"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).
To Taste Acid
American Head Charge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was it live
The course it took
Was it right
The crown I wore
Was it mine
The lips that lie
Is it true
Is it skin
The line that binds
Is it real
The face that smiles
Is it yours
The fall that kills
Is it dead
To control the mannequin
Your wrists will shake
Without circulation
Your face will twitch
Do you feel
Better than me
Do you taste
Better than me
The prey that hunts
Was it found
The people die
Is it right
The place is lost
Will it turn
The guilt that hurts
Will it change
The guess that shames
Will it smile
The game that plays
Does it hurt
The fail that's right
Does it taste
The fuck that hates
Do you care
Did you get
What you wanted
To taste acid
To taste guilt
To taste shame
To taste hate
To taste death
To taste black
To taste acid
To taste red
To taste hell
To taste me
For you to swell
To taste god
To taste acid
The lyrics of American Head Charge's "To Taste Acid" explore themes of identity, truth and self-destruction. The verses are introspective, questioning the actions and decisions that have led to the singer's current position. The opening lines "The crowd did move, was it live?" are a reflection on the events that have transpired and whether they were experienced authentically. The singer also questions the persona they have created ("The crown I wore, was it mine?") and those around them ("The face that smiles, is it yours?").
The chorus focuses on the physical and emotional toll of self-destruction. The lines "To control the mannequin / Your wrists will shake without circulation" and "The fall that kills, is it dead?" suggest the potential for death through harmful behavior. The chorus also proposes that these kinds of self-destructive behaviors are a competition with others, asking "Better than me? / Do you taste better than me?"
The bridge of the song includes a list of intense emotions and experiences, like guilt, shame, hate, and death, inviting the listener to consider the weight of these words and the depth of the feelings they represent. The chorus returns with the additional line "To taste me," which could be interpreted as either the singer offering themselves up for destruction or as a warning against following in their footsteps.
Line by Line Meaning
The crowd did move
Did the crowd at the event move or respond to the performance?
Was it live
Was the performance live or pre-recorded?
The course it took
What direction did the performance take?
Was it right
Was the performance ethical or morally correct?
The crown I wore
What position of power or responsibility did I have?
Was it mine
Was the crown actually mine, or was it given to me?
The lips that lie
Are the words being spoken truthful or deceitful?
Is it true
Is what is being said or done really true or real?
The lace that tears
Is something fragile or delicate being damaged?
Is it skin
Is the tear in the lace actually in the material or in someone's skin?
The line that binds
What connection or obligation is tying two people or things together?
Is it real
Is the connection or obligation truly real or just a façade?
The face that smiles
Is the person smiling genuinely or falsely?
Is it yours
Does the smile on their face truly belong to them?
The fall that kills
Is a mistake or failure going to have disastrous consequences?
Is it dead
Is the fall or mistake final, or is there still hope of recovering?
To control the mannequin
Taking control over someone or something else like a puppet.
Your wrists will shake
What physical reactions will occur when controlling someone or something like a puppet?
Without circulation
What would happen if the puppet is cut off from the person controlling it?
Your face will twitch
What other physical reactions could happen when controlling another person or thing?
Do you feel
Are you experiencing any emotions or physical sensations?
Better than me
Do you think you are superior to me in some way?
Do you taste
Do you experience a sensation, either physical or emotional?
The prey that hunts
Is someone or something actively seeking or pursuing something else?
Was it found
Did the hunter find their prey and achieve their goal?
The people die
Is there a loss of life or death involved?
Is it right
Is the loss of life ethical or morally correct?
The place is lost
Is a physical or metaphorical location lost or unattainable?
Will it turn
Is there hope of recovering the lost location or situation?
The guilt that hurts
What emotions or physical sensations does guilt carry?
Will it change
Is there opportunity for improvement or change with the guilt?
The guess that shames
Is someone or something being judged or shamed based on assumptions or guesses?
Will it smile
Is there hope for redemption or forgiveness with the shame?
The game that plays
Is someone or something manipulating or playing with others?
Does it hurt
What are the consequences or reactions to the game being played?
The fail that's right
Is there a situation where failure is actually the correct course of action or a successful outcome?
Does it taste
Is there a sensation or experience associated with this situation or outcome?
The fuck that hates
Is there a feeling of hatred or anger towards someone or something?
Do you care
Is there any emotional investment or concern for the person or thing being hated?
Did you get
Did you successfully achieve the desired outcome or goal?
What you wanted
Did you truly want the outcome, or was it just a fleeting desire?
To taste acid
To experience something unpleasant or painful.
To taste guilt
To experience the negative emotions and physical sensations associated with guilt.
To taste shame
To experience the negative emotions and physical sensations associated with shame.
To taste hate
To experience the negative emotions and physical sensations associated with hatred.
To taste death
To experience the finality and loss associated with death.
To taste black
To experience the negative emotions and physical sensations associated with darkness, sadness, or despair.
To taste red
To experience the negative emotions and physical sensations associated with violence or aggression.
To taste hell
To experience the negative emotions and physical sensations associated with eternal suffering or punishment.
To taste me
To experience the positive or negative emotions and physical sensations associated with me or my influence.
For you to swell
For you to experience growth or inflation, either physically or emotionally.
To taste god
To experience the power or influence associated with a deity or higher power.
To taste acid
To experience something unpleasant or painful.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Coco Chanelly
I luv the beginning to THIS! 🤑😜😉
Mael Schatt2n
🤘
Kate Thomson
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Aaron Fleishman
this album used to be called something way better than what it is called by punky broosters wearing gir shirts in fifth grade.
Rusty Shackleford
you mean the Deviant art kids with the olive drab military caps?
Capnsensible80
This is the album cover, it's always been like this...the other side has "Trepa", with the side view in negative and revealing the full title, "Trepanation" lol