Portals Festival 2025 – Saturday

So, here we are, it’s Saturday 24th May 2025, and we are in London, well Hackney to be precise, at EartH for the final two-day Portals Festival. It’s day one, and even though it will be the last time we will be experiencing this truly wonderful event, the aim is to make the very most of it and catch a ton of incredible bands performing.

On the list there are twelve bands, and even if there’s only the opportunity to see eight, it’s still a win, because the lineup this year is phenomenal.

Opening Portals 2025 is a four-piece Japanese instrumental band called Oavette, who took to the Hall Stage at 1.30pm. It was the perfect way to introduce this year’s festivities, and the band wasted no time in bringing their own unique style. Performing a set which felt more like one uninterrupted opus throughout, the level of technical skill was a delight to watch as the band looked away in their own universe as they played. For someone who was new to Oavette, it was hypnotising being part of it all, and by the time they finished, I was very much in a calm state with the world as I prepared for the next act.

With that, we headed to the Bar Stage, and it was evident that the opening act had already amassed quite a crowd. With this being the smallest of the three stages, getting in early is always a priority, otherwise, access can be near impossible, and that was the case this time around. Doubly disheartening was that this was one of the acts I had been very keen to see, especially as I had an interview with them lined up for later in the day. They were World Coda, a relatively new band that did their utmost to take the audience on a journey to another realm completely.

Fusing elements of shoegaze and ambience with full-on metal and post-rock, they won over the crowd with a set which progressed in intensity. Yao’s dreamlike vocal floating over the wall of sound truly is a wonder to behold, and getting to witness them, who are obviously destined for greater things, was a real highlight of the weekend for me.

After a brief trek around the stairways, we landed squarely back in the Hall Stage just as Mexico’s Joliette were starting their blistering set. Wasting no time, they tore into the tracks with each one elevating the intensity as it went. The quartet were definitely in the mood to party, and the energy coming from the stage was electric. Blasting through tracks from across the whole back catalogue, Joliette really set the place on fire for the rest of the afternoon.

Next up, we ventured up to the Theatre Stage to catch Belgian post-rock band Thot, another band who I had been keen to see, and one of several bands signed to Pelagic Records who would be gracing the stages over the weekend.

Thot are one of those acts who always seem to be evolving, and the latest incarnation was a fascinating one to watch for sure. Vibrant on stage, the group powered through their set, covering a lot of newer material as they did so. As engaging to watch as they were, to listen to, Thot was one of a handful of bands that have a real heritage to them, and that showed in their performance.  Each element was as compelling to witness as the next, and the overall experience was as joyous as it was intense.

If ever there was a band I make a point of seeing perform whenever I can – one who has appeared at previous Portals, and whom I’ve seen at other UK venues and always been left speechless – it’s CLT DRP. Hailing from Brighton, I think I’m on my fourth or fifth time seeing them now, and it all started back in 2021 at one of my first visits to this extravaganza.

The thing with CLT DRP is that once you’ve seen them once, you’ll never miss an opportunity to see them again. I’ve been a long-time admirer of the band and after having reviewed their latest album, I’ve been looking forward to catching them again. The band were incendiary this time round, taking no prisoners, and playing to a fully appreciative crowd. Obviously, fan favourites, it was fantastic to have them here, and they were every bit as incredible as ever. Playing a great mix of both new and old tracks, everyone hit the right spot, and watching the band so at ease on the stage, dominating it was priceless.

Moving on, we headed back up to the Theatre Stagewith plenty of time to catch the entirety of the I Hear Sirens set, and what a pleasure it was to behold. Truly masters in their field, the post-rock outfit were simply sublime on stage. Everything just felt so effortless, and as they played, it was mesmerising to watch. Covering a large proportion of tracks from their most recent release, Acheron, they gave a memorable performance, which was both spellbinding and a masterclass in musicianship and style.

If you haven’t seen Black Aleph perform and have no awareness of them, now is the time to get a little education into the Australian three-piece. Having been touring the UK, on Saturday, it was London’s turn to bear witness to this truly remarkable ensemble. Comprising of a guitar, cello, and Iranian daf drum, the post-metal doom band will take you on a spiritual journey as their playing is unlike anything else out there right now.

Getting to witness them in action is to have somewhat of an awakening, and by the time they finished, I, for one, needed some time to fully process just what I had been through. Monumental really, it’s staggering to believe so much can come from three instruments, but the precision in playing was remarkable, and won’t be forgotten any time soon.

By the time Long Distance Calling arrived on stage, my day had gone from some intense face melting moments, right through to what felt like an out of body experience in the pursuit of sonic aural greatness. Thankfully, they wasted no time in pulling me back around, and as they proceeded to play through their set, I managed to regain some control long enough to appreciate just how great they were.

The German quartet will hit their twentieth anniversary next year, and that heritage really does shine through in their music. The set comprised their trademark instrumental post-rock sound, and their inclusion in the line-up solidified the wealth of bands out there performing this style of music, showing no signs of ending any time soon.

One of the things I noticed with Portals this year was the number of acts on the bill which fall into this genre, and where in previous years, I may well have just missed it for wanting to catch other bands, this year I was one hundred per cent in for the post-rock and post-metal experience, and I wasn’t disappointed at all. Long Distance Calling were incredible to hear, and by the time they finished, I only had room left for one more performance, so I sat back and waited patiently for Kalandra.

As they took to the stage, what was obvious was that they wanted to set the scene more than just play. They had it arranged to give full immersion into the band and their universe. Tapestries, ambient lighting, and other symbolism were on display and used to full effect.

With the stage ready, all that remained was for Kalandra to take us away to a mystical land, and that’s exactly what they did. For almost an hour, they delighted revellers with tales of love, heartbreak, and mysticism. The often gentile soundtrack provided the perfect backdrop for Katrine Stenbekk’s otherworldly, serene vocals to float lovingly overhead, and they showed great restraint in not running away with themselves and unsettling the ambience. All in all, it was the perfect end to a perfect day of music and tied the evening off beautifully.

Considering this was day one of the last Portals Festival, there was no air of finality, and they sure were making it hard to accept that this was the penultimate climax to it all.

Kalandra

Long Distance Calling

Black Aleph

I Hear Sirens

CLT DRP

Thot

Joliette

World Coda

Oavette

Words & Photos by: Lee Beamish