Dax David Riggs (born October 15, 1973) is an American musician, best known for fronting the

sludge metal Sludge metal (also known as sludge doom or simply sludge) is an Extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that combines elements of doom metal and hardcore punk. The genre generally includes slow tempos, down-tuned guitars and nihilis ...

band

Acid Bath Acid Bath is an American sludge metal band from Houma, Louisiana, that was active from 1991 to 1997. Regarded as one of the first and most influential sludge metal bands, they combined a doom metal foundation with elements of hardcore punk, de ...

in the 1990s. He has been a part of many projects since then, including

Agents of Oblivion Agents of Oblivion was an American alternative rock, rock band from Louisiana that evolved from Acid Bath. Fronted by Dax Riggs, their sound displayed influences from swamp rock, psychedelic rock, blues rock, grunge and Heavy metal music, metal, ...

and Deadboy & the Elephantmen. In 2007, he began releasing material under his own name.

Bands

Corruption

Corruption was Riggs in his teens fronting a

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an Extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, ...

band that played cover songs, though they never played a real gig.

Golgotha

Golgotha was the

sludge Sludge (possibly , or some dialect related to slush) is a semi-solid slurry that can be produced from a range of industrial processes, from water treatment, wastewater treatment or on-site sanitation systems. It can be produced as a settled sus ...

/thrash metal foundation of what would later become

. The band released one demo, ''Wet Dreams of the Insane'' (1991), under that name before changing it. It featured Riggs as the lead vocalist, Mike Sanchez and Jerry "Boon" Businelli on guitar, Jimmy Kyle on drums, and Chad Pierce on bass.

Acid Bath

was a seminal

band from southern Louisiana. The band was marked by an unusual blend of sludge metal, ((thrash metal)),

doom metal Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...

and

psychedelia Psychedelia usually refers to a Aesthetics, style or aesthetic that is resembled in the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience produced by certain psychoactive substances. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic ...

. Singer Dax Riggs's voice could range from a guttural growl to a

Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for his distinctive and powerful voice, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. Orbison's most successful periods were ...

-esque wail in mid-song. In the liner notes for their second album, ''

Paegan Terrorism Tactics ''Paegan Terrorism Tactics'' is the second and final studio album by American sludge metal band Acid Bath. It is the band's last album before their disbanding in 1997 due to the death of bassist Audie Pitre. The album was written while the band ...

'', the band thanked the ghost of

(as well as

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

) for his help in creating their sound. The band was also noted for Riggs's imaginative and distinctive lyrics which often featured themes of death and drugs.

Daisyhead & The Mooncrickets

Daisyhead & The Mooncrickets was a project of Riggs between 1995 and 1997. Only two Daisyhead recordings are known to exist: ''Skeletal Circus Derails'', a six-song recording from 1995, and a self-titled 14-track album from 1997, where most of the songs are cut off before they end. They also detail a point in Riggs' career when he struggled for life after Acid Bath, which disbanded following the death of bassist

Audie Pitre Acid Bath is an American sludge metal band from Houma, Louisiana, that was active from 1991 to 1997. Regarded as one of the first and most influential sludge metal bands, they combined a doom metal foundation with elements of hardcore punk, de ...

in 1997. Toward the end of Daisyhead & The Mooncrickets, Riggs was pushing for a more melodic sound, which materializes in his subsequent bands

and Deadboy & the Elephantmen. That sound was first heard on the Daisyhead recordings.

Agents of Oblivion

was the first of Riggs's post-Acid Bath projects to release any official recordings. The band first emerged with a five-song demo, featuring former Acid Bath guitarist Mike Sanchez on lead guitar. The demo included "Big Black Backwards", "Ash of the Mind", and other songs which would later appear on the band's 2000 self-titled debut. The album included the five demo songs in addition to "Riding the Wormhole", a new version of "The Skeletal Circus Derails", and a newer, faster version of Acid Bath's "Dead Girl". The album features a blend of spare, dark ballads interspersed with blues-based heavy metal, although the sound never reverts to the more aggressive stylings of Acid Bath. The band broke up after a short tour in support of the album.

Deadboy & the Elephantmen

Deadboy & the Elephantmen was Riggs's next band, active from 2000 until 2007. Initially a solo project, it later morphed into a full band before eventually settling on a two-piece lineup of Riggs and drummer Tessie Brunet. The band toured on many festivals with various bands, including Fiery Furnaces,

Peaches The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called nectarines. Peac ...

Eagles of Death Metal Eagles of Death Metal is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, formed in 1998. Founded by Jesse Hughes (vocals, guitar) and Josh Homme (drums), the band also includes a wide range of other musicians who perform both on the band's ...

Wolfmother Wolfmother is an Australian hard rock band from Sydney. Formed in 2004, the group is centred around vocalist and guitarist Andrew Stockdale, who is the only constant member of the line-up. The band has been through many personnel changes since t ...

and

Heartless Bastards Heartless Bastards are an American rock band formed in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 2003. The band has released six albums. History Heartless Bastards originally started as a recording project of Erika Wennerstrom. She played most of the instruments an ...

, and released albums on Fat Possum Records.

T-Daks & His White Plastic Soul and Dax Riggs

Riggs's solo project started out under the name T-Daks & His White Plastic Soul. Riggs performed a handful of live shows under that name, mostly performing acoustic. After the breakup of Deadboy & The Elephantmen in early 2007, he stated that he would release future albums under his own name. His first solo album, ''We Sing of Only Blood or Love'', was released on Fat Possum Records in August 2007. His second album, ''Say Goodnight to the World'', was released on August 3, 2010 (also with Fat Possum Records). A third solo album titled ''7 Songs for Spiders'' was produced in 2024 and released by Fat Possum on 24 January 2025.

Acid Bath Reunion

On October 15, 2024, it was announced Acid Bath would be playing at the Sick New World Festival in

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

on April 12, 2025. Along with returning original members (Riggs, Duet, and Sanchez), Zack Simmons (

Goatwhore Goatwhore is an American extreme metal band formed in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1997. Biography Goatwhore was formed by guitarist/backing vocalist Sammy “Pierre” Duet, who was previously the lead guitarist for Louisiana sludge metal band ...

), and Alex Bergeron (ex-

) were announced on drums and bass respectively.

Discography

with Acid Bath

* '' When the Kite String Pops'' (1994) * ''

'' (1996)

with Agents of Oblivion

* ''

'' (2000)

with Deadboy & the Elephantmen

*'' If This Is Hell, Then I'm Lucky'' (2002; rereleased in 2008 as a solo Dax Riggs album) * '' Song Mechanism'' EP (2004) * '' We Are Night Sky'' (2005)

Solo

* '' We Sing of Only Blood or Love'' (2007) * '' Say Goodnight to the World'' (2010) * '' 7 Songs for Spiders'' (2025)

References

External links

Official website

Official Dax Riggs poetry

Dax Riggs and Sammy Duet interview
!-- authorized video--> {{DEFAULTSORT:Riggs, Dax Living people 1973 births American heavy metal musicians American male singer-songwriters American rock songwriters American rock singers Singer-songwriters from Louisiana People from Houma, Louisiana Fat Possum Records artists 21st-century American singer-songwriters 21st-century American male singers