Photo and Review by Chris Besaw
Occasionally, a tour makes a stop in the Syracuse area that brings me back to my more youthful concert going days. This past Saturday evening at Sharkey’s Bar N Grill, the iconic sludge metal band, Acid Bath, played their first show in Upstate New York in nearly 29 years. Joining them on this tour are support acts, High on Fire and Windhand.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure if this show would be a big draw, but as I was walking toward the venue, I was shocked at how long the entrance line was. It stretched all the way through the parking lot and beyond with fans decked out in denim or leather jackets, some covered with spikes and patches all waiting eagerly to get into the venue.
First up was Richmond Virginia based doom metal band, Windhand. I had not seen them before and wasn’t sure what to expect. Band members Dorthia Cottrell (vocals), Garrett Morris (guitars), Ryan Wolfe (drums), Thomas Hamilton (Bass), and Leanne Martz (guitars) made their way to the stage and after a brief intro they kicked things off with an extremely low and heavy groove sludgy track called “Old Evil.” I had no problem getting into their vibe especially since it had some almost Black Sabbath undertones. Guitarists Garrett Morris’s and Leanne Martz’s styles complement each other well and Thomas Hamilton and Ryan Wolfe keep the low end of things heavy and steady. Mix it all together with Dorthia’s hypnotic voice and I understand why fans dig it. Windhand played a short but well received set and I am glad that I got to see them live.
Setlist:
Old Evil
Amaranth
Grey Garden
Orchard
Cassock
Next up was a band who has been cranking out loud, heavy and grinding metal music for over 27 years, California based High on Fire. I had not seen them in a long time and was looking forward to it. It wasn’t long before members Matt Pike (guitars, vocals), Jeff Matz (bass), and Coady Willis (drums) made their way to the stage and started their set off with a very fitting song to keep the vibe going, “Burning Down,” off their 2024 release Cometh the Storm! Such a great track to lead off with! It was so loud that halfway through the song, they blew a fuse to which Matt Pike quipped about being, “so heavy we blew a fuse. Sorry about that.”
The last time I recall seeing them was in 2015 on the Luminiferous Tour at the Lost Horizon. Honestly, since then they have gotten much better. Pike and company played a short but sonically charged set including one of my favorite tracks “Snakes for the Devine.” It was clear that the crowd enjoyed their set by the thunderous applause.
Setlist:
Burning Down
Fertile Green
Hung, Drawn and Quartered
Rumors of War
Fury Whip
Snakes for the Devine
It was finally time for the night’s headliner and the band many have been waiting to see again for nearly 28 years, Acid Bath. The last time they played Syracuse was way back in 1997. Like many others in the crowd, I was wondering what they were going to sound like, what they would play, and whether it would be more nostalgic or just as intense as it was back then. It wasn’t long before we had our answer…Acid Bath took the stage to a haunting intro and rolling smoke as Dax Riggs (vocals), Sammy “Pierre” Duet (guitars, backing vocals), Mike Sanchez (guitars), Shane Wesley (bass), and Zack Simmons (drums) came out before a massive sea of fans screaming and cheering for them. Dax and company lead things off with a familiar track called “Tranquilized.”
It didn’t take long before the crowd erupted, slam dancing, crowd surfing, head banging and singing along. I love how Dax Rigg’s eerie vocals complement Sammy Duet’s hard growls and screams. It adds a dark element to their music. Some song highlights I would like to mention include the slow and grinding song “Bleed Me an Ocean,” and my favorite song off their album When the Kite String Pops “Screams of the Butterfly.” It would suffice to say that Acid Bath sounds even better than prior to their hiatus. They are a well-oiled machine.
At one point, Sammy Duet, kindly asked the crowd to be quiet, “Hey everyone, shut the f*ck up. I have something to say. I want to thank you all for showing up tonight. We weren’t sure what to expect but seeing all of you here is awesome. Thank you for still supporting us.” Although lead singer, Dax Riggs, is not the chattiest, you could tell by the look on his face that he was thankful for the fans.
After an almost ninety-minute set, which ended with their dark song, “Dr. Seuss is Dead,” the whole place was singing and crashing into each other until the very last note. As the dust settled and I was walking back to my car, I felt like I was eighteen years old again, even if it was only for a couple of hours. Acid Bath’s US tour has ended so if you want to see them, you will have to catch them overseas as they will be playing several dates with System of a Down.
Setlist
Tranquilized
Bleed Me an Ocean
Venus Blue
The Bones of Baby Dolls
Dead Girl
Old Skin
New Death Sensation
Graveflower
Scream of the Butterfly
Paegan Love Song
Dr. Suess is Dead
Thank you and please check out the photo gallery below.
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