The War of Art (American Head Charge album)

Last updated

The War of Art
TheWarofArtAHC.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 28, 2001
Recorded2001
Studio The Mansion in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, California
Genre
Length67:47
Label American
Producer
American Head Charge chronology
Trepanation
(1999)
The War of Art
(2001)
The Feeding
(2005)
Singles from The War of Art
  1. "Just So You Know"
    Released: May 27, 2002

The War of Art is the second studio album by industrial metal band American Head Charge, released on August 28, 2001 through American Recordings. [3] It was produced by Rick Rubin. [4] Several songs on the album were re-recorded from the band's self-released debut album Trepanation (1999).

Contents

The War of Art received positive reviews from critics and debuted at number 118 on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Top Heatseekers chart. The album also charted at number 90 on the UK Albums Chart. By 2015, the album had sold 250,000 copies worldwide. [5] In 2022, Metal Hammer ranked the album as the 20th greatest nu metal album of all time. [6]

Album information

The album was recorded at Rick Rubin's allegedly haunted recording studio. The title is a play on words of the Chinese book The Art of War by Sun Tzu. [7] This is the band's only album with Aaron Zilch on samplers, and David Rogers and Wayne Kile together on guitar. After the departure of Zilch, Fowler remained the band's sole keyboardist/sampler.

The album landed American Head Charge a spot at Ozzfest 2001. Their concerts featured some controversy due to the band firing shotguns and burning American flags on stage. [8] [9] A live version of the song "Reach and Touch" appears on the album Ozzfest 2001: The Second Millennium . A live version of "Seamless" appears on the album Pledge of Allegiance Tour: Live Concert Recording . Music videos were released for "Just So You Know" and "All Wrapped Up".

Commercial performance

The War of Art debuted at number 118 on the Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 12,000 copies, with 4,000 copies of those copies being sold in the album's first day of release. The album's sales surpassed the expectations of the band and American Recordings, who believed it would only manage to sell 7,000 copies in its first week. [10] By 2015, The War of Art had sold over 250,000 copies worldwide. [5] [11]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Anti MusicStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [13]
Kerrang! Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg
Metal Storm 8.0/10 [14]
Metal Hammer 7/10 [15]
Rough Edge4/5 [16]
Rolling Stone (positive) [17]
Ultimate Guitar 9.5/10 [18]
Q Star full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [19]

The War of Art received positive reviews from critics. AllMusic called the album "brutal, loud, and insanely intense" and that "the band is one of the most intelligent, interesting, and compelling metal bands to surface." CMJ said, "aiming its cannons, grenades and shotguns at point-blank range... its spliced with programming and aggro geetars." [20] NME called it an "outstanding slab of modern heavy metal." [21]

Katherine Turman said that "sirens, industrial noise, and ultra-intense vocals kick off The War of Art's aptly titled opening cut 'A Violent Reaction'", and that the band have "deftly produced, well-conceived, and fully realized songs and approach." [22] Metal Observer called it "an album that forms a unity for itself and wins in power and intensity with each repeated listen." AntiMusic said that "from start to finish The War of Art is an uncompromising heavy album filled with righteous screams, in your face bass and drums and searing guitars." Rough Edge said that the album "is one hour plus of blistering, mind blowing, molten metal" and that "song after song after song is nothing less than a pure metal experience." Star Tribune music critic Chris Riemenschneider named the album No. 10 in his top 10 Minnesota records of 2001, saying, "From start to finish, this major-label debut doesn't let up on its Ministry-inspired rhythmic pounding and crunchy guitar wattage.". [23] Matt Peiken of the St. Paul Pioneer Press called the album "one of the unheralded surprises of 2001." [24]

Accolades

PublicationCountryAccoladeYearRank
Metal Hammer United KingdomThe 50 Best Nu Metal Albums of All Time [6] 202220

Track listing

All tracks are written by Chad Hanks and Cameron Heacock, except where noted

No.TitleMusicLength
1."A Violent Reaction" 4:12
2."Pushing the Envelope" 3:13
3."Song for the Suspect" 4:11
4."Never Get Caught"
  • Chad Hanks
  • Cameron Heacock
  • David Rogers
4:56
5."Self" 4:21
6."Just So You Know"
  • Hanks
  • Heacock
  • Wayne Kile
5:31
7."Seamless" 4:28
8."Effigy 23" 4:10
9."Americunt Evolving Into Useless Psychic Garbage" 2:33
10."Shutdown" 5:06
11."We Believe" 3:15
12."Breathe In, Bleed Out"
  • Hanks
  • Heacock
  • Kile
4:27
13."Fall"
  • Hanks
  • Heacock
  • Rogers
4:29
14."Reach and Touch" 3:54
15."All Wrapped Up" 3:27
16."Nothing Gets Nothing"
  • Hanks
  • Heacock
  • Kile
5:30
Bonus track
No.TitleMusicLength
17."Pretty Face" (Japanese edition bonus track)Hanks, Heacock11:20

Music videography

Video stillRelease dateSongDirectorLabelAdditional information
2001"All Wrapped Up"Thomas Migone American Recordings Features actor Michael Rooker. It was banned due to visceral images within the video
2002"Just So You Know"Kevin KerslakeAmerican RecordingsAmerican Head Charge's first official music video

Credits

Personnel per liner notes. [25]

Chart positions

Chart performance for The War of Art
Chart (2001–2002)Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC) [26] 81
UK Albums (OCC) [27] 90
US Billboard 200 [28] 118
US Top Heatseekers Albums ( Billboard ) [28] 1

Release history

ReigonDateLabelFormatRef.
United StatesAugust 28, 2001American/Island Def Jam [3]
United KingdomAmerican/Mercury
VariousApril 8, 2022Music on Vinyl2xLP [29]

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