Audie Pitre

Audie Pitre
Background information
Born	(1970-10-05)October 5, 1970
Died	Bourg-Larose Highway, Louisiana
Genres	Sludge metal, Experimental/Avant-garde metal
Occupation(s)	bass guitarist, vocalist
Years active	1991–1997
Associated acts	Acid Bath Shrüm

Audie Thomas Pitre (October 5, 1970 – January 23, 1997) was an American bass guitarist. He also added back-up vocals in Acid Bath (1991–1997) and formed another band known as Shrüm (or simply SHRUM) (1995). Pitre formed Shrüm with the idea to have two bass players, himself and Joseph J. Fontenot, to create a heavy, low-end bass sound with Tomas Viator on electronic drums and Scott Leger on vocals. Shrüm's only album to date is Red Devils & Purple Ringers.

In January 1997, Audie Pitre and his parents, Nora and Kermit, were killed when they were hit head-on by a drunk driver on the Bourg-Larose Highway in Louisiana. His brother, Kelly Pitre, was also in the car and survived the crash. The driver was convicted of three counts of vehicular homicide. Audie is survived by his son, Audie Layne, born July 1997.

Acid Bath disbanded in 1997 after Pitre’s death.

Shrüm biography

Shrüm was created by Audie T. Pitre in 1995 when he got the idea of having a band with two bass players. He shared this idea with Tommy Viator and they began creating what was the beginning of Shrüm. They were undecided as to whom they would get to play the second bass position. They asked Joseph J. Fontenot, whom they knew from a band called Shredding Lettuce, if he would be interested in the concept of forming a band together with two bassists, a drummer, and a vocalist. He ended up joining the band subsequently. After this part of the line-up was established, the band still wanted a vocalist. Audie was a member of the Louisiana metal band Acid Bath; Acid Bath's singer Dax Riggs was the first one considered for the vocalist position of Shrüm. Dax went to one of the band's jam sessions and worked on a song that eventually became "Tears of a Marionette". However, Dax being in the band did not formulate. Scott Leger listened in on Shrüm's jam sessions. He said that he was a vocalist, but none of the band members had ever heard him. He was asked to try out for the vocalist position in Shrüm. For the first practice he came to, he was trying to mimic Dax, which was not what Shrüm was looking for. Audie then told Scott to be himself and sing with emotion. With that said, Scott Leger Jr. became the vocalist of Shrüm. Shrüm was on the verge of playing live shows, when Audie Pitre's life ended in an automobile accident, along with his parent's lives. Red Devils and Purple Ringers was released to raise money for Audie Layne, Audie Pitre's son. The tape eventually sold all copies. Shrüm completed its first show, an outdoor block party, with Kelly Pitre, Audie's younger brother, filling in on bass. Since then, Shrüm played a show at Zeppelins in New Orleans, Louisiana with Goatwhore. Afterwards, the band gave an interview to New South Metal Magazine. Currently, Shrüm is no longer together.

Shrüm members

• Audie T. Pitre - Low-End Bass Distortion
• Joseph J. Fontenot - High-End Bass Distortion, Clean Bass & backing vocals
• Scott J. Leger Jr. - High & Low vocals
• Tommy Viator - Electronic Drums, Keyboards, backing vocals
• Kelly Pitre - Low-End Bass Distortion

Discography

Studio albums

From Skeletal Circus:

• Hymns of a Needle Freak – Acid Bath (1993)
• Demo 2 – Acid Bath (1993)
• When the Kite String Pops – Acid Bath (1994)
• Paegan Terrorism Tactics – Acid Bath (1996)

EPs

• Red Devils And Purple Ringers – Shrüm (1997)