The American Head Charge Merch Blog
Who Are American Head Charge? Minneapolis Industrial Metal
Samples, keyboards, heavy guitars and a singer who sounds like he means every word. If you've ever heard "Just So You Know" turned up loud, you've met American Head Charge. Here's a short guide for new fans and old ones.
Where did American Head Charge start?
Minneapolis, 1996. Singer Cameron Heacock and bassist Chad Hanks started the band in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their self-released debut album, Trepanation, came out in 1999.
Where does the name come from?
Nowhere, on purpose. Chad Hanks liked three-word names and said this one means nothing at all. Its likeness to the dub group African Head Charge is just a coincidence.
What do they sound like?
Heavy, noisy and a little unsettling. Their music is filed under industrial metal, alternative metal and nu metal. The samples and keyboards matter as much as the riffs.
Who produced The War of Art?
Rick Rubin. System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian recommended the band to him, and Rubin produced The War of Art (2001) for American Recordings. "Just So You Know" was its single.
What came next?
Two more albums and an EP. The Feeding followed in 2005. The band split in 2009 and came back in 2011. The Shoot EP arrived in 2013, and Tango Umbrella, their first album in a decade, came out on Napalm Records in 2016.
Remembering Chad Hanks
Co-founder Chad Hanks died in November 2017, aged 46. The band played a memorial show for him at First Avenue in Minneapolis, the club where American Head Charge has a star on the outside wall.
Wear the charge
Our designs bring the crosshair logo, the AHC crest and the band's darker imagery to tees, hoodies and sweatshirts.