American Heritage

Since being formed in 1997 by guitarist Andrei Cabanban, bassist Adam Norden, and drummer Scott Shellhamer, Chicago's American Heritage have constantly defied songwriting stereotypes with their brain-twisting, predominantly instrumental, anti-art, art metal. To do so they've toured and recorded to equal measures of lofty critical acclaim and widespread confusion, as well as continual membership turnover, which has included Shellhammer being replaced by Mike Duffy after the band's first show in 1998 (only to return as rhythm guitarist three years later), and Cabanban's eventual departure in 2002. This, in turn, prompted a wholesale reassignment of instrumental duties, with Norden moving to guitar so that Ray Donato (ex-Speed of Light and Grout Villa) could join on bass, and a tentative incorporation of vocals to some of their songs. Through it all, American Heritage's numerous albums and singles have been issued by several independent labels, and include Why Everyone Gets Cancer (1999), We Will Pay You $125 to Observe You Deteriorate (2000), Through the Age of Quarrel and into the Era of Putting Up With It (2001), and Bipolar (2004).