"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).
Writhe
American Head Charge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A demon’s diamond facet
I’m driven straight into the reef
You’re malevolence in passing
Must I dance to the price on my head
As you seek out to prey on the weak
They all know who you really are
Sleep tight now knowing that your life has ended
As you seek out to prey on the weak
You’re just another notch on the barrel of my gun I keep pointed at my head
Another inch that much closer to the means
You’re just another notch on the barrel of my gun I keep pointed at my head
Another inch that much closer to the end
Let go
They all know who you really are
You’re just another notch on the barrel of my gun I keep pointed at my head
Another inch that much closer to the means
You’re just another fucking notch on the barrel of my gun I keep pointed at my head
Another inch that much closer to the end
The lyrics to American Head Charge’s song “Writhe” are dark and intense, with a focus on themes of revenge and the desire for justice. The opening lines reveal the singer’s feelings about their antagonist, calling them a “parasitic thief” and a “demon’s diamond facet.” The use of “parasitic” suggests that the villain is someone who feeds off the singer’s energy or resources, while “demon’s diamond facet” could be interpreted as a reference to the antagonist’s deceptive and shiny exterior.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes increasingly frustrated with their situation, asking if they must “dance to the price on [their] head” and become prey to the antagonist’s “malevolence.” However, there is a sense of empowerment in the lyrics as well, with the singer acknowledging that their antagonist is “just another notch on the barrel of [their] gun” and one step closer to their own means and end. The repetition of this line adds to the intense and threatening nature of the song.
Overall, “Writhe” conveys a sense of anger, frustration, and a desire for retribution against those who have wronged us. The lyrics are cryptic enough to allow for multiple interpretations, but the intense delivery of the vocals and the heavy instrumentation give the song an undeniable sense of power and emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
You’re a parasitic thief
You are someone who takes advantage of others for personal gain, like a parasite stealing nutrients from its host.
A demon’s diamond facet
You are a multifaceted character, like a diamond that reflects different aspects of a demon's nature.
I’m driven straight into the reef
I am heading towards a disastrous end, similar to a ship being driven straight into a reef and getting wrecked.
You’re malevolence in passing
Your malicious intent is always present, even if you don't explicitly show it while passing by.
Must I dance to the price on my head
Do I have to keep complying with your demands, like dancing to the tune of a bounty on my head?
As you seek out to prey on the weak
You target vulnerable people to exploit and take advantage of.
They all know who you really are
Everyone can see through your facade and knows your true nature and intentions.
Sleep tight now knowing that your life has ended
Rest in peace, knowing that your time is up and your life has come to an end.
You’re just another notch on the barrel of my gun I keep pointed at my head
You are just another element that contributes to my own self-destruction, like another tick mark on the gun aimed at myself.
Another inch that much closer to the means
Each tick mark brings me one step closer to the end I seek or the means to achieve it.
Let go
Release your hold on me and stop trying to control or manipulate me.
You’re just another fucking notch on the barrel of my gun I keep pointed at my head
You are worthy of even more contempt, like another mark on the gun I am holding to my own head in desperation.
Another inch that much closer to the end
Each time I add another mark, I getting closer to the inevitable conclusion, be it death or some other form of destruction.
Contributed by Cole G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jakub Karpinski
You're just another notch on the barrel of my gun I keep pointing at my head. The best lyrics ever
Charlie Biscuits
I don't know how to say...your music means so much to me
Steven Faught
Rest easy Mr. Hanks
Peter Presser
🖤
Duke Atreides
I became a huge fan of these guys back in 2004...got to see them 13 years later at my local hole in the wall bar. glad I saw them when I did.
Kyle Austin
I am super jealous, I never got to see them. That is amazing that you got to see them!!!!
Benjamin Andrews
They are from my home town. Started going to their shows in ‘99 right after trepanation came out - I was blown away a band could sound just as good if not better live than they did on their albums. Hung out with them quite a bit over the next couple years - was at the release party when TWOA came out. After they came back from tour Cam was on hard drugs bad and it was a shit show from there. Incredibly talented guys and I wish they could’ve held it together - definitely my favorite band in the early ‘00’s
Andrew Macnaughton
@Kyle Austin let's hope boys they reform some how.
eric dixon
this band and bloodsimple soo underrated
Mr Supa Gaming
This is actully the 2 bands im listen to for the past few months lately 🤟🏽🤟🏽🤟🏽