For as loud as their riffs and roars are, Acid King’s legacy is as unassuming as it is enduring, casting a quiet shadow over the underground for over two decades.
Bathed in distortion and baptized in a plume of smoke, the Bay Area trio—Lori S. [vocals, guitars], Joey Osborne [drums], and Mark Lamb [bass]—re-emerged with their first offering in a decade, Middle of Nowhere Center of Everywhere. Receiving widespread critical acclaim, tastemakers such as Noisey, Blabbermouth, Invisible Oranges, Ultimate Guitar, and New Noise lauded the album. They embarked on tours of the States and Australia, appearing on festivals including Psycho Las Vegas, Erosion Fest, Desert Generator, and more as well as sharing the stage with everyone from Sleep and Down to Blue Öyster Cult, Red Fang, and YOB. The record extended a celebrated discography that encompasses three EPs and three full-lengths, namely Zoroaster [1995], Busse Woods [1999], and Acid King III [2005], carving out a foundation back in 1993. It’s no surprise strains of their style infect modern luminaries such as The Sword and Kylesa, and they’ve earned a place in tomes like The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal and the A to Z of Doom, Gothic & Stoner Metal.
