When the Kite String Pops

Acid Bath formed in 1991 in Louisiana,{{cite web|url=http://www.skeletalcircus.com/acidbath/media.php |title=Dax Riggs' Skeletal Circus • Acid Bath • In the Media |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207161620/http://www.skeletalcircus.com/acidbath/media.php |archive-date=December 7, 2008 |publisher=skeletalcircus.com}} as an incarnation of two bands, Dark Karnival which featured Audie Pitre, Sammy Pierre Duet, and Tommy Viator, and Golgotha which featured Dax Riggs, Mike Sanchez, Jimmy Kyle, and Jerry "Boon" Businelli. Golgotha's bassists were in frequent rotation finally culminating with Chad Pierce, who would then be succeeded by Pitre during Acid Bath's formation. Tommy Viator was later replaced by Jimmy Kyle on drums but would return to play keyboards toward the end of the band's career. Joseph J. Fontenot was the bassist for a short period of time.

In 1993, the band recorded and released their demo Hymns of the Needle Freak with their manager and producer Keith Falgout in 1993. The strength of the demo earned them a deal.

Though considered a cornerstone of Sludge Metal, the album combines multiple eclectic influences from genres such as death metal, gothic rock, blues, grunge, and Southern rock and Industrial Rock.

On the Double Live Bootleg! DVD (2002), vocalist Dax Riggs introduced the song "Tranquilized" by saying, "This song is about getting high any way you do it, and kicking the earth from beneath you" and "Cheap Vodka" by saying, "This song is about getting wasted and killing things, blood, sex, and blasphemy." "Toubabo Koomi" is Cajun French for "land of the white cannibals." It was the only Acid Bath song that was made into a music video. According to guitarist Sammy Duet, the alligator which appeared in the video ended up biting someone's face.Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211210/i2zQN4BG-6Y Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20210705044009/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2zQN4BG-6Y Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2zQN4BG-6Y&ab_channel=AcidBathArchive| title = Sammy tells story of the Acid Bath – Toubabo Koomi Alligator biting someones face | website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} The song "God Machine" begins with a spoken word introduction by Riggs.

The album's cover art is a painting by John Wayne Gacy named "Pogo the Clown", sometimes referred to as "Pogo the Clown #15", in which he depicts himself as his clown alter-ego, "Pogo the Clown". The balloons on the lower part contain both his nickname and his real name, J. W. Gacy.{{Cite news|last=Glenn|first=Jenni|date=February 1997|title=Riffs|page=45|work=CMJ New Music Monthly|issue=42|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DS0EAAAAMBAJ&q=radio+edits+richard+ramirez&pg=RA1-PA22|access-date=December 19, 2020}} The back of the album also features another Gacy painting known as "Skull Clown", which is a depiction of a skull wearing a clown hat.

The use of artwork by a convicted serial killer caused controversy, with Rotten Records president Ron Peterson defending the decision by saying, "It's America—you should be able to do what you want." Acid Bath's follow-up album, Paegan Terrorism Tactics, continued the provocative streak by using artwork created by euthanasia proponent Jack Kevorkian.{{Cite magazine|last=Morris|first=Chris|date=November 9, 1996|title=Album Artwork Hits New Low on Rotten Records|page=57|magazine=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ygkEAAAAMBAJ&q=acid+bath+gacy&pg=PA57|access-date=December 19, 2020}}

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r203688|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic review]

|rev2 = Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal

|rev2score = 7/10{{cite book |last1=Popoff |first1=Martin |author-link1=Martin Popoff |title=The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties |publisher=Collector's Guide Publishing |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-894959-62-9 |page=10}}

| rev3 = Sputnikmusic

| rev3score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web|last1=Mancusio|first1=Jack|title=When The Kite String Pops Review|url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/53449/Acid-Bath-When-the-Kite-String-Pops/|publisher=Sputnikmusic|accessdate=May 31, 2017}}

}}

In 1999, sales of the album were just over 37,000 copies in the US, which is higher than average for a band with no publicity and released exclusively on an independent label.[http://www.metalsludge.tv/home/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=986&Itemid=39 Metal Sludge – Sludge Scan For November 1999 – The Power & Glory since 1998]{{Better source needed|date=December 2020}}

In the years following the band's breakup, the album has grown to receive critical acclaim, and has since become regarded as an underground classic and seminal album in heavy metal. Sputnikmusic described the album as "an essential, volatile mix of all things horrific and unforgiving."

All songs written and composed by Acid Bath.

{{tracklist

|title1 = The Blue

|length1 = 6:13

|title2 = Tranquilized

|length2 = 4:14

|title3 = Cheap Vodka

|length3 = 2:14

|title4 = Finger Paintings of the Insane

|length4 = 6:04

|title5 = Jezebel

|length5 = 4:53

|title6 = Scream of the Butterfly

|length6 = 6:14

|title7 = Dr. Seuss Is Dead

|length7 = 6:04

|title8 = Dope Fiend

|length8 = 5:19

|title9 = Toubabo Koomi

|length9 = 5:01

|title10 = God Machine

|length10 = 5:00

|title11 = The Morticians Flame

|length11 = 4:05

|title12 = What Color Is Death?

|length12 = 3:19

|title13 = The Bones of Baby Dolls

|length13 = 6:00

|title14 = Cassie Eats Cockroaches

|length14 = 4:22

|total_length = 69:02

}}

• Track 10 contains samples from an episode of The Jerry Springer Show.{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x2x51EwODo&ab_channel=AcidBathArchive | title=This is Where the Intro of 'God Machine' Comes from (Acid Bath) | website=YouTube | date=September 7, 2023 }} Track 14 contains samples from the 1971 Stanley Kubrick film A Clockwork Orange, as well as the 1986 David Lynch film Blue Velvet.

• "Toubabo Koomi"

• Dax Riggs – lead vocals
• Mike Sanchez – guitar
• Sammy "Pierre" Duet – backing vocals, guitar
• Audie Pitre – backing vocals, bass
• Jimmy Kyle – drums, percussion

• Acid Bath – production
• Spike Cassidy – production, engineer, mixer, mastering
• Greg Troyner – production, engineer, mixer
• Eddie Schreyer – mastering
• Mike Wasco – photography{{Citation|last=|first=|title=When the Kite String Pops – Acid Bath {{!}} Credits {{!}} AllMusic|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/when-the-kite-string-pops-mw0000118150/credits|volume=|pages=|language=en|access-date=December 19, 2020}}

{{Acid Bath}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1994 debut albums

Category:Acid Bath albums

Category:John Wayne Gacy

Category:Obscenity controversies in music