As Chicago’s signature, winter temps dropped, metalheads marched in full force to The Salt Shed. It was a show 28 years in the making. The fuzzy riffs and dark lyrics not only kept fans inside the venue warm but also showcased the full strength of a cult following. That was what the return of Acid Bath brought on that freezing Chicago night. Countless dedicated fans showed out in all their fury, making it clear just how loved and missed the Louisiana group truly was.
For a band that never saw massive commercial success in their prime, this reunion felt especially meaningful. Especially for those who had waited decades to see it.
While the crisp air tormented the line of fans stretching outside the venue at showtime, North Carolina doom metal outfit Weedeater unleashed their sludge riffs, sparking an immediate mosh pit. The high energy this early in the night felt like the best possible omen. An eager crowd meant the eventual climax would be euphoric. Before that could be reached, metal legends High On Fire took the stage to continue the madness.
Frontman and guitarist Matt Pike and company walked into a deafening welcome and answered it with an even louder set. They opened with “Burning Down” and barreled straight into “Fertile Green,” blasting seismic intensity directly into the crowd. Bassist Jeff Matz’s beautifully elegant yet punishing lines locked in with Coady Willis’s brutal drumming, turning High On Fire into an unstoppable force. Crowd surfers poured overhead, and the pit never slowed.
The audience was beyond warmed up; they were on fire. They were red hot for a reunion, and Acid Bath would not disappoint.
Before the band hit the stage, the hilariously eponymous Black Sabbath track blasted through the loudspeakers. There was no better warm-up. The birth of metal echoed across the venue as the Louisiana legends prepared to emerge. The “Bonus Poem” from Paegan Terrorism Tactics rolled in as the band took the stage. They kicked things off with the fast, thrilling “Tranquilized,” and the room instantly erupted. For the next hour, the crowd gave everything it had.
For me, the age spread in the room stood out immediately. Plenty of fans were in their late 30s and early 40s. But from the photo pit, just as many younger faces packed the barricade. Fans in their early 20s screamed along to “Venus Blue” and “The Bones of Baby Dolls” like they’d been there when Acid Bath played Riley’s Rock House in Aurora after When the Kite String Pops dropped. I shouldn’t be surprised (I’m one of those 20-somethings), but it says everything about how rare and meaningful this reunion truly was.
The time had finally come; Acid Bath finally had their moment in the main spotlight.
Songs like “Bleed Me an Ocean” and “New Death Sensation” had fans shouting every word alongside the grungy, Layne Staley–esque vocals of Dax Riggs. His voice still matches the power and menace of the studio recordings. Most notably during “Graveflower,” when the chilling refrain of “like murder” cut straight through the crowd. The show maintained a steady pit with fans climbing over one another in full crowd-surfing glory right up to the end.
Before the final song, guitarist Sammy Duet thanked the crowd and revealed that Chicago was chosen to close the tour. The night ended with the doomy menace of “Dr. Seuss Is Dead,” with Duet urging the crowd into full debauchery. And naturally, they gladly complied. From its slow creep to its filthy breakdown, Acid Bath delivered exactly what the moment demanded, sounding as heavy and locked-in as ever while fans across generations erupted in approval. Acid Bath may never have claimed the spotlight alongside their peers, but this night proved it was never owed to them. More than that, it felt inevitable.
Even without bassist Audie Pitre, the band stood firm in their legacy, commanding the stage with absolute conviction and reminding everyone in the room exactly who Acid Bath is.
All photography by Oscar De Leon
