A Survivor from the Nu-Metal Days (The War Of Art - American Head Charge)

Member Name: Burning_Darkness

Product:	The War Of Art - American Head Charge
Date:	02/07/09 (19 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Catchy industrial riffs, good vocals

Disadvantages: Overlong, can sound rather dated on occasion

Back in the days when nu-metal was king, US seven-piece American Head Charge were once pretty big. The band were always out to shock, and as I recall they used to perform stage shows with pigs heads on spikes in front of a backdrop of a giant, upside-down, burning american flag, although they soon packed all that in the moment to the twin towers came down. Second album 'The War of Art' continues this shock-jock approach with its cover art, which shows a baby wrapped in the American flag and perilously close to the massive tracks of an approaching tank (although the album does capitulate on this front, showing elsewhere pictures of said baby crawling all over the tank and looking very pleased with itself).

The music has actually dated suprisingly well, mixing crunchy, industrial, Ministry riffs and barked and bellowed vocals with samples of sirens, industrial noise of the like and atmospheric keyboard washes, contrasting this with open, laid back Faith-No-More-esque sections complete with Mike Patton-style crooning. Produced by Rick Rubin of Slayer and System of a Down fame, it's all rather charmingly done, and unfortunately named vocalist Martin Cock proves himself to be a rather competent singer.

Whilst an enjoyable listen, the various songs on offer do tend to slip into cringeworthy nu-metalisms on occasion, and with a whopping runtime of nearly 70 minutes the album is far too long, and would have benefited from the last 3 or 4 songs, despite being their being decent, being cut from the album altogether.

Overall though its a good album, and is worth a look for fans of Static X, Ministry, Faith No More and Rammstein.

Tracklisting-

1. A Violent Reaction 4:12
2. Pushing The Envelope 3:13
3. Song For The Suspect 4:11
4. Never Get Caught, Rogers 4:56
5. Self 4:21
6. Just So You Know 5:31
7. Seamless 4:28
8. Effigy 23 4:10
9. Americ**t Evolving Into Useless Psychic Garbage 2:33
10. Shutdown 5:06
11. We Believe 3:15
12. Breathe In, Bleed Out 4:27
13. Fall 4:29
14. Reach And Touch 3:54
15. All Wrapped Up 3:27
16. Nothing Gets Nothing 5:30

Total runtime- 65.03

Summary: A solid slab of poppy, industrial metal