The War of Art (album)

For the book by Steven Pressfield, see The War of Art (book).
For the 2014 episode of The Simpsons, see The War of Art (The Simpsons).
The War of Art
Studio album by American Head Charge
Released August 28, 2001[1]
Recorded 2001, The Mansion in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, California
Genre Industrial metal, alternative metal, nu metal[2]
Length 67:47
Label American Recordings
Producer Rick Rubin
American Head Charge chronology
Trepanation
(1999)		 The War of Art
(2001)		 The Feeding
(2005)
Singles from The Art of War
  1. "Just So You Know"
    Released: May 27, 2002

The War of Art is the second album by the industrial metal band American Head Charge, released in 2001.

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.[3] This is the band's only album with Aaron Zilch and Justin Fouler together on keyboards, and David Rogers and Wayne Kile on guitar. After the departure of Zilch, Fouler remained the band's sole keyboardist.

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.[4] 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".

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[5]
Anti Music[6]
Kerrang!
Metal Storm[7]
Metal Observer8/10
Rough Edge4/5[8]
Sputnikmusic[9]
Ultimate Guitar[10]

The War of Art sold over 250,000 copies and received positive reviews.[11] 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."[12] NME called it an "outstanding slab of modern heavy metal."[13]

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."[14] 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."

Track listing

No.TitleMusicLength
1."A Violent Reaction"  Hanks, Heacock4:12
2."Pushing The Envelope"  Hanks, Heacock3:13
3."Song For The Suspect"  Hanks, Heacock4:11
4."Never Get Caught"  Hanks, Heacock, Rogers4:56
5."Self"  Hanks, Heacock4:21
6."Just So You Know"  Hanks, Heacock, Kile5:31
7."Seamless"  Hanks, Heacock4:28
8."Effigy 23"  Hanks, Heacock4:10
9."Americunt Evolving Into Useless Psychic Garbage"  Hanks, Heacock2:33
10."Shutdown"  Hanks, Heacock5:06
11."We Believe"  Hanks, Heacock3:15
12."Breathe In, Bleed Out"  Hanks, Heacock, Kile4:27
13."Fall"  Hanks, Heacock, Rogers4:29
14."Reach and Touch"  Hanks, Heacock3:54
15."All Wrapped Up"  Hanks, Heacock3:27
16."Nothing Gets Nothing"  Hanks, Heacock, Kile5:30
Bonus track
No.TitleMusicLength
17."Pretty Face" (Japanese bonus track)Hanks, Heacock11:20

Singles

Date of release Song Title Label U. S. Mainstream Rock Tracks U. S. Modern Rock Tracks U. S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play UK Album Charts
May 27, 2002 Just So You Know American Recordings

Music videography

Video Still Release Date Song Director Label Additional Information
2001 All Wrapped Up Tomas Migone American Recordings Banned due to visceral images within video.
2002 Just So You Know Kevin Kerslake American Recordings American Head Charge's first official music video.

Credits

American Head Charge

  • Cameron Heacock – vocals
  • Chad Hanks – bass, guitar, programming
  • Justin Fouler – keyboards, samples
  • David Rogers – guitar
  • Wayne Kile – guitar
  • Aaron Zilch – keyboards, electronics
  • Chris Emery – drums

Other personnel

  • Rick Rubin – Producer
  • Billy Bowers – Editing
  • Lindsay Chase – Project Coordinator
  • Rich Costey – Remixing, Mixing
  • Greg Fidelman – Engineer
  • Dean Karr – Photography
  • Steve Mixdorf – Engineer
  • Marc Moreau – Editing
  • Jeremy Parker – Assistant Engineer
  • Gary Richards – Manager
  • Eddy Schreyer – Mastering
  • Justin Smith – Mixing, Remix Assistant

References

  1. ↑ "War of Art". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2014-09-28.
  2. ↑ "The 12 Most Underrated Nu Metal Albums". VH1. (15 September 2015). Retrieved on 18 September 2015
  3. ↑ "American Head Charge interview about 'The War of Art.'". PopEntertainment.com. 2014-04-04. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
  4. ↑ "Maximum Ink music magazine of Wisconsin | Artist Interviews | American Headcharge". Maximumink.com. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
  5. ↑ "The War of Art – American Head Charge". Allmusic.
  6. ↑ Ieg / Ecc (1998-10-30). "antiMUSIC Reviews - The Music site with an attitude". Antimusic.com. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
  7. ↑ "American Head Charge - The War Of Art review". Metal Storm. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
  8. ↑ "American Head Charge CD Reviews". Rough Edge. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
  9. ↑ http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/4184/American-Head-Charge-The-War-Of-Art/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ↑ http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/compact_discs/american_head_charge/the_war_of_art/index.html. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. ↑ "«« American Head Charge »» – Bio". Headcharge.com. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
  12. ↑ 8/27/01, p. 20
  13. ↑ 3/2/02, p. 15
  14. ↑ "American Head Charge - The War of Art : the album description, tracks, reviews". Music-city.org. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
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