Acid Bath

Acid Bath was an American sludge metal band formed in Houma, Louisiana, in the early 1990s. The lineup featured vocalist Dax Riggs, guitarists Mike Sanchez and Sammy Pierre Duet, bassist Audie Pitre, and drummer Jimmy Kyle. The band fused the crushing heaviness of doom and sludge metal with unexpectedly melodic vocal lines and poetic, often morbid lyrics drawing on true crime, horror imagery, and Southern gothic themes.

After a string of demos, the group released its debut album, When the Kite String Pops, in 1994, which became a touchstone of the sludge metal genre for its bleak atmosphere and unusual blend of beauty and brutality. The follow-up, Paegan Terrorism Tactics, arrived in 1996 and pushed the band's sound further, incorporating acoustic passages and more varied songwriting alongside the crushing riffs. Tracks like «Jezebel», «Venus Blue», and «Cassie Eats Cockroaches» became fan favorites.

The band's career ended abruptly in 1997 following the death of bassist Audie Pitre in a car accident. Despite a short discography, Acid Bath's influence on sludge and doom metal has proven lasting, with Dax Riggs going on to a notable solo and Deadboy & the Elephantmen career, and the band's two albums remaining essential listening in the genre.