I have a bold claim to make today, folks. This recently came up in a question for the SoBros Mailbag. I think it was friend of the brand RighteousJesse that asked what I thought the most underrated nu metal albums of all time were. When you think of the genre, most people default to the Korns, Limp Bizkits, Slipknots, and System of a Downs of the world. And, let’s be real – it’s 2021. Nu metal kind of gets a bad rap for being hokey and unimaginative. But, if you take a deep dive into this genre, you’ll find a lot of stuff that was incredibly creative in bending the genre and creating something musically special hidden in plain sight. One of those acts would be American Head Charge.
The band got their start back in the late 1990s in the Minneapolis area. But, it was 2001 when the stars aligned for The War of Art. They landed a deal with Rick Rubin and American Records – even went out to Los Angeles to record the album in Rubin’s (supposedly) haunted studio. It led to the coveted Ozzfest slot back in the day….sold 250,000 copies. It was a critical success, and for good reason. Not only is this album a cornerstone of the genre, but it’s fascinating to look at the story of this band – you can’t help but wonder how on Earth this album happened. It truly was catching lightning in a bottle. After The War of Art, the band parted ways with Rubin, battled and lost band members to drug addiction, and were off and on ever since. They released The Feeding in 2005, the EP Shoot in 2013, and Tango Umbrella in 2016. But, nothing quite lived up to The War of Art. It is the quintessential ‘right place, right time’ story – an example of all the right ingredients creating just the right dish.
So, when I think back about the original question posed to me,
This gem is hidden in the grand history of music – how the universe aligned to make it happen is amazing to me.
If you’ve never heard The War of Art and are into the genre, or you just haven’t listened to it in quite awhile, fire it up and let me know what you think. And, obviously – let’s start a discussion – if you think I’m insane, let me know what you think the greatest nu metal album of all time is.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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