Sludge Metal Veterans Acid Bath Announce 2025 Shows

The big reveal for Louder Than Life? Acid Bath joins Slayer as one of the first bands confirmed for the festival. A bold pairing, but hey, you need at least one band to keep things grimy. Over at Welcome to Rockville, the marketing geniuses finally admitted Acid Bath was their “mystery band,” the one teased in that blurred-out spot on the poster. Sharing the stage with Green Day, Linkin Park, and an excessive list of other acts might feel odd for a sludge band, but Acid Bath fans are just happy their cryptic comeback wasn’t another troll move.

For the nitty-gritty on where and when these festivals take place: Sonic Temple lands in Columbus, Ohio, from May 8th to 11th; Welcome to Rockville gets loud in Daytona Beach, Florida, from May 15th to 18th; Inkcarceration—yes, the prison-themed one—happens July 18th to 20th in Mansfield, Ohio. Louder Than Life rounds things out in Louisville, Kentucky, September 18th to 21st. Tickets? Check the usual places unless you enjoy waiting until they’re sold out.

As for Sick New World? That Las Vegas festival got the axe for 2025, leaving Acid Bath fans to ponder why “sick” was such an accurate name for a doomed event.

For those scratching their heads wondering why Acid Bath’s name still carries weight, their brief but unforgettable run from 1991 to 1997 explains it. The band disbanded under tragic circumstances after bassist Audie Pitre and his parents were killed by a drunk driver—a gut-punch ending to a lineup that gave us two cult-classic records: When the Kite String Pops (1994) and Paegan Terrorism Tactics (1996).

Now the 2025 lineup brings back some familiar faces. Frontman Dax Riggs, guitarist-vocalist Sammy “Pierre” Duet (moonlighting as Goatwhore’s resident riff lord), and guitarist-vocalist Mike Sanchez are holding the torch. They’ve also recruited Zack Simmons to drum and Alex Bergeron to fill in on bass. Sure, the chemistry might not be exactly the same, but it’s hard to be picky when the original lineup hasn’t been an option for decades.

Expect fans to flock to these festivals like moths to a sludge-covered flame. After all, how often does a band with such a tumultuous past come back swinging?

But let’s just hope they didn’t reunite to play a watered-down greatest hits set for the paycheck.

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