DAX RIGGS Explains How ACID BATH’s Reunion Came To Be

After disbanding in January 1997 following the tragic death of bassist Audie Pitre, Acid Bath remained inactive for over two decades. The band’s cult status only grew during this long hiatus, with their two studio albums, When the Kite String Pops and Paegan Terrorism Tactics, gaining legendary recognition in the sludge and doom metal scenes.

Then, on October 15, 2024, Acid Bath surprised fans by announcing their return to live performance, with a scheduled appearance at the Sick New World Festival in Las Vegas on April 12, 2025. This would have marked their first live show in 28 years — but fate intervened once more. The festival was abruptly canceled, forcing the band to pivot. Instead, the long-awaited reunion kicked off on April 25, 2025, in the band’s hometown of New Orleans.

Acid Bath‘s current lineup includes original vocalist Dax Riggs and guitarists Sammy Duet and Mike Sanchez, joined by drummer Zack Simmons (Goatwhore) and bassist Shane Wesley (Crowbar). While not all founding members are present, the band’s return has sparked a wave of excitement throughout the underground metal community.

So what happened? Why did Acid Bath reunite? According to Riggs in an interview with Blabbermouth, it all started as casual jams between himself and Sanchez that slowly began to build momentum.

“I guess Mike and I got back together a little bit before, just to start the process. We had another friend, as well as a couple of friends, sit in with us to help us play the songs at first. At first, it was a complete, ‘Wow, that sounded like the song!’ When Sammy came in and the other players came in, it came together. It seemed pretty cool…there was no weirdness. We were all trying to do it and trying to remember, at least for me, I think them as well, because it is different for everybody involved, so it was kind of natural.”

This rekindling of creative energy wasn’t rooted in nostalgia alone — it was grounded in brotherhood. Through years of divergent paths, the bond between the founding members never truly frayed. “Totally. I mean, they are some of my oldest friends that I still keep in touch with. You know how life goes — they are like your ‘ancient friends’ who knew you when you were a baby. They are like my brothers.”

The reunion reached its logical apex in April 2025, when the newly reformed Acid Bath took the stage in their native New Orleans. Fans from across the country packed into the venue, hoping to witness something they’d long believed impossible.

“It felt really good, but there was a lot of weight on it, like I wanted to make sure that I got it as correct as I could. I guess there was a lot of weight to it. It felt like I had a job to do, and that was my main intention, but I was certainly nervous that first time. Probably for the soundcheck, I was even more nervous. I was probably shaking during soundcheck. By the time we did the show, I kind of zen’d out to the whole thing.”

Now, with tour dates stretching into 2026, Acid Bath stands not as a ghost of what could have been, but as a living testament to resilience, friendship, and the enduring pull of unfinished stories. Get those dates below.

7/11 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Paramount (w/ Eyehategod & Wailin Storms)
7/18–20 Mansfield, OH Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival
7/25 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Paramount (w/ Pentagram)
8/9 Minneapolis, MN The Fillmore (w/ Windhand & Primitive Man)
8/16 Baltimore, MD Power Plant Live (w/ High On Fire, Windhand, Heavy Temple & Sonja)
8/22 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Palladium (w/ High On Fire & Windhand)
8/28 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Palladium (w/ Pig Destroyer & The Obsessed)
9/9 Austin, TX Levitation
9/18–21 Louisville, KY Louder Than Life
10/2 Sacramento, CA Discovery Park (Aftershock Festival)
10/11 Toronto, ON Rebel (w/ Voivod)
12/5–6 Denver, CO Fillmore Auditorium (Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Denver)
12/12 Chicago, IL Salt Shed (w/ High On Fire & Weedeater)
3/21 Grundy County, TN The Caverns (w/ Obituary, Herakleion & Saint Avangeline)