The American Nightmare Merch Blog
Who Is American Nightmare? Boston Hardcore Since 1998
If you've ever been in a small room when an American Nightmare song kicks in, you know how fast it all happens. But who is American Nightmare, and why did they once have a different name? Here's a quick guide for new fans and old ones.
Where does American Nightmare come from?
American Nightmare is a hardcore punk band from Boston, Massachusetts. They formed in 1998, and their 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 played with them over the years.
Why were they called Give Up the Ghost?
In 2003 the band ran into a legal fight with another band that used the same name. They tried "A.N." and "American Nothing" for a short time, then settled on Give Up the Ghost. They 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), the 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
Every piece at American Nightmare Merch is printed to order, on tees, hoodies, sweatshirts and kids' sizes. Whether you were there in 2001 or found them last week, there's something here for you.