Chad Ackerman
Chad Ackerman (born November 30, 1983, in San Diego, California) is an American musician, actor, and filmmaker known for his contributions to metalcore and rock music as well as his recurring roles in television series.[1] Early in his career, Ackerman served as the rhythm guitarist for the metalcore band As I Lay Dying during their 2002–2003 U.S. tour, following his graduation from San Marcos High School, and contributed to side projects like Austrian Death Machine, a comedic metal band led by As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis.[1][2] Later, he fronted the post-hardcore band Destroy The Runner as lead vocalist from 2010 to 2012, releasing the album Count Your Curses during that period.[1] In November 2012, Ackerman launched his solo project AVEIL, where he writes, performs, and produces rock and alternative music, marking his debut as a singer-songwriter.[2] Transitioning to acting after graduating from Baldwin-Wallace University with a background in musical theater, Ackerman has appeared in over a dozen television productions, including the role of Officer Russo in Marvel's Daredevil (2016) and Robert Ressler Sr. in The Blacklist (2020).[3] His other credits include guest spots in Law & Order: Organized Crime (2021), The Gilded Age (2023), and Show Me a Hero (2015), often portraying law enforcement or supporting characters.[4] Beyond performance, Ackerman works as a writer, director, and producer in film and television, and he hosts the conversation series BrewFOs, focusing on creative and cultural discussions.[5] A committed vegan, he advocates for animal rights and ethical living through his public platforms.[6]Early life and education
Childhood and family background
Chad Ackerman was born on November 30, 1983, in San Diego, California.[6] He spent his formative years in the San Diego area, attending San Marcos High School, where the local music scene began to shape his environment.[7] Public information on his family is limited, with no details available about his mother or any siblings; however, his father worked as an Elvis Presley impersonator, providing an early exposure to performance arts that influenced his interests.[8] Ackerman identifies as autistic, an aspect of his personal life he has openly discussed in interviews as part of his lifelong experiences navigating the world.[9] He is also vegan, a commitment that emerged as a core personal value and has been integrated into his lifestyle and advocacy efforts from early adulthood.[7]Musical training and early influences
Ackerman's early musical training was rooted in formal education and school-based performances. He attended San Marcos High School in the San Diego area, graduating around 2002, where the local music scene influenced his developing interests.[7] Following high school, Ackerman pursued higher education at Baldwin Wallace University (formerly Baldwin-Wallace College) in Berea, Ohio, earning a Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre.[3] During his time there, he engaged in rigorous training in vocal performance, acting, and stagecraft, participating in university productions that emphasized the golden age of musicals, a genre that profoundly shaped his early artistic passions.[3] These experiences solidified his foundation as a singer and performer, blending classical musical theatre techniques with emerging interests in contemporary styles.[3] Ackerman's early influences spanned traditional musical theatre and heavier rock genres, reflecting his evolving tastes during young adulthood. As he transitioned toward rock music post-graduation, he drew from heavy metal acts like Living Sacrifice, whose album Reborn served as his introduction to intense, riff-heavy sounds that sparked his interest in aggressive vocal delivery and guitar work.[10] This exposure to post-hardcore and metal elements, combined with acoustic and alternative rock, encouraged him to experiment with songwriting in local scenes.[10]Music career
Involvement with bands
Ackerman entered the professional music scene as the rhythm guitarist for the metalcore band As I Lay Dying in 2002, contributing to live performances including a full U.S. tour following his high school graduation. His tenure with the band lasted until 2003, after which he departed to pursue other musical opportunities, drawing on his early training in guitar and vocals to transition into more prominent vocal roles.[1] In 2005, Ackerman co-founded the post-hardcore band Chapter 14, serving as lead vocalist alongside members including guitarist Tanner Sparks. The band initially released demo material before going on hiatus, but Ackerman revived it in 2010, leading to the self-release of their EP Like Trees in November later that year, which showcased his contributions to melodic and aggressive vocal arrangements.[11] From 2007 to 2010, Ackerman was the lead vocalist for the melodic metalcore band Destroy the Runner, joining for their second album and helping evolve their sound toward heavier, scream-dominated elements in unreleased material for a planned third record. The band went on an indefinite hiatus in May 2010 when guitarists Duane Reed and Nick Maldonado quit due to dissatisfaction with the project's direction, refusing to allow the release of the new recordings despite seven months of work.[10] In 2008, Ackerman provided the parody vocals impersonating Arnold Schwarzenegger—known as "Ahhnold"—for the thrash metal side project Austrian Death Machine's debut album Total Brutal, a humorous tribute to the actor's film roles created by As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis. He did not participate in the follow-up album, citing scheduling conflicts with Destroy the Runner.[10] Ackerman formed the alternative rock project Count Your Curses in 2011 as a long-distance collaboration, taking on lead vocals for a series of self-released singles including "Zombie B-Boy" that year and additional tracks through 2012, emphasizing experimental electronic and rock fusion.[2] The project concluded in 2012 as Ackerman shifted focus to solo endeavors.[1] These band experiences, spanning metalcore, post-hardcore, and thrash parody, honed Ackerman's versatile vocal style—blending clean singing, screams, and character-driven performances—while immersing him in collaborative dynamics that emphasized intense live energy and genre experimentation in the alternative rock and post-hardcore scenes.[10]Solo career and AVEIL
In November 2012, Chad Ackerman transitioned to a solo endeavor by debuting under the AVEIL moniker, self-releasing his first album as a singer-songwriter on November 30. This move came after the dissolution of his prior band commitments, driven by a desire to prove that independent artists could thrive without reliance on major record labels, allowing him greater creative control and autonomy in his music production.[12] The artistic shift with AVEIL represented a departure from the heavy metal and rock collaborations of his earlier career, such as with Chapter 14 and Destroy the Runner, toward a more introspective, acoustic-oriented style featuring layered harmonies and personal lyricism. Ackerman's work as AVEIL emphasized self-funded projects, reflecting his evolution into a multifaceted independent artist who handled songwriting, performance, and management. Over the years, this progression included additional album releases that built on his foundational sound, though specific live tours under AVEIL remain limited in documentation, with his performance experience rooted in prior band circuits.[12][13] As of 2025, Ackerman continues to serve as the lead vocalist and founder of AVEIL, a five-piece melodic rock outfit based in San Diego, maintaining an active role in unrecorded explorations and band development following lineup adjustments post-2021. His lyrics under AVEIL frequently explore personal themes of introspection, ethical living, and veganism, drawing from his own lifestyle as a committed vegan to infuse songs with messages of self-reflection and compassion.[14][2][12]Production work in music
Chad Ackerman began his production work in music with the 2010 EP Like Trees in November by Chapter 14, a project he co-led as vocalist alongside guitarist Tanner Sparks. The EP, consisting of five tracks inspired by Richard Adams' novel Watership Down, was recorded at Sparks' personal studio in San Diego, where Sparks handled all instrumentation, including guitars, bass, and drums, while Ackerman contributed initial song structures, lyrics, and vocals. The recording process emphasized capturing emotional intensity, with some tracks completed in single takes to preserve raw energy, and the final mixes were handled by engineer Brian Grider, resulting in a sound characterized by metallic hardcore elements blended with heavy melodies and progressive influences from bands like Refused and Radiohead.[8] Ackerman's production role extended into his solo project AVEIL, starting with the 2012 self-released album The in Between, an eight-track exploration of alternative rock and post-hardcore themes. As the founder and primary creative force, Ackerman oversaw the project's development in San Diego, drawing on his background in heavy music to craft a melodic yet intense sound, with contributions from collaborators like Sparks on mixing for select tracks. This album marked Ackerman's shift toward self-directed production, integrating his vocal performance with layered instrumentation to emphasize conceptual storytelling and emotional depth.[12] By 2021, Ackerman produced AVEIL's The Great Magician, a compilation of singles spanning five years, self-released and fully independent, highlighting his evolution toward a more eclectic alternative rock style that incorporated acoustic elements and thematic introspection. Recorded primarily in San Diego studios, the album featured collaborations with longtime partner Sparks on guitars and engineering support from Colin Heldt, focusing on a production approach that balanced post-hardcore aggression with melodic accessibility to reflect personal and artistic growth.[12] Throughout his career, Ackerman's production collaborations have largely centered on close associates like Sparks, who co-engineered multiple AVEIL releases, rather than external artists, allowing for a cohesive integration of his performing and production roles. This hands-on method, rooted in San Diego's local scene, has emphasized efficient, intimate recording processes that prioritize live-feel dynamics and genre-blending experimentation in post-hardcore and alternative rock.[8] As of 2025, Ackerman continues to produce under AVEIL, with a new album in development that builds on over two decades of experience, incorporating diverse influences from his past collaborations in bands like As I Lay Dying to create sensory-rich tracks addressing themes of autism and resilience. This ongoing evolution underscores his commitment to self-production as a means to merge vocal artistry with innovative sound design, maintaining independence while expanding his musical palette.[9]Discography
Releases with bands
Ackerman toured as rhythm guitarist for As I Lay Dying during their 2002–2003 U.S. tour but did not contribute to any studio releases with the band. With Chapter 14, Ackerman served as lead vocalist on the band's sole EP release during the 2005–2010 period, marking a shift toward post-hardcore and alternative rock elements. No full-length albums were issued in this timeframe, though the project originated earlier with demo material.| Title | Year | Label | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Like Trees in November | 2010 | Self-released | EP |
| Title | Year | Label | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| I, Lucifer | 2008 | Solid State Records | Studio album |
| Destroy the Jingle | 2009 | Solid State Records | Single |
| Title | Year | Label | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Brutal | 2008 | Metal Blade Records | Studio album |
Solo releases as AVEIL
Chad Ackerman debuted his solo project AVEIL with the self-released album The in Between on November 30, 2012, marking his transition to independent singer-songwriter work after prior band involvements.[12] Produced by Brian Grider and recorded at SCM Recordings in Corona, California, the album features eight tracks blending rock and melodic elements, with Ackerman handling vocals, acoustic guitar, and songwriting.[16]| Track | Title | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Through Bastard's Eyes | 2:37 |
| 2 | The Evil One | 3:02 |
| 3 | Train | 3:22 |
| 4 | Say Something You Mean | 3:40 |
| 5 | Interlude | 1:42 |
| 6 | So Long Blood | 3:15 |
| 7 | Short Story | 3:28 |
| 8 | Tombs | 4:10 |
| Track | Title | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Runner | 4:10 |
| 2 | Calyptra | 5:31 |
| 3 | Robot-X | 4:30 |
| 4 | Different, Better | 4:34 |
| 5 | Stage | 3:38 |
| 6 | Jukebox | 4:15 |
| 7 | The Great Magician | 4:45 |
| 8 | The Path Is Clear | 3:55 |