In 1994, just before the arrival of KoRn and the rise of what would soon be dubbed “nu metal”, the US metal scene was already thriving. Thrash had started to wain, but a whole world of band’s plying doom, sludge and hardcore elements helped to keep music fans of a heavier persuasion more than entertained.
One of the era’s most cult of albums was delivered by Acid Bath, a band who briefly gained more attention for featuring a painting by John Wayne Gacy on the cover of ther debut than for any of the music it contained. However, the unapologetically heavy ‘When The Kite String Pops’ was a phenomenal offering, showing off a band capable of taking heavy sounds down various different avenues, yet always sharing something interesting. The album’s standouts still speak for themselves: ‘Cheap Vodka’ delivers fantastic groove metal riffs, leaning further into hardcore and sludge than Pantera’s still relatively traditional wares at that time; the epic ‘Dr. Seuss Is Dead’ fuses sludge tones with a hardcore tempo creating something with an alternative edge, and ‘What Color Is Death’ calls back to late 80s thrash, but with hindsight, it’s possible to hear how the track’s dirtier tones helped pave the way for Machine Head and other bands that would soon emerge.
Acid Bath disbanded in 1997, leaving UK fans without the chance to see them. However, in one of 2025’s biggest surprises, it has been announced that the reformed band will play their first shows in Britain in 2026. More information can be found in the full press release that follows.
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The return of Acid Bath, after nearly 3 decades apart, has stood out as one of the most electrifying and talked-about reunions of the year. Long considered a cult legend with an untouchable legacy, the band’s reformation has ignited excitement across generations of fans — from those who witnessed their original rise to a new wave of teenagers discovering their music for the first time.
On June 25th, 2026, Acid Bath will take the stage for the first time ever in the UK at Academy 1 in Manchester.
Acid Bath emerged in the early 1990s as one of the most visionary and uncompromising forces in heavy music, blending a molten fusion of sludge, doom, punk, grunge, and psychedelic rock into an otherworldly sonic experience. Equal parts crushing heaviness and haunting beauty, wrapped in the shimmering strangeness of psychedelia, elevated by a set of magnetic lyrics that read like fractured poetry, exploring love, death, decay, and dreamlike visions that are as unsettling as they are profound.
The band’s legendary status was carved in stone across just two studio albums — When the Kite String Pops (1994) and Paegan Terrorism Tactics (1996). Disbanding in early 1997, following the death of their bassist, Audie Pitre, Acid Bath carved out a legacy that continues to inspire generations of musicians and fans. Their records are revered for their seamless shifts between crushing riffs, ethereal melodies, and moments of startling vulnerability, making them a band impossible to confine to a single genre.
Nearly three decades later, fans fervent connection to ACID BATH has proven stronger than ever. With the initial announcement of shows in early 2025, the band’s return has been met with unprecedented excitement and demand, with shows selling out quickly and main-stage performances at all major festivals booked with capacity crowds.
SHOW AND TICKET INFO:
THURSDAY JUNE 25, 2026
ACID BATH
Academy 1
Tickets On-Sale Now: https://www.livenation.co.uk/
About ACID BATH:
Acid Bath began where the Earth ends, deep in the swamp of the Louisiana bayou. Formed in 1991, the band’s sound blended elements of Southern gothic, psychedelic rock, sludge and death metal, with lyrics invoking surreal, pagan and psycho imagery. Wild boys too full of blood for their own good, with a ferocious stage presence and a notorious reputation in the heart of Cajun Hell. They exploded onto the New Orleans metal scene, outsiders who quickly gained a cult status that echoes to this day. Acid Bath’s influence on the modern metal scene is undeniable.
They disbanded in 1997, heartbroken after the death of bassist Audie Pitre, killed by a drunk driver on a Sunday afternoon. Sammy Duet went on to form Goatwhore while Dax Riggs and Mike Sanchez did Agents of Oblivion. Riggs became deadboy and the Elephantmen and now releases music under his own name.
In 2025, Acid Bath reformed to perform live for the first time in 28 years. Their unexpected return has been met with unprecedented fervor and has ignited a new level of excitement with their hardcore following as well as with a new generation of fans. With performances booked at most all major U.S. festivals and sold-out shows across the country throughout 2025, Acid Bath’s revival is one of heavy music’s most anticipated events this year. What’s next for the band? Time will tell…
ACID BATH On Tour:
Nov 15 – New Orleans, LA – Lakefront Arena
Dec 6 – Denver, CO – Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Festival
Dec 12 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed (SOLD OUT)
Mar 7 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
Mar 13 – Cleveland, OH – The Agora Theater & Ballroom
Mar 21 – Pelham, TN – The Caverns (SOLD OUT)
Mar 28 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall
Apr 4 – Dallas, TX – South Side Ballroom
Apr 17 – Atlanta, GA – The Eastern
Apr 25 – Las Vegas, NV – Sick New World Festival
June 25 – Manchester, UK – Academy 1
June 29 – Stockholm, SE – Strawberry Arena
July 2 – Paris, FR – Stade De France
July 6 – Milano, IT – Ippodromo Snai La Maura
July 8 – Berlin, DE – Olympiastadion Berlin
July 10 – Düsseldorf, DE – Open Air Park
July 13 – London, UK – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
July 15 – London, UK – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
July 18 – Warszawa, PL – PGE Narodowy
July 19 – Warszawa, PL – PGE Narodowy
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