American Head Charge

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. ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi