American Head Charge
Encyclopedia
American Head Charge is an industrial metal
band from Minneapolis, Minnesota
, USA, earning nominations at the Kerrang!
Awards on two occasions.
's famous dub label On-U Sound act African Head Charge
, which was formed in the early 1980s, it is in fact a coincidence. Chad Hanks remarked in an interview before they were signed that "It turns out that there is actually a band called African Head Charge; it's so hard to be original these days."
scene with their 1999 independent self-released album Trepanation. The personnel on this album saw Heacock and Hanks (now respectively re-christened Martin Cock and Banks) joined by guitarist David Rogers, Peter Harmon on drums, and Christopher Emery on keyboards/samplers.
Further exposure came through two track offerings to Dwell Records tribute albums, namely in homage to industrial bands Ministry
and Marilyn Manson. Second guitarist Wayne Kile and keyboard players Justin Fowler and Aaron Zilch joined the quintets ranks during mid/late 1999.
After supporting System of a Down
in Des Moines, Iowa
in August 1999, System of a Down's Shavo Odadjian was impressed enough that when label head Rick Rubin asked Shavo if there were any bands he should check out, he told Rick about American Head Charge. Six months later the band was offered a record deal with Rick's American Recordings, then under the Columbia Records
umbrella.
and the band's signing to American Recordings in 2000, the band moved to Los Angeles to begin work on their first major label album with producer Rick Rubin
at the helm, living and recording at the infamous Rubin-owned Houdini Mansion. The War of Art, released August 28, 2001, sold over 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week. However, like many "heavy" bands at the time, sales of the album suffered immediately after the 9/11 attacks.
American Head Charge, commencing a live schedule in support of their major label debut, began their professional touring experience on Ozzy Osbourne's 2001 Ozzfest
, playing 3rd on the "Second Stage" for the entire tour. They then snagged a slot upon the "Pledge of Allegiance" festival tour, headlined by bands like Slipknot, Mudvayne, Rammstein
and System of a Down. Guitarist Dave Rogers marked their concluding show of this tour in New Jersey by wholly playing the concert performance naked; this led to his subsequent arrest after the performance. In December 2001, the band co-supported Slayer
alongside Ohio
metalcore
band Chimaira
for the first two months of the American "God Hates Us All" tour. Following shows were headlined by Kittie
, hardcore punk
band Biohazard
, and Texan stoner rockers Speedealer, preceding a 4 month Scandinavian/European/UK/Japanese tour headlined by Slipknot. Additional bands they've toured with include Coal Chamber
, Ministry
, Gravity Kills
, Hatebreed
, Static-X
, Mudvayne
, and Otep
.
Guitarist Wayne Kile departed from the industrial outfit in early April 2002, paving the way for the induction of former Black Flood Diesel guitarist Bryan Ottoson to undertake the open position. Just 24 hours after getting the offer to join the band, Ottoson flew to Los Angeles and duly marked his inclusion to the band participating in the filming of the music video "Just So You Know".
article, three members of the band had become chemically dependent, with two of them going back into rehab. Guitarist Bryan Ottoson even stated that the band looked so doomed that he was almost checked into a mental institution for fear of suicide.
The hollow shell of the band, with a couple new faces, pulled together and started writing and recording. During the demo process, "The War of Art" producer and American Recordings label owner Rick Rubin
became increasingly elusive, and the band subsequently asked to be let out of their recording contract. Rubin respected their request without any legal squabbles. The band's producer on The Feeding was The War of Art's engineer Greg Fidelman
. AHC recorded for four months, feeling this was by far their most disciplined record to date. The Feeding
was released on February 15, 2005. The Feeding only spawned one radio single 'Loyalty'. They also recorded a video for the song cowards featuring Chuck Lidell of the UFC which did not feature the band.
Guitarist Bryan Ottoson died at the age of 27 in the middle of an early 2005 tour conducted with the bands Mudvayne, Life of Agony
, and Bloodsimple
in tow. The musician's body was found lying on a sleeping bunk on the band's tour bus in North Charleston, South Carolina
, where the group was scheduled to perform at the Plex club.
According to North Charleston police documents, scene investigators concluded the guitarist's death was the result of an accidental prescription drug overdose
. Police discovered a pill bottle of "numerous amounts of prescription medicine" in Ottoson's bunk. Ottoson had been battling severe strep throat
with prescribed penicillin
, and he was also given an unnamed pain medication.
Band members informed police they last saw Ottoson alive around 4 a.m. on April 18, 2005, as they went to sleep before leaving Jessup, Maryland
. Ottoson had consumed "a large amount of alcohol at a bar" in Jessup that evening, according to police documents. This statement is reported as inaccurate by bassist/co-founder Chad Hanks: "Bryan, myself, and our tech D-Rock walked to the bar just before last call, and we were stone cold sober. We all had two shots of vodka and one beer each. No more. No less. If 3 drinks is a 'large amount of alcohol', then apparently my mother is a raging alcoholic."
Police were called to the scene around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday; Ottoson was deceased by this time. Hanks and Cheema remarked to police that "Ottoson was a heavy sleeper, and it was not uncommon for him to sleep late before a concert."
, through Nitrus Records. Along with it came a 10 track CD with live and unreleased songs, including a remix of The War of Art single "Just So You Know". They supported the release with a 2 month U.S. tour that began on May 5 with their ninth sold-out First Avenue show. They played an "encore performance" of the tour's final sold-out show at The Rock in Maplewood, Minnesota on September 14, 2007. This would be their last live show together.
On August 11, 2009, the band issued the following press release:
American Head Charge Calls It Quits
(August 11, 2009) – MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - International recording and touring act American Head Charge is hanging up their hat and disbanding. Citing singer Cameron Heacock’s “inability to continue on a musical career path.”
AHC, who have worked with greats like Rick Rubin and toured the globe extensively with such bands as Slipknot, Slayer, Mudvayne, and System Of A Down, see this as an opportunity to finally get the ball rolling.
“This is not the kind of news I enjoy being the bearer of, but we’ve been ready and waiting for input from Cameron for almost two years; we’ve written and recorded two albums worth of material in that time.” says co-founder and bassist Chad Hanks. “At this point, he no longer gives being in this band any sort of top priority, which is so sad seeing as how he has such an amazing and unique voice; I couldn’t wait to hear it on these songs.
“However, we’re looking forward to some new blood; a young, hungry soul that doesn’t sound like anyone else and is ready to work his ass off. We’re more than eager to get back to the mines. This is what we do.”
On January 18, 2011, American Head Charge's long dormant Myspace page showed a new status update, "Stranger things have happened...", grouped with a new background and a new icon showing a disembodied hand breaking out of the ground. The name on the page was also changed from "RIP American Head Charge: 1998–2009" back to simply "American Head Charge".
However, since April 17, 2011, the name on the page is again showing as "RIP American Head Charge: 1998–2009", refuting the possibility of a reunion for the time being. In the following months, bassist Chad Hanks made posts on his Twitter ppage ( http://twitter.com/#!/chadhanks ), saying that the band is back together with guitarist Karma Cheema, drummer Chris Emery, vocalist Cameron Heacock, keyboardist Justin Fowler and himself.
"rehearsals are tentatively scheduled for July/August" posted Chad Hanks on his Twitter page.
On July 1, 2011, "And while we figured it was obvious enough, apparently many don't quite understand. YES, WE ARE BACK TOGETHER." and "This is the part where we start asking you guys to spread the word. " was posted to the American Head Charge (official) Facebook page. On September 2, 2011, the band posted 10 tour dates on their Facebook page. On October 6th, 2011, the band posted on their Official Facebook page that Sin Quirin, former guitarist of Ministry, Revolting Cocks, and Society 1 will be featured on the "tourette" as a second guitarist.
Industrial metal
Industrial metal is a musical genre that draws from industrial music and many different types of heavy metal, using repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Founding industrial metal acts include Ministry, Godflesh, and KMFDM.Industrial metal's...
band from Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, USA, earning nominations at the Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
Awards on two occasions.
Formation
Early incarnations of the band sported the monikers Flux, Gestapo Pussy Ranch, and Warsaw Ghetto Pussy, although these were short-lived. The name Flux was already adopted by another band and so was dropped due to fear from copyright infringement and libel, while the latter names were abandoned within a period of six months so as not to alienate prospective label interest. "I'm a fan of 3-word names", Hanks reflected in a December 2001 Livewire interview. In reference to the current band moniker, he confessed; "It means nothing. No meaning by it. Pretty much that purpose right there." Although sometimes speculated that their name was taken from Adrian SherwoodAdrian Sherwood
Adrian Sherwood is an English record producer best known for his work with dub music as well as for remixing a number of popular acts such as Coldcut, Depeche Mode, The Woodentops, Primal Scream, Pop Will Eat Itself, Sinéad O'Connor, and Skinny Puppy...
's famous dub label On-U Sound act African Head Charge
African Head Charge
African Head Charge is a dub reggae, psychedelic dub ensemble active since the early 1980s. The group was formed by percussionist Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah, and featured a revolving cast of members, including, at times, Prisoner, Crocodile, Junior Moses, Sunny Akpan, Skip McDonald, and Jah Wobble. The...
, which was formed in the early 1980s, it is in fact a coincidence. Chad Hanks remarked in an interview before they were signed that "It turns out that there is actually a band called African Head Charge; it's so hard to be original these days."
Trepanation
After settling on the name American Head Charge, the band made their debut on the underground fringes of the industrial metalIndustrial metal
Industrial metal is a musical genre that draws from industrial music and many different types of heavy metal, using repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Founding industrial metal acts include Ministry, Godflesh, and KMFDM.Industrial metal's...
scene with their 1999 independent self-released album Trepanation. The personnel on this album saw Heacock and Hanks (now respectively re-christened Martin Cock and Banks) joined by guitarist David Rogers, Peter Harmon on drums, and Christopher Emery on keyboards/samplers.
Further exposure came through two track offerings to Dwell Records tribute albums, namely in homage to industrial bands Ministry
Ministry (band)
Ministry is an American industrial metal band founded by lead singer Al Jourgensen in 1981. Originally a synthpop outfit, Ministry changed its style to industrial metal in the late 1980s. Ministry found mainstream success in the early 1990s with its most successful album Psalm 69: The Way to...
and Marilyn Manson. Second guitarist Wayne Kile and keyboard players Justin Fowler and Aaron Zilch joined the quintets ranks during mid/late 1999.
After supporting System of a Down
System of a Down
System of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...
in Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
in August 1999, System of a Down's Shavo Odadjian was impressed enough that when label head Rick Rubin asked Shavo if there were any bands he should check out, he told Rick about American Head Charge. Six months later the band was offered a record deal with Rick's American Recordings, then under the Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
umbrella.
The War of Art
After the local success of TrepanationTrepanation
Trepanning, also known as trephination, trephining or making a burr hole, is a surgical intervention in which a hole is drilled or scraped into the human skull, exposing the dura mater in order to treat health problems related to intracranial diseases. It may also refer to any "burr" hole created...
and the band's signing to American Recordings in 2000, the band moved to Los Angeles to begin work on their first major label album with producer Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
at the helm, living and recording at the infamous Rubin-owned Houdini Mansion. The War of Art, released August 28, 2001, sold over 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week. However, like many "heavy" bands at the time, sales of the album suffered immediately after the 9/11 attacks.
American Head Charge, commencing a live schedule in support of their major label debut, began their professional touring experience on Ozzy Osbourne's 2001 Ozzfest
Ozzfest
Ozzfest is an annual festival tour of the United States featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne, both of whom also organize each yearly tour with their son Jack Osbourne...
, playing 3rd on the "Second Stage" for the entire tour. They then snagged a slot upon the "Pledge of Allegiance" festival tour, headlined by bands like Slipknot, Mudvayne, Rammstein
Rammstein
Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band from Berlin, formed in 1994. The band consists of members Till Lindemann , Richard Z. Kruspe , Paul H. Landers , Oliver "Ollie" Riedel , Christoph "Doom" Schneider and Christian "Flake" Lorenz...
and System of a Down. Guitarist Dave Rogers marked their concluding show of this tour in New Jersey by wholly playing the concert performance naked; this led to his subsequent arrest after the performance. In December 2001, the band co-supported Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
alongside Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
band Chimaira
Chimaira
Chimaira is an American heavy metal band from Cleveland, Ohio. Formed in 1998, the group is a notable member of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal scene. The band's name is derived from the word Chimera, a monstrous creature in Greek mythology...
for the first two months of the American "God Hates Us All" tour. Following shows were headlined by Kittie
Kittie
Kittie is a Canadian heavy metal band formed in London, Ontario in 1996. A quartet of women, the group rose to success in 1999 when the track "Brackish" from their debut album Spit became a hit single...
, hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
band Biohazard
Biohazard (band)
Biohazard is a band originally based in Brooklyn, New York. They are acknowledged as one of the earliest bands to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip hop. The original lineup consisted of Vocalist/Guitarist Billy Graziadei, bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld, guitarist Bobby Hambel,...
, and Texan stoner rockers Speedealer, preceding a 4 month Scandinavian/European/UK/Japanese tour headlined by Slipknot. Additional bands they've toured with include Coal Chamber
Coal Chamber
Coal Chamber is an American alternative metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1993. Prior to Coal Chamber, Dez Fafara and Meegs Rascón formed the band She's In Pain in 1992. The two decided to create Coal Chamber. They disbanded in 2003 after ten years together, but announced a reunion in...
, Ministry
Ministry (band)
Ministry is an American industrial metal band founded by lead singer Al Jourgensen in 1981. Originally a synthpop outfit, Ministry changed its style to industrial metal in the late 1980s. Ministry found mainstream success in the early 1990s with its most successful album Psalm 69: The Way to...
, Gravity Kills
Gravity Kills
Gravity Kills is an American industrial rock band from Jefferson City, Missouri. Their music was described by one critic as "a blending of eerie industrial rock with a pop-infused melodic chorus and a bit of hard-core head banging."...
, Hatebreed
Hatebreed
- History :Hatebreed was formed in 1994 in Bridgeport, Waterbury and New Haven. They began by recording a three song demo and selling it to locals. Those three songs would eventually be released on a split seven inch with New York's Neglect in 1995...
, Static-X
Static-X
Static-X is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California. They were formed in 1994. They are signed to Warner Bros. Records and have released six albums, their most recent being Cult of Static, which was released on March 17, 2009....
, Mudvayne
Mudvayne
Mudvayne is an American heavy metal band. Their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate visual appearance, which has included face and body paint, masks and uniforms...
, and Otep
Otep
Otep is an American heavy metal band formed in 2000 in Los Angeles, California by Otep Shamaya.-History:Otep originally was a four-piece nu metal band that began in Los Angeles, California in early 2000...
.
Guitarist Wayne Kile departed from the industrial outfit in early April 2002, paving the way for the induction of former Black Flood Diesel guitarist Bryan Ottoson to undertake the open position. Just 24 hours after getting the offer to join the band, Ottoson flew to Los Angeles and duly marked his inclusion to the band participating in the filming of the music video "Just So You Know".
The Feeding
After a two year hiatus, drugs had taken control of much of the band. According to AHC's MySpaceMySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
article, three members of the band had become chemically dependent, with two of them going back into rehab. Guitarist Bryan Ottoson even stated that the band looked so doomed that he was almost checked into a mental institution for fear of suicide.
The hollow shell of the band, with a couple new faces, pulled together and started writing and recording. During the demo process, "The War of Art" producer and American Recordings label owner Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
became increasingly elusive, and the band subsequently asked to be let out of their recording contract. Rubin respected their request without any legal squabbles. The band's producer on The Feeding was The War of Art's engineer Greg Fidelman
Greg Fidelman
Greg Fidelman is an American music engineer, producer and mix engineer. He has worked with many renowned and highly regarded bands in various genres, many in the heavier rock or metal genres, including Metallica, Slayer, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Bush, Audio Slave, Marilyn Manson, Slipknot, and...
. AHC recorded for four months, feeling this was by far their most disciplined record to date. The Feeding
The Feeding (album)
The Feeding is the third album by U.S. industrial metal band American Head Charge. It is the only album with Bryan Ottoson on guitar.- Album details :- Music videography - "The Feeding" :- Personnel :*Cameron Heacock - Vocals*Chad Hanks - Bass...
was released on February 15, 2005. The Feeding only spawned one radio single 'Loyalty'. They also recorded a video for the song cowards featuring Chuck Lidell of the UFC which did not feature the band.
Death of guitarist Bryan Ottoson
Life of Agony
-Formation and River Runs Red :The band was formed in the summer of 1989 by singer Keith Caputo, bassist Alan Robert and guitarist Joey Z. After playing with several drummers, they enlisted Type O Negative drummer Sal Abruscato before recording the debut album River Runs Red after they signed to...
, and Bloodsimple
Bloodsimple
Bloodsimple is an American heavy metal band from New York City that formed in 2002. They were signed to Warner Bros. Records.The band's name, Bloodsimple, comes from a term coined by detective novelist Dashiell Hammett. The term apparently describes the addled, fearful mindset people are in after...
in tow. The musician's body was found lying on a sleeping bunk on the band's tour bus in North Charleston, South Carolina
North Charleston, South Carolina
North Charleston is the 3rd largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina with incorporated areas in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties. On June 12, 1972 the city of North Charleston incorporated and was the 9th largest city in South Carolina. According to the 2010 Census, North...
, where the group was scheduled to perform at the Plex club.
According to North Charleston police documents, scene investigators concluded the guitarist's death was the result of an accidental prescription drug overdose
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
. Police discovered a pill bottle of "numerous amounts of prescription medicine" in Ottoson's bunk. Ottoson had been battling severe strep throat
Strep throat
Streptococcal pharyngitis, streptococcal tonsillitis, or streptococcal sore throat is a type of pharyngitis caused by a group A streptococcal infection. It affects the pharynx including the tonsils and possibly the larynx. Common symptoms include fever, sore throat, and enlarged lymph nodes...
with prescribed penicillin
Penicillin
Penicillin is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi. They include penicillin G, procaine penicillin, benzathine penicillin, and penicillin V....
, and he was also given an unnamed pain medication.
Band members informed police they last saw Ottoson alive around 4 a.m. on April 18, 2005, as they went to sleep before leaving Jessup, Maryland
Jessup, Maryland
Jessup is an unincorporated town and census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland and Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The population was 7,865 at the 2000 census. The center of population of Maryland is located in Jessup. It was the location of Maryland House of Correction, which was one of...
. Ottoson had consumed "a large amount of alcohol at a bar" in Jessup that evening, according to police documents. This statement is reported as inaccurate by bassist/co-founder Chad Hanks: "Bryan, myself, and our tech D-Rock walked to the bar just before last call, and we were stone cold sober. We all had two shots of vodka and one beer each. No more. No less. If 3 drinks is a 'large amount of alcohol', then apparently my mother is a raging alcoholic."
Police were called to the scene around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday; Ottoson was deceased by this time. Hanks and Cheema remarked to police that "Ottoson was a heavy sleeper, and it was not uncommon for him to sleep late before a concert."
Can't Stop The Machine
On April 3, 2007, American Head Charge released their first DVD, Can't Stop the MachineCan't Stop the Machine
Can't Stop the Machine is a two-disc CD/DVD release by American Head Charge. The audio disc contains four unreleased tracks, five live tracks and one remix.-Track listing:-Notes:...
, through Nitrus Records. Along with it came a 10 track CD with live and unreleased songs, including a remix of The War of Art single "Just So You Know". They supported the release with a 2 month U.S. tour that began on May 5 with their ninth sold-out First Avenue show. They played an "encore performance" of the tour's final sold-out show at The Rock in Maplewood, Minnesota on September 14, 2007. This would be their last live show together.
On August 11, 2009, the band issued the following press release:
American Head Charge Calls It Quits
(August 11, 2009) – MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - International recording and touring act American Head Charge is hanging up their hat and disbanding. Citing singer Cameron Heacock’s “inability to continue on a musical career path.”
AHC, who have worked with greats like Rick Rubin and toured the globe extensively with such bands as Slipknot, Slayer, Mudvayne, and System Of A Down, see this as an opportunity to finally get the ball rolling.
“This is not the kind of news I enjoy being the bearer of, but we’ve been ready and waiting for input from Cameron for almost two years; we’ve written and recorded two albums worth of material in that time.” says co-founder and bassist Chad Hanks. “At this point, he no longer gives being in this band any sort of top priority, which is so sad seeing as how he has such an amazing and unique voice; I couldn’t wait to hear it on these songs.
“However, we’re looking forward to some new blood; a young, hungry soul that doesn’t sound like anyone else and is ready to work his ass off. We’re more than eager to get back to the mines. This is what we do.”
On January 18, 2011, American Head Charge's long dormant Myspace page showed a new status update, "Stranger things have happened...", grouped with a new background and a new icon showing a disembodied hand breaking out of the ground. The name on the page was also changed from "RIP American Head Charge: 1998–2009" back to simply "American Head Charge".
However, since April 17, 2011, the name on the page is again showing as "RIP American Head Charge: 1998–2009", refuting the possibility of a reunion for the time being. In the following months, bassist Chad Hanks made posts on his Twitter ppage ( http://twitter.com/#!/chadhanks ), saying that the band is back together with guitarist Karma Cheema, drummer Chris Emery, vocalist Cameron Heacock, keyboardist Justin Fowler and himself.
"rehearsals are tentatively scheduled for July/August" posted Chad Hanks on his Twitter page.
Reunion
On June 30, 2011, bassist Chad Hanks made another post to his twitter page saying, "If you're interested AHC is now officially on FB as "American Head Charge (Official)". The gears are starting to groan." Also on his twitter page prior to him promoting the official Facebook page, a follower of Hanks tweeted via @chadhanks saying "is American Head Charge in fact planning on rehersing again and making more music?" and Chad responded saying "Indeed. Go join American Head Charge (Official) on FB."On July 1, 2011, "And while we figured it was obvious enough, apparently many don't quite understand. YES, WE ARE BACK TOGETHER." and "This is the part where we start asking you guys to spread the word. " was posted to the American Head Charge (official) Facebook page. On September 2, 2011, the band posted 10 tour dates on their Facebook page. On October 6th, 2011, the band posted on their Official Facebook page that Sin Quirin, former guitarist of Ministry, Revolting Cocks, and Society 1 will be featured on the "tourette" as a second guitarist.
Current members
- Cameron Heacock - Vocals (1996–2009, 2011–present)
- Chad Hanks (Banks) - Bass (1996–2009, 2011–present)
- Justin Fowler - Keyboards, Backing vocals (2000–2009, 2011–present)
- Karma Singh Cheema - Guitar (2004–2005, 2007–2009, 2011–present)
- Chris Emery - Drums (2000–2006, 2011–present), Keyboards (1996–2000)
- Sin Quirin - Guitar (2011-present)
Former
- Dave Rogers - Guitar (1996–2003)
- Jamie White - Keyboards, back-up vocals (1996; never recorded with AHC, but played live)
- Peter Harmon - Drums (1997–2000)
- Wayne Kile - Guitar (mid/late 1999 - April 2002)
- Aaron Zilch - Electronics (mid/late 1999 - January 2003)
- Bryan Ottoson - Guitar (April 2002 - April 19, 2005) (Deceased)
- Nicolas Quijano - Guitar (2006 European Occupation Tour)
- Anthony Burke - Guitar (fill-in 2006)
- Benji Helberg - Guitar (2006–2009)
- Dane Tuders - Drums (February 2006 - 2009)
Albums
- TrepanationTrepanation (album)Trepanation is the first album composition by the US industrial metal band American Head Charge, released independently by the group on July 18, 1999....
(July 18, 1999) Independent - The War of Art (August 28, 2001) American Recordings
- The FeedingThe Feeding (album)The Feeding is the third album by U.S. industrial metal band American Head Charge. It is the only album with Bryan Ottoson on guitar.- Album details :- Music videography - "The Feeding" :- Personnel :*Cameron Heacock - Vocals*Chad Hanks - Bass...
(February 15, 2005) DRT Entertainment/Nitrus - Can't Stop the MachineCan't Stop the MachineCan't Stop the Machine is a two-disc CD/DVD release by American Head Charge. The audio disc contains four unreleased tracks, five live tracks and one remix.-Track listing:-Notes:...
(DVD/CD) (April 3, 2007) Nitrus
Singles
| Year | Song | UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | "Just So You Know Just So You Know (song) "Just So You Know" is the first single from the album The War of Art by the alternative metal band American Head Charge. The single contains several remixes of "Just So You Know", and one unreleased track "Real Life". The CD includes the "Just So You Know" music video, audio clips from "The War of... " |
52 | The War of Art | ||||||||
| "All Wrapped Up" | — | ||||||||||
| 2005 | "Loyalty" | — | The Feeding | ||||||||
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | |||||||||||
Music videos
| Song | Director | Album | Label | Additional Information |
| "Just So You Know" | Kevin Kerslake | The War of Art | American Recordings | American Head Charge's first official music video. |
| "All Wrapped Up" | Tomas Migone | The War of Art | American Recordings | Banned due to visceral Viscus In anatomy, a viscus is an internal organ, and viscera is the plural form. The viscera, when removed from a butchered animal, are known collectively as offal... images within video. |
| "Loyalty" | Mike Sloat | The Feeding | DRT Entertainment/Nitrus | First official music video release taken from The Feeding. |
| "Cowards" | Mike Sloat | The Feeding | DRT Entertainment/Nitrus | First UNOFFICIAL music video release taken from The Feeding. Features UFC fighter Chuck Liddell. |
Compilation appearances
| Date of Release | Title | Album | Label | Additional Information |
| January 25, 2000 | "Filth Pig" | Devilswork: A Tribute to Ministry | Dwell Records | Ministry Ministry (band) Ministry is an American industrial metal band founded by lead singer Al Jourgensen in 1981. Originally a synthpop outfit, Ministry changed its style to industrial metal in the late 1980s. Ministry found mainstream success in the early 1990s with its most successful album Psalm 69: The Way to... cover |
| June 6, 2000 | "Irresponsible Hate Anthem" | Anthems of Rust and Decay: A Tribute to Marilyn Manson | Dwell Records | Marilyn Manson Marilyn Manson (band) Marilyn Manson is an American metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by Brian Warner and Scott Putesky, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their uniquely theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early '90s. This attention... cover |
| March 26, 2002 | "Seamless" (Live) | Pledge of Allegiance Tour: Live Concert Recording Pledge of Allegiance Tour: Live Concert Recording Pledge of Allegiance Tour: Live Concert Recording is a live album by System of a Down, Slipknot, Mudvayne, American Head Charge and No One featuring tracks from the Pledge of Allegiance Tour in 2001... |
Columbia Records Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company... |
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| August 25, 2002 | "Reach and Touch" (Live) | Ozzfest 2001: The Second Millennium Ozzfest 2001: The Second Millennium Ozzfest 2001: The Second Millennium is a compilation of live recordings from Ozzfest 2001.-Track listing:#Black Sabbath - The Wizard 4:38#Marilyn Manson - The Love Song 3:10#Slipknot - New Abortion 3:57#Papa Roach - Blood Brothers 3:31... |
Sony Records | |
| August 24, 2004 | "Cowards" | UFC: Ultimate Beatdowns, Vol. 1 | DRT Entertainment DRT Entertainment DRT Entertainment is a New York City based independent record label founded in 2003 by Derek Shulman, Ron Urban and Theodore "Ted" Green. It is now solely owned by Derek Shulman.... |
First taste of The Feeding The Feeding (album) The Feeding is the third album by U.S. industrial metal band American Head Charge. It is the only album with Bryan Ottoson on guitar.- Album details :- Music videography - "The Feeding" :- Personnel :*Cameron Heacock - Vocals*Chad Hanks - Bass... |