It’s beautiful and ugly, wild and utterly captivating, and it genuinely verges on the realms of “see this band before you die”. So go do that (see them live, that is – not die).

There’s a palpable sense of loss and wonder in these songs but also power, a primal force that sweeps up band and crowd alike until they’re all one unified swirl of hair, bobbing heads and raised fists. It’s another demonstration of what black metal is capable of in the right hands, not just a spirit of defiance but also one that can bring light.

Bruit made quite a noise, Arcane Roots blossomed, Oathbreaker stayed true to their word, Pupil Slicer diced with doom, and Cult of Luna and Julie Christmas were absolutely life changing. 

Hello IAN. Welcome back Psychonaut, Igorrr and Agent Fresco. Amazing to meet you at last, Cardiacs. Farewell Svalbard and Fernhill Farm. Jody and Nick relive the best of the first two days at ArcTanGent 2026.

It’s a sprawling, hypnotic labyrinth of sound and getting lost in it almost seems to be the point, an overwhelming barrage of jazz-doom-hardcore excess too out there to even try to comprehend; instead, the audience are content to just come along for the ride and see where it takes them.

Not everything runs smoothly. Sometimes life gets in the way, you lose track of time, and suddenly you’re on a distillery tour. At least, that’s the reason that Chepang’s Scottish show is running slightly behind schedule; but if there’s one thing that …

They’re one of the most forward-thinking and genuinely innovative bands at work in the UK, and getting to see them hammer out a performance like this for the princely sum of sod all feels like Christmas come early.

I’ve never been to a gig in Nottingham before. I’ve never even been IN Nottingham before. Never had any reason. I’m from rural South-East Scotland, after all. And then I hear about this multi-venue alternative rock and metal thing. This, I think, needs further investigation.

Maud the moth brought her dark beauty to a chapel and transformed it into a cathedral of sound. . .

Three bands – one brand new, one new-ish and building a solid reputation, and one revitalised old favourite. Three sets of the highest quality. One brand new promoter of alternative heavy music. One excellent and well-filled little venue. One happy crowd. Let’s call that a win, shall we?

If it’s August it must be ArcTanGent, and this year’s iteration, with an astounding line-up of one-offs and headliner coups, is perhaps more brilliant and bewildering than ever. Jody Dunstan and Nick Dunn are your guides, with a raft of personal picks to cut a path through the long grass and the inevitable stage clashes.

A very late look back at Roadburn 2026, where redefining heaviness once again meant something different for everyone.

It’s a celebration of mood, simplicity and versatility. . . No encore, no pandering, just three guys holding a room’s undivided attention and having fun while doing it. Hard to think of a better way to spend a Thursday evening.

Three days of heavy riffs, psychedelic journeys, crystal-clear rivers, and discovering your next favourite band in the Croatian wilderness. Bear Stone Festival continues to prove that the spirit of desert rock is alive and well, just a little further from the desert.

Excess and minimalism, violence and restraint, chaos and bliss – Agriculture are all these things, and they’re a bloody great time to boot.

Bear Stone 2026 is back on the banks of the Mrežnica River in Croatia with Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats, Altin Gün, Elder, Nightstalker, and more. A psychedelic, stoner, doom-heavy weekend of river-side sets, off-grid vibes, and serious underground discoveries.

Hater’s set glints darkly with shoegaze. . . But within Hater exists the clarity of pop too, a bright heart. Even in this slightly close, slightly jigsawed night, and even from my view at the back of the venue, their performance resonates identically to their recorded music – polished, coolly reverberative, deeply felt and, ironically, loving.

This year, only able to attend for two days, I ventured out on a mission to the atypical fringes of the fest. . . Finding myself at The Dev a lot, easily the best dive bar in London and the smallest venue of the fest, I largely replaced the breezy grooves of the California desert with bruising industrial, weird and putrid death metal, and incendiary mathcore. And, dearest gentle reader, it was glorious.

Portland’s finest absolutely killed it tonight and, judging by the blissed-out smiles on folk as they leave the room, no-one could say otherwise.

Death metal is alive and well in Cardiff on a Monday night, and as the tour progresses through the UK and into Europe you sense that each band will carry on picking up new fans

It has been, I think, one of the best StrangeForms fests ever. If not the best ever festival, then possibly the best ever single day. . . The wildly varied line-up has been most excellent, curated to near perfection. . . I’m going home tired but happy, and my life is just that little bit better for having been here.