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American Head Charge Guitarist Died of Prescription Drug Overdose

Band Photo: American Head Charge (?)
MTV.com is reporting that the cause of AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE guitarist Bryan Ottoson's death has been determined to be the result of a prescription-drug overdose, according to North Charleston, South Carolina police records. The 27-year-old musician's body was discovered Tuesday (April 19) in a sleeping bunk on the band's tour bus in North Charleston, where the group was set to play at the Plex club. Police found a pill bottle containing "numerous amounts of prescription medicine" in Ottoson's bed.
Members of AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE told police they last saw Ottoson alive at around 4 a.m. on the morning of April 18, just as the band was departing Jessup, Maryland, for North Charleston. Ottoson had consumed "a large amount of alcohol at a bar" in Jessup that evening, according to police documents.
Police were called to the scene at around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday evening; by that time, Ottoson was dead. Bassist Chad Hanks (known to fans by his stage name, Mr. H.C. Banks III) and guitarist Karma Cheema told police that Ottoson was a "heavy sleeper, and it was not uncommon for him to sleep late before a concert."
The report also claims police were told that Ottoson had been "consuming unknown prescription medications."
Source: Blabbermouth
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64 Comments on "AHC Guitarist Died of Prescription Drug Overdose"
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why shed a tear for this schmuck ...obviously he was an idiot who couldn't face reality. "BOO HOO, i'm a famous guy, no one understands...." come on man, anyone who kills themselves is a waste of flesh anyway. when you can't deal with your problems, taking drugs is not the answer. it's just like being a kid who doesn't get their way, run away and cry about it. it's better to let the stupid people kill themselves
then to have us pay for it by way of a shooting or keeping them alive on a machine. enough is enough.
they sucked anyway.
move on, or step aside!!

madcat u f***en idiot if u new anything AHC was everything but famous- do u see them on f***en mtv mainstream?!?!?! no get ur facts straight sh**face ur an idiot or a dumb broad pick ur choice and in the words of AHC - \m/ \m/
Shutdown
the trait that is still
left on the killing floor for you
that smile as he still
itches for killing more of you
the taste as he still
catches me lasting to it
the recoil they still
dream of that lasting spit

WIPE THE TEARS FROM YOUR EYES, SEE THE TRUTH. how does one "accidentally " overdose?
If you follow instructions on the bottle, then you should not die. unless you got them on the street and
you dont know contraindications from other medicines...most doctors dont prescribe drugs that would
kill you. he may have been drunk and taken too much of something, but that again, lies solely with being
a dumbass and not taking medications correctly. so it was no accident. whatever. i've heard enough of these stupid stories from "rock stars" why is it just them? stupidity rules. get over this, and you can stave
off the stupidity. just try it.

Madcat is a prick! If you critisize people for taking drugs your obviously a complete d***..nearly every metal band in history goes on stage completly drugged up and p***ed...most bands experiment with drugs on tour...these guys were on it before they were famous so they obviously had real problems...and he might have needed to get away....and accidental suicide..get real....he needed to escape...

I'm with you,Madcat!All you "children need to recognize,this dumb*ss was drinking and taking the sh*t at the same time! Duh!!!!!!!! Warnings are put on the bottle fore a reason,children!.Grow up and educate yourself.Is it a tragedy? Yeah.Is it his fault? Most definately,you ignorant asses!

i am not a child. i am 30 yrs old. there are lots of people out there that take RX drugs and drink alcohol...and didnt mean to die..whenever someone in the rock world dies, as always, people smack talk in forums such as this..we r all just a bunch of sick fuks!!

im with madkat here. Frankly i don't give a f*** about this guy dead or alive, but i can't believe people talk about this like its not his fault.
Taking prescription drugs after heavy drinking is DANGEROUS. If the guy did it while not meaning to die, that is fukn STUPID.
A 30y.o dude attempting to explain this dumass's actions by saying lots of people do it, is insanely stupid.
yeah f*** you all. i use to look at over doseing and suicide as a sign of weakness but after losing a close freind to o.d.ing and another to suicide my eyes are very open. life is a gift that should be embraced and not abused. ahc was a great band and anyones death is tragic it affects more when your a talented musican with fans .to the people who don't really give a f*** think about a band you like then a member dieing.you'll understand
Bryan Ottoson as well as the rest of AHC are wonderful musicians. I am so heart broken by his death...They are going back a day before they came here for tour with Mudvayne...I got into their music only a few months ago and as soon as I heard it I was hooked. Couldnt wait to go to that f***ing concert! They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside whenever I hear any of their music...Bryan will be missed immensely, he was an awesome guitar player and was a perfect fit in American Headcharge...RIP... and to all you little bastards who are commenting only to talk sh** about him and the way he died! f*** all you little c*** suckers! Life is f***ing hard and sometimes you just cant f***ing go on...maybe he felt he couldnt m,ake it anymore... whether he killed himself intentionally or not you have no right to come on here saying all kinds of sh**...keep your mindless pathetic comments to yourself.
How many of you f***s actually knew him? Dont talk SHlT unless you actually knew him. I only met him once or twice, but i can tell you all that Brian was one of the most laid back people I ever met. AHC was, still is and always will be something. I am not a big fan of new school metal, but i have respect for what they did for their fans. Brian was one of the ring leaders in keeping in touch with the locals that were with them all the way.

well, I see the idiots came out swinging. thanks for the others for sharing the intelligent view.
to state that "all other metal bands took drugs when they took the stage" is just plain stupid.
Sure, the retarded bands, who no longer exist. You can't stay on top with drugs writing the music.
after a while, the drugs burn YOU out, and then what's left? Surely nobody who is rich, or successful.
people measure their own successes, rather than validation from others. If your not able to handle
your life, no matter how good or bad, finding out WHY you can't handle it is paramount, rather than
getting wasted and forgeting it. What kind of musical genius places their craft at risk? Nobody cared
about this gut enough to see what he was doing to himself. If he did it without knowing he was going to die eventually, he truely was a fool. Ignorance is unacceptable in todays age if information!
i'm not saying drugs are good, cause there not, so don't mix messages.
but seriously if you don't like the band why bother posting? you know it's going to make ppl upset. you come in here saying ppl are dumba$$es, then get all emo on us.
madcat, please, please, please think first
and ozzyrulez, shut up before i kill you b*tch

and big f***ing deal, I misspelled say because I hit the wrong key. who f***ing cares!!! it happens. I did not come here to start a fight with you, In fact, I do agree with some of the things you said in post 51. You are right, Ozzy did it just to get f***ed up, not to forget something.

I commented on this before, but these posts make me want to chime in again. I knew Bryan, fairly well in fact. He was a cool guy, and pretty laid back. He wasn't as awesome as some of you make him out to be, but he didn't deserve this. I wouldn't say his death was intentional: He had some major sh** going on when I saw him regularly and he was handling it pretty well. sh** much more major then being famous and not being understood. I'm not a huge fan of the band, not as much as some of you, but I am a proponent of human f***ing life. He had a mother. He had a family. If you still don't care, then you should have been the one with the cold, dead body to match your f***ing insides.
And to the guy who doesn't give a f*** and likes pissing people off: Get a life, homey. Turn off the computer and go remember what it's like to be outside you f***ing piece of sh**.

Hmm... let's see... madcat, if you don't like the band, get lost, don't post trash about them that no one wnats to read.
A dead guitarist is a pretty bad thing... may he Rest In Peace.
I don't know the band, but losing someone is always hard, my condolenses to them.
It's pretty bad that people do drugs... and whoever said most metal bands use drugs to keep palying onstage, well, you're wrong dude. I used to be in a band and we used to play live for hours at some clubs and bars, and none of us got stoned ever. Hell, if you're a Pantera fan you probably know only the singer (Philip Anselmo) did drugs, and they still played pretty damn good live, and they played for a long while too.
Either way, it's a damn shame that the fans, friends and family lost this guy... R.I.P.

yeah he might of been an idiot for waht he did and yes i mean doing that is truely idiotic but the fact is a great guitarist has been lost but life has its ups and downs and knowing american head charge they should be able to get back on there feet in no time even wit hthis great loss he can never be replaced in the AHC fans hearts though so as long as real fans have that he will never be replaced .
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THIS SUC I HATE HEARING BAND MEMBERS DIE- I f***EN HATE THIS sh** SOME OF AHC sh** WAS HEAVY f***EN a$$ ANYTHING COULD BE- WISH THE BEST FOR BAND AND HOPE TO SEE THEM MAY 3 IN LOS ANGELES RIP OTTOSON \m/ \m/