Born from the creative underground of the Louisiana bayou, Shrüm remains one of the most intriguing and experimental chapters in the history of Louisiana metal. Often cited as a "psychedelic death metal mix of chaos," the band was a visionary side project formed by members of the legendary Acid Bath, designed to push the boundaries of the genre into uncharted territory.
Shrüm was founded by Acid Bath’s iconic bassist Audie Pitre and multi-instrumentalist Tomas Viator (whose pedigree includes work with Disincarnate and Suffer). What truly set the band apart from their contemporaries was their radical defiance of traditional metal instrumentation. Eschewing guitars entirely, Shrüm utilized a dual-bass attack featuring the combined talents of Pitre and Joseph J. Fontenot (of Jacknife). Scott Leger (Flesh Parade) rounded out the line-up on vocals. The result was a thick, dissonant, and raw wall of sound that blended death metal intensity with industrial and psychedelic textures.
The momentum of the band—and the Louisiana metal scene at large—was tragically halted in 1997 when Audie Pitre and his parents were killed by a drunk driver. The loss of Pitre, a central architect of the "Sludge" sound, effectively ended Shrüm and led to the dissolution of Acid Bath, as the surviving members felt it impossible to continue without his presence.
While Shrüm’s time was brief, its members and their Acid Bath counterparts went on to shape the landscape of modern heavy music. Dax Riggs & Mike Sanchez formed the swamp-rock/psychedelic outfit Agents of Oblivion & Dax later achieved critical acclaim with Deadboy & the Elephantmen and a successful solo career. Sammy Duet: Joined Crowbar before becoming a foundational figure in the black metal scene with Goatwhore, Ritual Killer, and Vual (alongside Audie’s brother, Kelly Pitre). Joseph J. Fontenot: Continued to play bass in Jacknife and eventually joined the military.
Today, Shrüm is remembered not just as a footnote to Acid Bath, but as a pioneering force in experimental metal. Their music stands as a testament to the raw spirit of the Louisiana scene—an uncompromising fusion of darkness, chaos, and sonic bravery that continues to resonate with fans of the avant-garde and the extreme.
