American Head Charge had only released three albums when guitarist Bryan Ottoson died from an overdose in 2005.
Since then, they’ve toured, broken up, reformed, and finally made a new full-length thanks to an Indiegogo campaign. It’s clear Tango Umbrella is a passion project, but that passion isn’t enough to carry the album. Martin Cock’s distinctive vocals often fall down, most noticeably in the chorus of Perfectionist, and most upsettingly in A King Among Men. Clearly a heartfelt tribute to a fallen friend – perhaps even Bryan – it sounds thin, mawkish and strained.
Elsewhere, the album is a familiar blend of nu metal and industrial with an edge of freakiness, but the songs are too lumpen to match up to their big hit, Just So You Know or anything on 2005’s The Feeding.
After such a long wait, it’s a shame they haven’t made a great nu metal record or moved with the times.
