Acid Bath is a sludge metal/doom metal four-piece band from Houma, Louisiana that formed in 1991 and released several albums and singles before disbanding in 1997. The band consisted of vocalist/guitarist Dax Riggs, guitarist Audie Pitre, bassist Mike Sanchez and drummer Sammy Pierre Duet.
The roots of Acid Bath can be traced back to the musical séance of the early to mid 1990s, when sludge metal and doom pioneers like Eyehategod and Crowbar were raised from the depths of urban obscurity to unexpected prominence. Drawing inspiration from not only sludge metal and doom, but also psychedelic, progressive, classic rock and jazz, amongst other many genres, Acid Bath was formed in 1991 by guitarist Audie Pitre, drummer Sammy Pierre Duet, vocalist and guitarist Dax Riggs and bassist Mike Sanchez, while the members were still in their late teens.
The four-piece soon began working on original material, and their early efforts paid off, as less than a year after Acid Bath’s founding, they were signed to decade-long record label Rotten Records. The young band collected praise for their talent and creativity, and released their debut album, 'When the Kite String Pops' in 1994. Exploring themes such as suicide, drugs, madness and war, the record took off in sludge metal and doom circles, and further solidified Acid Bath’s position in the scene.
The band’s esteem only shot up higher after their sophomore album, 'Paegan Terrorism Tactics', released in 1996. Possessing sonic complexity beyond anything previously heard in the world of sludge metal/doom metal, Acid Bath made sure to keep their material relentlessly aggressive without surrendering creativity and intelligence. Containing a down-tuned classic rock section, as well as jazzy acoustic interludes and spellbinding instrumental sections, the record pleased fans unreservedly, in addition to earning esteem from critics.
The members of Acid Bath, however, weren’t willing to remain content in the underground, and aiming attain a mass following for their art. To this end, they embraced all kinds of angles, including a mention of the band in an episode of cult series ‘Beavis and Butt-Head’.
The hard work put in by Acid Bath was all worth the effort, as evidenced by their final and critically acclaimed album, 'Grave under the Summer Snow'. Containing viciously memorable tracks such as 'Dope Fiend' and 'Dead Girl', as well as a surprisingly sombre rendition of Hendrix classic 'Hey Joe', the album effortlessly transcended genre boundaries and reached a variety of music audiences. Tragically, the arrival of 'Grave under the Summer Snow' in 1997 served not as a triumphant taste of success and fame for Acid Bath, but as an end rather than a beginning, as the band members soon started to engage in solo projects and Acid Bath disbanded in the same year.
All four members of Acid Bath have since gone on successful solo careers. Dax Riggs has released four albums under his own name as well as three with Spillblack. Pitre and Sanchez have produced and contributed for variety of bands, while Duet joined The Radiators and Corrosion Of Conformity at various points. Despite having been gone for more than twenty years, Acid Bath’s influence continues to be profoundly felt within the metal scene today, and their albums still evoke strong nostalgia amongst old fans and new listeners alike.