ArcTanGent Festival which lies on a farm near Bristol has always been on our radar to attend and the 2022 Rock God has given blessings for Acid Rain with press access. The Rock Music Festival is going to boast five stages this time around, to accompany its constantly growing fan base.
Given that the line-up this year is beyond amazing we are super excited to share with you the 10 acts that we are definitely going to see this year.
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1. Caspian
Coming from across the pond, we have Caspian, who have built up major excitement with the recent release of their newest album. After a five-year hiatus, On Circles is a: "majestic collision of post-rock, metal, shoegaze, electronics, noise, minimalism and ambient music is an existential meditation, an acceptance of the cyclical nature of both life and career" as stated on their website. With some amazing songs on the album, such as 'Wildblood', 'Circles on Circles', and 'Nostalgist' we are on the edge of our seat to see this live.
Caspian was the first band that ignited my passion for the post-rock/metal and shoegaze genre with their album Hymn for the Greatest Generation back in 2013 and since then have been on the bucket list to see. Now is the chance! They play on the main stage on Friday and we cannot wait to see what they bring to the stage.
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2. A.A. Williams
We love A.A. Williams here at Acid Rain, we love her so much we have already written a piece on her music which you can find here. Adding to this article, we want to say how amazing it is that she will be there. We have been following her career for a few years now and have seen her rise through the ranks, creating a well-deserved buzz in the community and blowing people away with her amazing voice and music. Forever blue is our favourite album as it is unapologetically raw and provocative in thought, it leaves you feeling nostalgic yet teary-eyed which is a symbol of true art in our opinion.
Favourites of ours include: 'Melt', 'Exit Into Darkness' (a collaboration with MONO), and her rendition of 'Nights in White Satin'.
If you haven't heard A.A Williams, we beg... listen to her and decide for yourself. there's not much more to say. She plays Thursday, Main Stage.
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3. Pijn
A Manchester-based band that we last saw play at Riffolution Festival in 2021, ignites the stage with their intensely dynamic set, as their music emulates pain and grievance. Their 2018 album Loss is fantastically well-made, showcasing their skill and creativity as it truly is sensitive and emotional for the listener. We think they need to be hyped up this coming week, what's better than seeing them in person? Nothing, they play on the Main Stage, Thursday.
Songs you should listen to:
'Distress', 'Unspoken' & 'Endeavour' - this is with British Metal Legends Conjurer, who are also playing at ArcTanGent on Saturday).
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4. Alcest
Pioneers of what is known as 'Blackgaze', French band Alcest has developed their sound considerably since their creation back in 2000. Taking elements of metal and shoegaze whilst taking inspiration from themes surrounding spirituality, Alcest's music provides a cathartic release for your inner soul. Their Albums such as Écailles De Lune & Les Voyages D'Âme have stuck out for us due to their heavy yet emotionally winding songs, this band is a must for anyone attending the festival this year! We have heard great things, we expect it to be legendary.
They play Yohkai Stage on Thursday! Songs that hit us heard are: 'Eclosion', 'Sapphire' & the classic 'Sur L'Océan Couleur de Fer'
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5. Stake
Next up is the Belgian post-sludge/ post-sludge band, Stake who is gracing the stage at ATG on Friday! With their recent release of single 'Deliverance Dance', taken from their newest album Love, Death & Decay (which will be released on the 30th of September) and with a heavy tour for the next few months we are ecstatic we get to see them play at the festival. They give brutally blunt lyrics with atmospherically beautiful crescendos, and a blanket of harmonic grunge oozes from their music.
Catch them Friday at PX3 Stage, here are 3 songs you should listen to until then:
'Critical Method', 'Sea is Dying & their newest release 'Deliverance Dance' - a song about looking at the death of love from a new perspective "love beyond desire, attachment or loss" as Vocalist/guitarist Brent Vanneste says.
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6. Jo Quail
London-based Composer and Cellist, Jo Quail is set to play the Main Stage Saturday, with her amazing musical skill and talent she is one of our faves to watch live. We have heard so much about her performance being transcendental and moving, so we will be there before anyone else.
Using looping in her works enables her to build an atmosphere, power and a sense of domination with the combination of her intense musical skills on the cello. Jo pushes the boundaries of what to expect from a classical musician, and she frequently weaves influences of rock, metal and cinematic styles into her sound. Her cello itself is also a thing of beauty, with a stripped body that evokes the shape of a deer's antlers and perfectly complements her music.
Listen to 'Prime', 'Forge' & 'Malacoda' to understand her vibe.
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7. Elephant Tree
Stoner/Doom/Psych-Rock band Elephant Tree has been making noise within the community in recent years, creating vivid music and electrifying shows. No wonder, they're the band that the fans have come pouring in to see. Set to play the Bixler stage, Saturday, what we are most looking forward to is the melodic head-banging coupled with their signature stoner grooves from songs such as 'Sails', 'vlaakith' and 'Echoes'.
If you have ever seen them live then you know how they can move a crowd, command the stage and use the stage as if it were their own. You'll see us there, centre-front on Saturday.
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8. Natalie Evans
Her new album Movements is floaty and dreamy on the surface but, she includes a touch of deep realism in her lyrics which compliments the album perfectly. She is probably one of the softest musicians we have on this list, musically speaking! She effortlessly brings a different side to the genres on offer by channelling strong, dreamy femininity amongst her music, especially when playing the harp.
We have some strong females set to play this year, and we for one are excited that more women are on the line-up every year at ATG. If you want to see what she has to offer before, she takes influence from artists like Julien Baker, Mitski and The Japanese House.
Listen to 'Between the Ground and Sky', 'Pavement' and 'Driving home late' which is from her newest album Movements.
She is set to play Elephant Stage , Thursday.
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9. Opeth
If you haven't heard of Opeth then I can assume you've been living under a rock! The Swedish metal band from Stockholm have been present since 1990 and has become one of the best examples of prog-metal. With a colourful and impressive career which has seen them play internationally, sweeping up fans wherever they land, they are one of the biggies at this year's ATG festival along with Cult of Luna and TesseracT.
Proclaiming themselves as "the most evil metal band in the world" Opeth are metal legends, pioneering the genre of prog-rock to what we know it as today. Our fave songs include:
'Ghost of Perdition', 'Windowpane' & their newest release 'Width of a Circle' which is just a banging tune. Catch them closing Main Stage - Saturday!
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10. MONO
Now, we couldn't do this entire list and not mention MONO, legends of experimental rock that hail from Tokyo, Japan. We know them, we love them, and we want to rock out to them. I remember listening to Hymn to the Immortal Wind and being absolutely blown away by the effortlessly beautiful music, emotion and story that their instrumentalism brings. If you close your eyes tight, and listen to any of their albums, you will be instantly transported to a different world, where every pluck of the string will lead you down the rabbit hole. MONO is and will be one of the best experimental rock bands out there.
MONO's most recent album is a soundtrack to a documentary filmed by director Yusaku Mitsuwaka that looks into the discrimination of a set of people called ‘the Burakumin’. Beautifully raw, soft yet poignant. This album is less post-rock and more ambient in its entirety.
They obviously play the Main Stage on Saturday, semi-closing which will be spectacular, our recommendations for listening before this day are:
The epic and most beautiful 'Silent Flight, Sleeping Dawn, 'Nostalgia' & 'Himitsu' from their most recent album.
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So that's it, our top 10 bands that we are definitely going to see at this year's ArcTanGent Festival. If you want to be kept up to date with what's going on there, make sure to give us a follow @acidrainuk where we will be keeping you in the loop with the acts that are there, including interviews!
See you at ATG 2022! 🤘
