10 Often Forgotten Nu Metal Bands
2. American Head Charge
American Head Charge bear the unfortunate stigma of a band supposedly torn apart by death from drug usage.
In fact, only one member of the band had died to to drug overdose, whereas founding member and bassist Chad Hanks passed due to a terminal illness. The band did abuse drugs from time to time, though.
Stigma aside, AHC are often considered one of the heavier elements of the genre. Starting as an underground industrial act before the turn of the century, a tour with System of a Down landed the band a major label contract.
The subsequent major debut, The War of Art and main single "Just So You Know" was a powerhouse, and earned them a slot on the Pledge of Allegiance tour in 2001. Alongside Slipknot, Mudvayne, Rammstein and SOAD, this tour cemented AHC's recognition as a genre stable.
Sophomore album The Feeding in 2005, delayed due to the band's drug usage and subsequent trips to rehab, was well-received, but not to the degree of TWoA.
Though the band has been quiet since Hanks' passing, they haven't thrown in the towel yet.