Who We Are: Boston Hardcore Since 1998
If you've ever been in a small room when one of our songs kicks in, you know how fast it all happens. So who are we, and why did we once have a different name? Here's a quick guide for new listeners and old ones.
Where does American Nightmare come from?
We're a hardcore punk band from Boston, Massachusetts. We formed in 1998, and our sound sits between hardcore punk and melodic hardcore: short songs, raw vocals and a lot of feeling packed into a minute or two.
Who is in American Nightmare?
The band today is Wesley Eisold on vocals, Josh Holden on bass, Brian Masek on guitar, plus Alex Garcia-Rivera and Jim Carroll. Several other musicians have played with us over the years.
Why were we called Give Up the Ghost?
In 2003 we ran into a legal fight with another band that used the same name. We tried "A.N." and "American Nothing" for a short time, then settled on Give Up the Ghost. We broke up in June 2004, played two reunion shows in December 2011, and have been American Nightmare again ever since.
The records so far
- Background Music (2001), our first album
- We're Down Til We're Underground (2003), released as Give Up the Ghost
- American Nightmare (2018)
Along the way came EPs too, from The Sun Isn't Getting Any Brighter (2001) and Love American (2003) to Life Support (2020) and Dedicated to the Next World (2023).
Wear it loud
Our designs come on tees, hoodies, sweatshirts and kids' sizes. Whether you were there in 2001 or found us last week, there's something here for you.