American Head Charge, the Minneapolis-based metal band, which had its genes… Read Full Bio ↴American Head Charge, the Minneapolis-based metal band, which had its genesis when Cameron Heacock and Chad Hanks crossed paths in a Minnesota rehab facility in 1997, has up to now been known primarily for the radically dysfunctional behavior of the band members.

"We were definitely out of control on our first tour, Ozzfest 2001," Mr. Banks admits. "It wasn't enough to just play our music; we also had to fire shotguns on stage and throw pigheads at the crowd. Chalk it up to a desperate bid for attention." The Head Charge rap sheet - which also includes getting into bloody brawls with their fans, smashing equipment they couldn't afford to replace, reacquainting themselves with hard drugs and occasionally being locked up by the enraged fuzz - has served to obscure the fact that these free spirits play the shit out of their instruments and make brutally powerful music of uncommon distinction.

But this distorted (though hardly inaccurate) perception of the band will likely change with the release of The Feeding, a seething mass of avant metal, nightmare grindcore and moshpit rock that alternates between pummeling ferocity and passages of all-out grandeur. It's a stunning display of primally extreme music that's guaranteed to scare the hell out of your parents.

The album had its genesis during the limbo in which AHC found themselves after touring intensively behind their acclaimed 2001 debut, The War of Art, two years of prolonged exile from the road and ongoing internal tumult that found several band members in a virtual death match with their personal demons. Three guys in the band jumped into the chemical deep end and two of them went back to rehab, guitarist Bryan Ottoson ruefully recounts. "It got so bad I was nearly checked into a psychiatric unit for suicidal behavior."

Inevitably, their struggles begat rage, and that could've paralyzed them. But what sets Head Charge apart is an almost alchemical ability to transform their rage - at the world, each other and (perhaps most of all) themselves - into dark art. Hence, the worse their situation got, the more inspired they became, as singer Cock and bassist/guitarist Mr. Banks - now collaborating with Ottoson and keyboard manipulator Justin Fowler - stirred up a cauldron of new songs and brought them to seething life with drummer Christopher Emery. While the band's old label turned a deaf ear to their bold sonic forays, emerging producer Greg Fidelman, who'd engineered the Rick Rubin-produced first album, embraced the band's new material. The band managed to get out of their deal, and sign with Nitrus/DRT. "Rick Rubin was gracious enough to let us leave American Recordings without hassle. It could have been a litigious nightmare" adds Mr. Banks.

With Fidelman at the helm, Head Charge spent four months on the album, and it evidences an unlikely, previously dormant self-discipline. Tellingly, whereas the sprawling The War of Art ran well over an hour, as if they could barely control their wild-eyed impulses, The Feeding clocks in at a dense 41 minutes, the compression serving to intensify their fury. The opener and first single "Loyalty" sets the record's brutal tone, as Cock spews recriminations with frightful conviction while also revealing a scarred humanity in his natural voice, a captivating tenor that sounds like the troubled emanations of some fallen angel. "Dirty" would be an infectious, balls-out rocker were it not for Cock's Satanic howling, which transforms it into the soundtrack to an exorcism. "Walk Away" delivers a hyper-melodic, gloriously anthemic chorus, then proceeds to hack it to pieces in characteristically deranged fashion. Easy listening this ain't. And yet the closing "To Be Me" achieves something close to serenity, like the eerie calm after a thunderstorm - or a nuclear holocaust. "It's almost hopeful" Mr. Banks acknowledges, sounding like he can hardly believe it himself.

There's a line in "Walk Away" that perfectly encapsulates this tormented but inspired band: "We're dirty and hungry and bitter and tired and broke and bruised and battered," Cock shrieks in agony and defiance, adding, with all due irony, "so happy." Although Cock is the band's primary lyricist, it was Mr. Banks who came up with the words (he admits, quite unnecessarily, that he was in a bad state at the time). Mr. Banks recited the line his partner, who knew right away that it would drop right into the hole he was looking to fill in the song's crucial bridge section. "For a while," Mr. Banks says, "that's what we wanted to call the album - with no spaces between the words. It just says it all."

Also in the cosmic coincidence department is the filigreed, intertwined guitar figure that opens and closes the boldly provocative "Ridiculed," The Feeding's roiling centerpiece. The part is actually two guitars, and the parts were conjured up simultaneously by Ottoson and Cock - in two separate parts of the studio, out of hearing of each other. At the same moment, each of them entered the main room eager to play their new creations to the other band members and Fidelman. Only then did everyone realize that the two parts magically interlocked. Divine intervention. With this crew, that's highly unlikely - unless God has a truly twisted sense of humor (and with AHC there's plenty of circumstantial evidence to support that hypothesis).

Mr. Banks describes his band's dynamic as "a constant battle between Order and Chaos," and that's an apt description of the corrosive yet savagely beautiful sonic onslaught AHC delivers on The Feeding. In the end, Order prevails - if just barely - which is a good thing for American Head Charge and their ever-growing legion of fans. If Chaos had come out on top, this dangerously self-destructive but supremely talented band would've surely imploded, leaving nothing but wrecked gear, lost souls and mangled body parts. Instead, with all their limbs still attached and pulsing with the endorphins of catharsis, AHC will spend 2005 on the road - and this time, hopefully, not the road to perdition.

Bryan Ottoson passed away on April 19th, 2005 in his sleep on the band's tour bus while supporting Mudvayne. Many reports concluded it to be the result of an accidental prescription drug overdose. After being diagnosed with a severe case of strep throat, he was prescribed penicillin and an unknown pain killer. He, unknowingly, developed pneumonia and the strep throat got worse. He was found in his bunk after members of the band attempted to wake him before a performance.

Also, Christopher Emery was fired from American Head Charge onstage on the 11th of February 2006. So who is to say that Chaos isn't prevailing in the long run?

On April 3rd, 2007 American Head Charge will release a CD/DVD combo titled "Can't Stop The Machine". The DVD will feature a complete retrospective of the bands career from the early days signing to Rick Rubin's American recordings, interviews with all band member, performing live on Ozzfest 2001, worldwide tours with Slipknot, Mudvayne, Static-X, and more.

Also a look behind the scene at making both "The War of Art" and "The Feeding" Albums. It will also include all of the bands videos and a special tribute to late guitarist Bryan Daniel Ottoson. The CD will feature live recordings, remixes, and other unreleased material.

Unfortunately, due to lead singer Cameron Heacock's “inability to continue on a musical career path,” the band disbanded August 11th, 2009.

In June 2011 There were tweets on bassist Chad Hanks' twitter regarding American Head Charge reforming with a new drummer. Hanks also stated that there is a new Facebook page called American Head Charge (Official).

Nothing Gets Nothing
American Head Charge Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Freedom is everything
Resolve impossible
You prayed for rain
Ignoring the flood
You took me with you
To heaven
Back again
Bleed to remember

That everything ends
Blind and looking forward
I can see the shapes
But can't make out the faces
Still they come in close
Excuse this ugly shell my
Gaping holes drip pride
A systematic shutdown
Of diminishing returns
Nothing gets easier gets!
Nothing gets easier gets!
I held you down
On the day of the lord
31 marks like the day
I was born
I called you beautiful
Before I knew you
Watch me destroy it
Set myself free
Still so dead and frozen
We all survive it
Restraints brought
Back for color
The most insulting guilt
Such sweet attractive layers
Let me remove them all
Nothing gets easier gets!
Nothing gets easier gets!
Bring me home
Let me down
Send me back
Collecting the phases
The less I give
Its easier
The more we give

Its nothing
Nothing gets nothing!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Nothing Gets Nothing" by American Head Charge are complex and difficult to interpret based on a single theme or message. The song seems to be describing a journey of self-discovery, with references to freedom, struggle, endurance, and eventual realization of one's place in the world. The opening lines suggest that freedom is the ultimate goal for life, but it is not easy to achieve as it requires a constant struggle and perseverance against impossible odds. The lines "Resolve impossible/You prayed for rain/Ignoring the flood" emphasize the idea that sometimes we pray for things we really want, but ignore the consequences that come with them.

The song then moves on to describe a personal journey, possibly of the singer or someone close to them. The line "You took me with you/To heaven/Back again" suggests a journey to a better place, but ultimately returning to reality. The line "Bleed to remember/That everything ends" can be interpreted as a reference to death, and how we need to live our lives to the fullest before it's too late.

The chorus of the song, with its repetition of "Nothing gets easier gets!" suggests that life is a struggle, and that we need to accept that and keep moving forward. The lines "Blind and looking forward/I can see the shapes/But can't make out the faces" describe a feeling of uncertainty or confusion about the future, but still being determined to move forward.

Overall, "Nothing Gets Nothing" is a complex song with layered meanings that can be interpreted in different ways based on personal experiences and beliefs.

Line by Line Meaning

Freedom is everything
The concept of freedom is essential to American Head Charge.

Resolve impossible
The band embraces challenges, even those that seem insurmountable.

You prayed for rain
The desire for something that seems beneficial, without recognizing the potential for harm it can cause.

Ignoring the flood
The consequences of the above mentioned desire being ignored or unnoticed until it's too late.

You took me with you To heaven Back again
Someone who has an intense and tumultuous relationship with the artist, who has experienced both the highest highs and lowest lows with this person.

Bleed to remember That everything ends
The pain and loss associated with realizing that everything eventually comes to a close.

Blind and looking forward I can see the shapes But can't make out the faces Still they come in close
Uncertainty about the future, with potential opportunities or threats approaching but their precise nature is as yet unknown.

Excuse this ugly shell my Gaping holes drip pride
Acknowledging personal shortcomings, but also feeling a sense of self-worth despite this.

A systematic shutdown Of diminishing returns
A process of decline caused by a lack of resources, support, or other factors.

Nothing gets easier gets! Nothing gets easier gets!
Despite the challenges and effort put in, things can still become more difficult.

I held you down On the day of the lord 31 marks like the day I was born
Painful memories relating to violence or aggression, possibly from others but also the possibility that the singer is the one causing harm to another person.

I called you beautiful Before I knew you Watch me destroy it Set myself free
An expression of regret or grief over a broken relationship or connection.

Still so dead and frozen We all survive it
The numbing effects of trauma, but the understanding that it can be survived and dealt with in a constructive way.

Restraints brought Back for color
A feeling of oppression or confinement, potentially in reference to societal norms or expectations.

The most insulting guilt Such sweet attractive layers Let me remove them all
Feeling guilty about past actions or decisions, with an understanding that the process of emotional purification may be painful but ultimately necessary.

Bring me home Let me down Send me back Collecting the phases
A sense of homesickness, or longing for a place of familiarity and comfort.

The less I give Its easier The more we give Its nothing Nothing gets nothing!
A perspective on giving and receiving relationships, suggesting it's easy to maintain distance or withhold connection rather than commit fully to another person or relationship.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GRAHAM, HALL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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