Tracks
Also by American Head Charge
People who bought this release also bought
The opening track 'A Violent Reaction' is that perfect head-rocking tempo, sing-along chorus, low-tuned guitars (a recurring and brilliantly-used element of this album), effects, leading greatly into 'Pushing the Envelope'.
AHC were one of my first introductions to time signature changes, and this track has a few good ones. We also first hear Cameron's sung vocals. I really like his voice, in all of his different approaches. Its almost haunting / gothic in a way. And those guitars crunch right down again in the tuning!
'Song for the Suspect' has a great feel... amost Faith No More in some ways I suppose. Another excellent song, great guitar riffs which dischords and harmonics a-plenty. More screaming / singing here. The vocals are so clear - easy to understand and still visceral. And that Piano is so well used.
'Never Get Caught' next, nasty, simple, stripped down. Love the lyrics here, and excellent vessel for Cameron's voice. Maybe written as a single but never turned out that way?
'Self'. Absolute stonker and other in contention for single material. The opening riff / chorus riff borrows lots from other bands, but still introduces the song well. Odd timings again, stripped out verses. I love the way this song comes together. Then into a lighter, clean vocal section which has lovely harmonies on vocals.
'Just So You Know' was one of the singles, and rightly so. Everything the album is known well for up to this point seems combined into this song. Gentle in comparison with a flowing verse and pre-chorus riff. Pangs of Marilyn Manson here. And the chorus... sung by thousands across clubs and gigs... huge and uplifting. A nasty, heave middle-8 into a final rendition of the chorus and this leaves us reaching for the repeat button straight away.
'Seamless' sees up back at that head-nodding pace and one of my favorite songs. Sick lyrics and horrific imagery, effects, simple riffs and this song rocks along so well. 'You look so seamless now' provides the simple hook this song needs.
'Effigy 23' slows right down, stays simple, and has almost a Slipknot (latter half of their first album) feel to it in places. AHC show off more skills with piano, and harmomised vocals make this almost radio friendly. Returning to middle-8, breakdown approach, this song is a nice break away in terms of a lack of ferocity.
'Americunt..' is the opposite. Speedy, again its not too far away from a Marilyn Manson approach with the music. Its short... 2.33 to be exact, but keeps up the pace and energy all the way through.
'Shutdown' is possibly my favority track of all. More shortened bars, a simple riff developed with nice layers and effects. Cameron again displays excellent vocal work and his expression is fantastic. A huge sing-along chorus, clearly written for gigs and live performances, the harmonies here are amongst the best, in particular the sparse-but-well-placed strings. Viscious post-chorus sections break up the nice-ness, and the song ends up on a refrain and sinister riff, more layered effects and more of those haunting vocals. Excellent.
'We Believe' smacks of early experimental Slipknot again, for the right reasons. Back to the simple riffs and another slamming chorus and screaming over more low-ass guitars. And boy can Cameron scream. A little over 3 minutes, this is another short-but-sweet track.
'Breathe In, Bleed Out' is real slow. Heavy. A little faith no more again, and the sung vocals are stunningly executed with hints of vibrato which are perfectly placed.
'Fall' is the last great song and has some seriously low guitars, especially towards the end for the breakdown. Skip to 3:08 to see the second chug... deep.
Overall, this albums is excellent and should 100% be heard and owned. It stays the test of time, and even against modern production, it remains listenable throughout. Awesome.
AHC were one of my first introductions to time signature changes, and this track has a few good ones. We also first hear Cameron's sung vocals. I really like his voice, in all of his different approaches. Its almost haunting / gothic in a way. And those guitars crunch right down again in the tuning!
'Song for the Suspect' has a great feel... amost Faith No More in some ways I suppose. Another excellent song, great guitar riffs which dischords and harmonics a-plenty. More screaming / singing here. The vocals are so clear - easy to understand and still visceral. And that Piano is so well used.
'Never Get Caught' next, nasty, simple, stripped down. Love the lyrics here, and excellent vessel for Cameron's voice. Maybe written as a single but never turned out that way?
'Self'. Absolute stonker and other in contention for single material. The opening riff / chorus riff borrows lots from other bands, but still introduces the song well. Odd timings again, stripped out verses. I love the way this song comes together. Then into a lighter, clean vocal section which has lovely harmonies on vocals.
'Just So You Know' was one of the singles, and rightly so. Everything the album is known well for up to this point seems combined into this song. Gentle in comparison with a flowing verse and pre-chorus riff. Pangs of Marilyn Manson here. And the chorus... sung by thousands across clubs and gigs... huge and uplifting. A nasty, heave middle-8 into a final rendition of the chorus and this leaves us reaching for the repeat button straight away.
'Seamless' sees up back at that head-nodding pace and one of my favorite songs. Sick lyrics and horrific imagery, effects, simple riffs and this song rocks along so well. 'You look so seamless now' provides the simple hook this song needs.
'Effigy 23' slows right down, stays simple, and has almost a Slipknot (latter half of their first album) feel to it in places. AHC show off more skills with piano, and harmomised vocals make this almost radio friendly. Returning to middle-8, breakdown approach, this song is a nice break away in terms of a lack of ferocity.
'Americunt..' is the opposite. Speedy, again its not too far away from a Marilyn Manson approach with the music. Its short... 2.33 to be exact, but keeps up the pace and energy all the way through.
'Shutdown' is possibly my favority track of all. More shortened bars, a simple riff developed with nice layers and effects. Cameron again displays excellent vocal work and his expression is fantastic. A huge sing-along chorus, clearly written for gigs and live performances, the harmonies here are amongst the best, in particular the sparse-but-well-placed strings. Viscious post-chorus sections break up the nice-ness, and the song ends up on a refrain and sinister riff, more layered effects and more of those haunting vocals. Excellent.
'We Believe' smacks of early experimental Slipknot again, for the right reasons. Back to the simple riffs and another slamming chorus and screaming over more low-ass guitars. And boy can Cameron scream. A little over 3 minutes, this is another short-but-sweet track.
'Breathe In, Bleed Out' is real slow. Heavy. A little faith no more again, and the sung vocals are stunningly executed with hints of vibrato which are perfectly placed.
'Fall' is the last great song and has some seriously low guitars, especially towards the end for the breakdown. Skip to 3:08 to see the second chug... deep.
Overall, this albums is excellent and should 100% be heard and owned. It stays the test of time, and even against modern production, it remains listenable throughout. Awesome.