If the Jannus Live in St. Petersburg had a roof, it would be on the verge of collapse – not from structural failure but from the sheer force of decades-long anticipation. Florida fans thought they might not see Acid Bath ever again and after years of silence and scattered rumors, Acid Bath’s return was a reckoning. As the first guitar riffs ripped through the air, it was clear this wasn’t just nostalgia, but a full-bodied resurrection.

It had been 28 years since Acid Bath last took the stage on April 25, 1997 as their final pre-reunion show. After nearly three decades of silence and cult myths, the band re-emerged on April 25, 2025 in New Orleans – exactly 28 years later, igniting a wave of disbelief and excitement from long-time metal fans. For metal-heads in Florida, the June 28th St. Petersburg show wasn’t just a rock concert; it was the fulfillment of something that once felt impossible. 

From the opening roar of distortion, the band wasted no time diving headfirst into their heaviest material, and the crowd responded with a primal release years in the making. Tracks like “The Bones of Babydolls” and “Tranquilized” hit with a brutal elegance – haunting yet visceral – while the sludge of “Cassie Eats Cockroaches” ignited a surge of bodies toward the front of the barricade. The crowd was completely unhinged – fans were throwing themselves over the railings, getting kicked out only to try and sprint back in. Tears emerged from fan’s black-painted eyes as Acid Bath launched into “Graveflower” with energy that was a mix of catharsis and disbelief. Dax Riggs’ vocals still carried that unmistakable, otherworldly grit, drifting between ghostly and guttural, while the bands precision and chemistry felt almost supernatural after so many years apart. Every track hit with the weight of a ritual or sermon – the crowd didn’t just watch, they felt every note in their bones.

What was maybe more surprising – and most moving – was how many young fans filled the outdoor venue floors. People in their early 20’s, far too young to have seen Acid Bath in their original run, screamed every lyric like they’d lived with the songs their whole lives. This was a gathering of the new generation who had discovered the band through vinyls, forum, and passed down burned CD’s. One woman we met had traveled all the way from Ohio with her family – including her son, who her husband named Dax after the band’s frontman and lead vocalist. They’ve been following the reunion shows city to city, chasing the chance to see music they once thought they’d never hear live again. That kind of devotion doesn’t just happen out of the blue – it happens when a band becomes more than a band.

Acid Bath’s return wasn’t just a reunion – it was truly a reckoning. For fans who held onto the hope that their favorite sludge-metal band would return, this night in St. Pete felt like history being rewritten in real time. The chaos and the sweat-drenched communion between the stage and crowd all pointed to something bigger than nostalgia. This was about reclaiming the past and showing that Acid Bath never really faded – they were just waiting for the right moment to rise again.