Acid Bath Reunited, Playing Live For The First Time In 28 Years (Video)

The long silence was broken last night, April 25th, 2025, as legendary Louisiana sludge metal pioneers Acid Bath stormed the stage at The Fillmore in New Orleans, marking their first live performance in nearly three decades. The momentous hometown show officially kicked off a highly anticipated reunion tour for one of underground metal’s most revered cult acts. You can watch fan filmed performances below.

Returning to the fold for this monumental run are core members Dax Riggs delivering his unmistakable vocals, alongside the distinctive guitar work of Sammy “Pierre” Duet and Mike Sanchez. For this 2025 incarnation, they are bolstered by a potent new rhythm section featuring Zack Simmons of fellow Louisiana band Goatwhore on drums, and Alex Bergeron (formerly of Agents Of Oblivion) handling bass duties.

The atmosphere at The Fillmore was charged as Acid Bath tore through a setlist packed with fan favorites and deep cuts drawn from their influential, albeit brief, recording career. A significant highlight for attendees was the first-ever known live performance of the track “Dead Girl.” In a particularly poignant moment during the set, the band dedicated their iconic song “Scream Of The Butterfly” to their late original bassist, Audie Pitre, who tragically passed away in 1997.

The full setlist for the April 25th, 2025, New Orleans performance was:

• “Tranquilized”
• “Bleed Me An Ocean”
• “Graveflower”
• “The Bones Of Baby Dolls”
• “D*ad Girl” (First known live performance)
• “Old Skin”
• “New Death Sensation”
• “Venus Blue”
• “Scream Of The Butterfly” (Dedicated to Audie Pitre)
• “Paegan Love Song”
• “Dr. Seuss Is Dead”

Following this triumphant return, Acid Bath is set to embark on a substantial, though somewhat scattered, tour schedule across the United States for the remainder of 2025. Their plans include headlining shows and prominent slots at major festivals such as Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival, Welcome To Rockville, Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival, Louder Than Life, and Aftershock Festival. The band will remain stateside for all currently announced dates.

Throughout the tour, Acid Bath will be joined by an impressive rotating lineup of supporting acts on various dates, including Exhorder, High On Fire, Weedeater, Eyehategod, Pentagram, Pig Destroyer, Windhand, YOB, Witch Mountain, Rwake, Heavy Temple, Sonja, Wailin Storms, and The Obsessed.

The upcoming confirmed Acid Bath 2025 tour dates are as follows:

• April 30th – New Orleans, LA @ The Fillmore (feat. Exhorder)
• May 8th-11th – Columbus, OH @ Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival
• May 15th-18th – Daytona Beach, FL @ Welcome To Rockville
• June 6th – Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom (feat. High On Fire & Exhorder)
• June 14th – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater (feat. High On Fire)
• June 21st – Redmond, WA @ Marymoor Park (feat. High On Fire, YOB & Witch Mountain)
• June 28th – St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live (feat. Weedeater & Rwake)
• July 11th – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount (feat. Eyehategod & Wailin Storms)
• July 18th-20th – Mansfield, OH @ Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival
• July 25th – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount (feat. Pentagram)
• August 16th – Baltimore, MD @ Power Plant Live (feat. High On Fire, Windhand, Heavy Temple & Sonja)
• August 22nd – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium (feat. High On Fire & Windhand)
• August 28th – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium (feat. Pig Destroyer & The Obsessed)
• September 18th-21st – Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life
• October 2nd – Sacramento, CA @ Discovery Park (Aftershock Festival)
• December 5th-6th – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium (Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Denver)
• December 12th – Chicago, IL @ Salt Shed (feat. High On Fire & Weedeater)

After nearly 28 years away from the stage, Acid Bath‘s return represents a landmark event for the sludge metal genre and the wider underground metal community. Fans across the U.S. now have the rare opportunity to witness the band’s powerful resurgence live throughout 2025.