, they are true living legends, and there are very few bands that have their legacy of over 40 years of solid music. They are the perfect band to check out to see living legends craft a unique and heavy set.

The Callous Daoboys

The last time The Callous Daoboys played Arctangent, the tent was absolutely packed to the brim. They have made themselves known as one of the most exciting mathcore bands around currently around. Their sound is a unique blend of modern metal that works perfectly for getting a festival crowd going. With a tongue-in-cheek attitude and an undeniable amount of charisma, they are the perfect band for the festival. Metal heads love to party, and the band knows that. The perfect band to see for classic festival party vibes.

Rolo Tomassi

Another one of the mathcore bands at the festival, Rolo Tomassi are loved by the community. In true Arctangent style, the band loves to play around with time signatures and blend genres. They are every part as prog as they are metal, yet don’t necessarily fall into the trappings of either genre. A true forward-looking band in everything they do, they know genres don’t matter, making good music does. They bring their energy with them on stage every time they play. The crowd will show up and give the band the energy back. They are the perfect band to see if you can’t make your mind up about which genre to see.

Clown Core

Clown Core is an anonymous experimental duo who have been making waves for years in the underground. The band almost take the attitude of old circuses, show the crowd something that will absolutely leave them guessing what just happened. Taking elements of jazz and metal and twisting them into their own Clown Core sound. They are so over the top that they fall just outside of being a gimmick band. They are another one of the high-energy bands known for having the ability to make entire crowds explode into frenzy. The perfect band to see if you want to question what music even is.

Between the Buried and Me

Between the Buried and Me feels like one of the newer progressive metal acts, yet it's been 25 years since they formed. Arctangent really knows what their festival is, as yet again we have another metal band that can’t be pinned into one specific genre. They blend everything good about metal, from catchy riffs to brutal breakdowns featuring flavours of thrash, death, and everything metal can be. Between the Buried and Me has that magic that makes bands undeniably powerful. The perfect band to see to sample a little of every part of metal.

Meryl Streek

Political Irish punk isn’t the first thing you would think of at Arctangent, but with all the music at the festival, it fits perfectly. Coming off his second release, he really is refreshing within the world of punk. Taking his own stylings with the underlying attitude of punk, he crafted a unique place within the scene. With the lineup as metal dense as it is, filling your festival day with other genres helps to ensure the perfect festival day out, making sure every band has a chance to shine on their own. The perfect act to cleanse your palate after a lot of metal.

Green Lung

Stoner rock seems to be on somewhat of a mini resurgence, and Green Lung are one of the best modern stoner bands. Taking elements from many classic rock bands and making them into these dense, sludgy riffs that you can smell the smoke coming off. Uniquely inspired by old British folk horror and folklore, they will fit perfectly into such a diverse festival. Currently, with only having 3 albums out, their discography is strong, and they have been building up a fanbase, placing them in such a high-tier booking at the festival. The perfect band to see a refreshing new take on old school metal.

Words: Will Freeman