Demon tied to a chair in my brain/ black bird a-tapping on the window pane/ sittin' and smilin' at a stray dog in the rain/ demon tied to a chair in my brain.
With these haunting, bluesy lyrics, Dax Riggs opens with on the first track of his 2007 album We Sing of Only Blood or Love, introducing his then-new solo project to fans and gaining the respect of those who had him pegged as just a heavy metal guru. The song, aptly titled "Demon Tied to a Chair In My Brain," certainly picks up pace from there and serves as a perfect prelude into the blues-based album that ranges from slow to fast; filled with dark imagery, soothing tones and even the blood-pumping growls that Riggs has been associated with since his sludgy heavy metal outfit of the early '90s, Acid Bath.
Following up Blood or Love, Riggs released Say Goodnight to the World in 2010, which carried the same melodic approach as the previous solo effort. Based in Lafayette, Louisiana, Riggs has not had huge solo success outside of that bubble. His music appeals to those who finally hear it, but it seems to emerge periodically only in small corners of the country. The world may just not be ready for the particularly shattering tones and lyrics that he offers. His vivid imagery paints the same illusion of that demon tied to a chair on nearly every track in one way or another.
It wasn't necessarily a smooth transition in creative direction from Acid Bath into his solo work. Riggs pieced together and fronted both Agents of Oblivion and Deadboy & The Elephantmen as separate musical outlets in the early aughts to bridge the gap. Both of those projects have since fallen by the wayside.
Riggs is still hovering in his creative musical realm today, below the eye of the general public. This Wednesday, May 28, Dax Riggs will be bringing his compelling style to The Western in Scottsdale as part of his current tour. It is hard to say what exactly audiences in Arizona are in for. The musical recluse is not altogether open about his recording plans for the future, or his live performances, but his fans have come to expect and love the artistry and other-world sounding techniques that he utilizes today. He still retains some popularity from his metal days, so maybe he will throw any Acid Bath fans in the crowd on Wednesday night a bone if he has a notion to chase the fame dragon.
Dax Riggs is scheduled to play The Western in Scottsdale on Wednesday, May 28.
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