(August 11th, 2009) – MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - International recording and touring act American Head Charge is hanging up their hat and disbanding. Citing singer Cameron Heacock’s “inability to continue on a musical career path,” the Minneapolis based hard-rock/industrial band is changing their name and beginning the audition process for a new vocalist.
AHC, who have worked with greats like Rick Rubin and toured the globe extensively with such bands as Slipknot, Slayer, Mudvayne, and System Of A Down, see this as an opportunity to finally get the ball rolling.
“This is not the kind of news I enjoy being the bearer of, but we’ve been ready and waiting for input from Cameron for almost two years; we’ve written and recorded two albums worth of material in that time.” says co-founder and bassist Chad Hanks. “At this point, he no longer gives being in this band any sort of top priority, which is so sad seeing as how he has such an amazing and unique voice; I couldn’t wait to hear it on these songs.
“However, we’re looking forward to some new blood; a young, hungry soul that doesn’t sound like anyone else and is ready to work his ass off. We’re more than eager to get back to the mines. This is what we do.”
Vocalists can submit EPKs/demos to NewVocalist2009@gmail.com
American Head Charge are survivors. Despite lineup changes, the tragic death of guitarist Bryan Ottoson and leaving labels that either abandon them when heavy rock falls out of favor or rape them of deserved money, the band is still creating music and decimating crowds across the globe. Their first DVD aptly-titled Can’t Stop the Machine chronicles their rollercoaster career. Guitarist Benji Hellberg sums up the DVD best. “I want fans to be able to feel like they’re getting to see inside the band members’ souls. The story is completely out of control and unbelievable, and the music is just as out of control and unbelievable.” With numerous extras, music videos and unreleased tracks, fans are granted all access to the enigmatic band like never before. The DVD's centerpiece is the 75-minute documentary with tour and studio footage from the last five years, as well as jarring and honest interviews with members both past and present. Holding nothing back, the film captures the darkness and genius inherent within American Head Charge.
The documentary reveals the Minneapolis band’s whole history. Footage begins when the band burst onto the national scene in 2001 with their Rick Rubin produced American Recordings/Universal Records debut The War of Art. The release immediately separated them from the metal pack. Violent, strange, cathartic, dangerous and utterly groundbreaking, they blended the industrial grind of Ministry and Marilyn Manson with the tripped-out melodic experimentation of Faith No More. OZZfest 2001 introduced AHC to America, and worldwide tours (including Japan) with Slipknot, Slayer, and System of a Down followed, with the film encapsulating the madness onstage and off. During that time, The War of Art went on to sell in excess of 250,000 units, and it propelled the band to international acclaim with the singles “All Wrapped Up” and “Just So You Know.”
Tape keeps rolling as the band creates their sophomore record entitled The Feeding in 2005. More riff-oriented than its predecessor, this batch of tunes engaged a full-force guitar assault driven by late axe-slinger Ottoson. Despite selling more than 100,000 copies of their second offering, tragedy befell the band when Ottoson’s heart stopped while on tour with Mudvayne. The guitarist unknowingly had walking pneumonia in addition to severe strep throat and a (unbeknownst to the band) congenital heart murmur, and after 3 drinks (his first in 2 weeks due to having been on antibiotics) and prescribed pain killers, he passed away in his sleep. Bryan was and is far from forgotten. In one of the documentary’s most intense and moving moments, the band plays the UK's 2005 Download festival, and the entire crowd of 15,000+ begins chanting Bryan’s name. It’s unsettling yet beautiful as the band claps along to the deafening screams. However, with Cameron Heacock’s entrancing and brutal vocals, General Banks' agile yet Godzilla-like bass, Justin Fowler’s haunting keyboards and Dane Tuders’s pummeling percussion, the band are reborn in 2007 with Can’t Stop the Machine. “The DVD is a good segue to the next record, because the band has been through so much. 99 percent of the bands out there would’ve broken up. For the band to even still be kicking is amazing to me,” says Hellberg.
Ultimately, the DVD captures the essence of American Head Charge. Hellberg continues, “When you listen to American Head Charge, you get the real story, you get a real feeling for what’s going on inside of the minds, the heads and the lives of every member. It’s taken from extreme beauty to extreme chaos, and that’s exactly how life is for us.” - Rick Florino
We are very proud to announce the signing of a discographic deal with polish prog metal label Insanity Records for the publishing of our new, first, official full-length album "Dead World".
The album is out now in Europe and will be released on November 24th in U.S.A. and Canada.
The single "FEAR OF A SUFFOCATED WRATH" and "DEAD WORLD" album trailer are on-line now!!! Come and check them out on www.myspace.com/hypnotheticall!!!
I just really want to say you guys have always been there for me I really love your music I even have you lerics tattooed on my chest I just cant beleive that my favorite band of all fucking time is dead!!! your new singer will have some living up to do!!!
if any of you are interested i have a 3 year lay out and 40 new original songs ready to go and 2 of us will be located in vegas on dec. 15th ready to produce this shit.. and i mean the shit.. the newest shit to hit the stage in a while..
HEy guys, its very sad that you had to quit. I hope thta Cameron is going on with music! He is so great in singing. His voice was always from the heart. I love that! Thanks for the inspiration and the good time. Peace...
That f*ckin blows dude,i have loved you guys since i first saw you at the glasgow secc,now i ain't gonna see you again? If you guys have a singer already please let us know,i'd love to submit my own demo but unfortunately i've never had an opportunity to sing with a band as heavy as yourselves otherwise i would have f*ckin ripped it up for you guys and what an honour it would have been. Get the fingers out your asses chaps and finally show the world what we ALL know you're more than capable of. x
WTF?!?!!? No more AHC????? Im in Iraq and jus found out, man i was hopin 2 catch a concert whn i got back, i was lookin online 2 c if yall were touring anywhere and read yall broke up, thats sucks, yall r 1 of my favorite bands, i hope yall work it out soon or get a new bad 2gether fast b/c im suppose 2 b back home soon and would love 2 catch a show dwn in Tx
![[soli†ary]](http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/100/s_dff4b9ed324541e6b127e670e8c9a5c0.jpg)
Online Now!
