American Nightmare

The Profile

American Nightmare are a Boston hardcore punk band formed in 1998, fronted by Wesley Eisold. Known for the seminal albums Background Music (2001) and We’re Down Til We’re Underground (2003), they briefly operated as Give Up the Ghost due to a legal dispute, split in 2004, and later reunited, releasing a self-titled album in 2018.

Formed in Boston in 1998; vocalist Wesley Eisold (also of Cold Cave); changed name to Give Up the Ghost after a lawsuit; split in 2004; performed sporadic reunion shows from 2011; released the self-titled American Nightmare album in 2018.

American Nightmare are a Boston hardcore band revered for the one-two punch of Background Music (2001) and We’re Down Til We’re Underground (2003). The review praises their precision, emotional intensity, and lasting impact on early-2000s hardcore. It recalls their name-change legal dispute (Give Up the Ghost) and a split followed by sporadic shows from 2011. Publicly known: they later returned to the American Nightmare name and released a self-titled album in 2018.