Biography

Born out of a chance meeting in rehab between Cameron Heacock and Chad Hanks, Minneapolis-based industrial metal collective American Head Charge match their brutally executed music with their behavior. Heacock and Hanks, now known as Martin Cock and Mr. H.C. Banks III, formed AHC in the late '90s, releasing their critically acclaimed debut, War of Art, in 2001. The record scored the band -- which by then included guitarist Bryan Ottoson, keyboardist Justin Fowler, and drummer Christopher Emery -- a coveted slot on that year's Ozzfest tour, at which point the group splintered into a violent, drug-fueled nonentity that became known more for its on-stage/backstage mayhem than for its excellent musicianship. As the year progressed, the bandmembers, despite frequent trips back to rehab and the occasional near-suicidal meltdown, managed to continue to filter their rage into creativity, resulting in their 2005 ambitious sophomore effort, Feeding, their first for the Nitrus/DRT label. That same year saw the tragic death of guitarist Bryan Ottoson, who died of an accidental prescription drug overdose while on tour in support of the album. A live CD/DVD, Can't Stop the Machine, dropped in early 2007, but by 2009 the band had officially called it quits. In 2011 rumours began to surface about a possible AHC reunion, and surely enough, by 2012 a new single appeared, "Sugars of Someday," in anticipation of the band's 2013 comeback EP, Shoot. The following year saw the band raising money to finance the recording of their fourth studio long player. They eventually met and exceeded their goals, and headed to Kentucky's Third Sky studios to begin laying down tracks. The resulting Tango Umbrella dropped in March, 2016 via Napalm Records. ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi