We might be rolling towards the end of festival season 2023, but before we hit the long nights and countless club shows of autumn and winter, we’ve still got to survive the weirdest, wildest weekend of them all. 13 miles southwest of Bristol, Fernhill Farm has grown into something of a Mecca for lovers of all things prog and post-rock, psychedelic and sludgy. Having welcomed heavyweights like Meshuggah, Opeth and Cult Of Luna, as well as cult favourites Leprous, Amenra and Zeal & Ardor in recent editions, the bar has been set stratospherically high for ArcTanGent Festival.
But expect 2023 to top it. Massachusetts hardcore legends Converge (who previously defied stormy conditions to own ATG in 2017), enigmatic Scandi folk experimentalists Heilung and Canadian prog-metal overlord Devin Townsend will headline proceedings, alongside a host of other big names at the top of the bill. From Norwegian prog-metal icons Enslaved and infamous New York experimentalists Swans to Simon Neil’s grinding new project Empire State Bastard, Chicago post-metal heroes Russian Circles and San Francisco blackgaze masters Deafheaven – who’ll be marking 10 years of 2013 classic Sunbather by playing it in full – there’s no shortage of abstruse quality.
At this festival, perhaps more than any other, though, one of the biggest kicks has always been combing through the undercard to discover those outfits who’re still hauling themselves out of the underground. With the likes of Cave In, Loathe, And So I Watch You From Afar, The Ocean, SikTh, Bell Witch, Rolo Tomassi, Igorrr, Brutus and The Fall Of Troy also in attendance, there are simply too many legitimately great acts to fit on a list like this. But to help maximise your experience, we’ve torn the line-up apart to identify 20 lower-billed sets you definitely cannot miss...