Of the early crop of nü-metal bands to break out of the ‘Ozzfest‘ scene in the early 2000s, the industrial-leaning Minneapolis, MN outfit American Head Charge were certainly among the most promising. Backed by highly influential producer Rick Rubin, the group seemingly had been fast-tracked for commercial success.
Rubin himself believed in the band enough to oversee the production of their standout 2001 album “The War Of Art” and also signed them to his own American Recordings label. Given his involvement with stars like Slayer, System Of A Down, Red Hot Chili Peppers and more at the time, his clout was hard to downplay.
In addition to delivering a compelling experience on record, American Head Charge‘s chaotic live antics further cemented them as a band to look out for. From throwing the severed heads of livestock into the audience, performing naked, burning American flags, and even firing a live shotgun onstage at the 2001 ‘Ozzfest‘, the group regularly left a lasting impression.
However, as time has sadly shown us, much of the band’s legacy has been marred by tragedy and addiction. In February of last year, Racket published a piece that caught up with the band’s former keyboardist Justin Fowler and programmer/sampler Aaron Zilch. In it the pair look back at what happened to the band and where their members are now. Flying a bit under the radar amid its initial publication, that piece has been making the rounds again lately.
It’s an informative, if not sobering, look at a band who ultimately went off the rails. Fowler attributes the group’s downfall in part to “lots of heroin and alcohol.” But not all blame in their ultimate demise lies solely at the feet of the group.
Given the controversial stances taken both onstage and through their musical output, American Head Charge‘s initial momentum promptly stifled in the aftermath of 9/11. “The War Of Art” was released on August 28th of 2001 and weeks afterwards found itself on a blacklist of sorts.
Following that terrorist attack, radio programmers across the country sought to distance themselves from songs with violent, lyrically questionable or potentially anti-American context (you see that list via Kerrang!.) While not named directly, like many of their peers, American Head Charge found their music shelved across thousands of stations.
Then there’s the various tragedies that befell the group. Guitarist Bryan Ottoson died from an accidental prescription overdose while on tour back in April of 2005. Bassist Chad Hanks died following a battle with terminal illness back in 2017.
There was also the controversies. Outside of the legal troubles stemming from their live antics, vocalist Cameron Heacock wound up being arrested with a van of stolen instruments in April of 2018. Heacock had racked up several drug-related charges prior to that incident. Infighting amid later lineups of the group also led to the public airing of allegations of drug abuse and financial impropriety.
You can take in the whole piece over at Racket. If you’re merely curious as to where some of the members ultimately wound up; drummer Peter Harmon became a chiropractor; guitarist Dave Rogers became a family man & Heacock remains ‘off the grid’, maintaining no contact with his former bandmates. Fowler went on to work at bars and nightclubs, while Zilch spent time running a freak show.
