ArcTanGent Festival 2025 – Friday
In 1967, French literary critic Roland Barthes published a ground-breaking essay called The Death of the Author. In this piece, Barthes argued that it is the reader of a piece of literature, rather than its creator, who imbues it with meaning. Although there might be authorial intent, and we might look to the background of the artist to explore what they might have wished someone to understand, the reader’s interpretation of the work is ultimately their experience of it. An experience that is refracted through their opinions, outlook and worldview, shaping their individual reception of the text and invalidating the notion that there is a ‘correct’ reading thereof.
Barthes’s controversial essay came to mind during the performance by We Lost The Sea of their 2015 album Departure Songs on the Bixler Stage on Friday at ArcTanGent 2025. Composed after the death of bandmate Chris Torpy, the album is intended to celebrate, or commemorate, acts of selflessness and courage, of which most ended in failure or death. But does the listener need to know that A Gallant Gentleman apparently refers to the Antarctic explorer Lawrence Oates, who sacrificed himself on an expedition led by Robert Falcon Scott? Or that Bogatyri supposedly celebrates the three Ukrainian engineers who ventured into the flooded basement of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant to open valves that would allow the irradiated water to drain out? Or that The Last Dive Of David Shaw commemorates the brave, but sadly futile, efforts of cave diver Shaw to recover the body of a dead fellow diver – leading to Shaw’s own death 270 metres underwater?
This context and this authorial intent on the part of We Lost The Sea may enrich an individual’s appreciation and understanding of the richly beautiful work these musicians have created. But – to any given individual – the songs may have just as much meaning because they are associated with a trip to the beach, or remind the listener of a loved one, or sound like another song that elicits an emotional response.
Once the music leaves the speakers, it is beyond the control of the artist. It is ours as listeners – of sensing and sense-making – that determines the meaning of the music. We divine our own personal ‘truth’ for these pieces – a truth that is no more valid or invalid than anyone else’s (despite what literary critics and festival reviewers might have to say on the matter). As the person who shouted, ‘I feel something!’ as the final notes of The Last Dive Of David Shaw dissipate into the tent might agree: our feelings define the piece. The artist is dead; long live We Lost The Sea!
Day 3 of ArcTanGent 2025and the mercury is rising towards 30 degrees centigrade, with the festival truly embracing its multi-sensory nature. The heady aroma of stale sweat and ripening portaloos hung in the air as we made our way to the Main Stagefor the last ten minutes or so of Overhead, The Albatross. The Irish post-rockers were in full sentimentality mode, as they commemorated lost friends to a surprisingly upbeat soundtrack that included karaoke lyrics on the projector for anyone to join in.
Next up were Mt. Onsra – who were advertised as featuring crushing riffs of the post-metal, doom and sludge variety, conjuring images of bleak and jagged peaks shaking with the very geological power of deep tectonic forces. The kind of barren, desolate summit on which Ancient Greek families might have abandoned a cursed baby to avoid the deadly fate foretold by a Delphic oracle. Sadly, what prevailed was some rather pedestrian rock that failed to stir the senses – more molehill than mountain.
Sticking with the Greek theme, we headed back to the Main Stage to enjoy the delights of Ithaca, playing their very last performance (although we think we might have heard that one before…). The metalcore stalwarts were received with huge enthusiasm by the audience, which soon resembled the whirlpool of Charybdis as Ithaca unleashed their trademark energy. Flinging riffs and blast beats into the crowd like the blinded and enraged Polyphemus hurling boulders at Odysseus’s ship, Ithaca pummelled the ears with a performance of high intensity and skill.
After a burrito break on the fringes of Giant Walker (pleasant, guitar-heavy post-rock), Car Bomb were our next appointment, but their offering of technical death metal and mathcore was rather wan in comparison to the efforts of Ithaca.
Our spirits were not diminished, however, for after Car Bomb we were positively bubbling with excitement at the prospect of Dimscûa’s first-ever live performance. Having self-released a short album in early June, they came to the attention of ArcTanGentpromoter James Scarlett and were rapidly added to the line-up – making for a truly fairytale story for the four chaps from Berkshire. One of the guitarists was clearly in some disbelief as he surveyed the packed Yohkai Tent – exhaling deeply and muttering ‘Fucking hell’ to himself – before they embarked on playing their album in full for the gathered masses.
Opening with Elder Bairn, a slow-building track that curves menacingly towards an explosion of screeching guitars accompanied by vocals of the damned, it isn’t hard to see why comparisons have been made to Amenra. And they truly are merited – Dimscûa delivered an accomplished and emotionally cathartic performance that showed no indication of it being their first. The Dusteater demonstrated their thoughtful side, with gentle, intricate guitar work providing a delicate refrain before a wall of sound descends and the vocalist delivers a lament, with the riff fading in and out as the song progresses.
The closing song, Existence/Futility, was preceded by some heartfelt remarks from one of the guitarists, who noted that this particular track was written after the death of his infant child – a pronouncement that drew applause from the crowd and set the stage for a particularly emotional finale. Three minutes of subdued solo guitar gives way to whispered vocals and soft, slow drumming, before fading away again and exploding with a vengeance of angst and churning guitars. A truly accomplished performance.
After the pathos of Dimscûa, we headed to the PX3 Stage for rather more upbeat and energetic fare in the form of EYES. The Danish hardcore metallers delighted the crowd with more heavy breakdowns than an ageing lorry fleet, and soon the sensory experience added a physical element, with revellers jostling and jiving in the pit. Delivered mostly in travel-sized sub-three-minute packages, each track featured frenetic drumming, furiously fast riffage and the sublimely deranged vocal talents of Victor Kass – who kept the crowd entertained with seemingly unlimited energy and staccato dance moves. The final track of their set – Moving Day For The Overton Window – was a particular highlight.
Coilguns picked up where EYES left off, providing another high-energy performance with more crust than a sourdough bakery. Having trekked across Europe with tour-mates envy, they were keen to entertain during their short set, and their spirits were clearly undimmed by their long time on the road. Choice cuts from their latest album included We Missed The Parade, Placeholders and Venetian Blinds – all played with a ferocious energy and a desire to entertain.
We followed the advice from Coilguns to beat a path to the Main Stage to see envy – a band whose sound has evolved considerably from their roots in hardcore to embrace a softer style. Initially sceptical that this would be an enjoyable experience, we were pleasantly surprised to encounter high-quality, heavy post-rock in the vein of compatriots Mono. Playing for the first time at ATG, envyprovided an excellent foil to the high-octane performances of EYES and Coilguns.
Also taking the tempo down somewhat was Elder frontman Nick DiSalvo’s side-project: delving. Nick and his bandmates filled the Bixler Stage with lush, psychedelic grooves that were somewhat heavier in the flesh than on record. This was instrumental music to get the hips swaying and the head bobbing in the late afternoon sunshine.
Any sense of post-delving relaxation was instantly dispelled by a slab of sludge-drenched hardcore from meth. They bludgeoned the crowd with a furiously bombastic repertoire of huge riffs, colossal drumming and screaming vocals – leading the pit into a terpsichorean frenzy of clashing limbs and stamping feet.
And then to the Bixler Stage to see We Lost The Sea performing Departure Songs in full. We could describe what an intensely emotional performance this was. How the intricate guitar-work and polished balance of quiet and loud took the listener on a journey. How the crescendos gave rise to feelings of deep contentment as we nodded our heads, or how the mournful keening of the guitar caused the eyes to sting and glisten. But really, our suggestion is that you listen to the record in its entirety and create your own meaning for this incredible work of art.
Our last band of the night were Frontierer, whose utterly frenetic brand of grindcore was delivered through a thick haze of smoke and flashing lights, but by this point, the flesh was weak, and we skulked at the sidelines before taking an early night to recharge for the final day of ArcTanGent 2025.
