Through the years there have been more than a few bands in hardcore that really strike a chord with their listener. They are the kind of bands that offer something different, and invite people to delve deeper into their art, rather than just caring about the hardest âmoshâ parts or maybe how âignorantâ their song titles are. It is no understatement to say that within hardcore there has been no band that has achieved that level of adoration more than American Nightmare. Fronted by the enigmatic Wes Eisold, they have developed a cult like following during their career by combining abrasive hardcore with poetic lyrics that resonate with almost anyone who listens to them, and have inspired countless bands to adopt a similar aesthetic. After abruptly breaking up in 2004 following internal issues and several legal matters, American Nightmare reunited in 2011 and have played a handful of shows since. In celebration of the band coming to the UK for two shows in June, we take a look back at their timeless 2001 album âBackground Musicâ.
Hardcore in the 90s was dominated by metallic riffs, questionable fashion choices, and some mainstream success thanks to the rise of nu-metal. Over in Boston, MA however, Wes Eisold and former Ten Yard Fight guitarist Tim Cossar had been rapidly making a name for themselves with American Nightmare after releasing their demo on Malfunction Records, and then two 7â records on the now iconic Bridge Nine Records. Their image was like nothing else at the time, and was inspired more by UK mod culture as opposed to the XL shirts and basketball vests of their contemporaries. In contrast to this, their sound had the intensity of Right Brigade, and American Nightmare became natural heirs to their throne. Yet what set them apart was Eisoldâs penchant for brutally honest and melancholic lyrics. After gaining more traction, the band signed with highly respected label Equal Vision Records to release âBackground Musicâ, which would become the gold standard of hardcore punk in the early 2000s.
From the moment âBackground Musicâ starts with the battle cry of âThis is the soundtrack to saying goodbyeâ on the opener â(We Are)â it sets the dark overtone of the album which does not let up for little over 20 minutes. Eislodâs lyrics have more in common with wordsmiths such as Morrissey, or Joy Divisionâs Ian Curtis, and are delivered with the utmost passion, without a doubt the main focal point of American Nightmare. The words to âThereâs A Black Hole In The Shadow Of The Pruâ read like a diary entry more than a song as Eisold confesses to be âDrawing words from a tired heartâ. The emotional and heart-wrenching delivery of each word is a world away from the tough guy transition in hardcore that was happening at the time, and in some ways could be seen as sacrilege. Anyone who bore witness to an American Nightmare live show around this time however can agree that a tracks like âAM/PMâ were simply crushing live, and could incite just as much carnage.
Tim Cossarâs guitar playing is somewhat legendary to those within the hardcore scene, and some of the composition on âBackground Musicâ was so far ahead of its time. Nowadays it would probably be billed as âmelodic hardcoreâ, but this transcends such labels. âShoplifting In a Ghost Townâ has almost 90s indie moments with the kind of chords and structuring being used, but is no less unrelenting than the blistering 22 seconds of punk fury in âI Saved Latinâ that follows it. The other beautiful thing about âBackground Musicâ is the way in which the tracks segue into one another, and flow like a singular body of work rather than 11 tracks thrown together. While American Nightmare bought hardcore into the new millennium there were also nods to the past, particularly on âHeartsâ, which is a ferocious old school punk rock anthem.
While hardcore would traditionally be focused around a âPositive Mental Attitudeâ, brotherhood and so on, American Nightmare offered a release for those that felt like they didnât fit that mould. Not everyone cared about how the scene should stick together, and needed something more personal that they can relate too, whether that may be relationships, lost loves, despair, loneliness, depression or torment. âYour Arsonistâ sums that up perfectly, stating âPorcelain hope, youâre not much but youâre all I gotâ, and goes to show that listening to hardcore doesnât make you immune to real life issues. The closing mantra of âFarewellâ is probably the most emotional rollercoaster on âBackground Musicâ, and is still to this day the quintessential American Nightmare track. It sums up the ethos of the band perfectly with the sentiment of âThe saddest songs make sense to meâ, which is exactly why their brand of hardcore punk resonated with so many.
American Nightmare became cultural figures within the scene following âBackground Musicâ, and would influence a slew of bands in their wake from Killing The Dream and Defeater, to TouchĂ© Amore and Dead Swans. In the years that followed the band faced many tough situations, including having to change their name to Give Up The Ghost due to a dispute over the rights to American Nightmare, and then of course there was the well-documented lawsuit with Fall Out Boy after they unashamedly used some of Wes Eisoldâs lyrics (just Google it, enough has been said about it, and the past is the past now). They released their starkly different swansong album âWeâre Down Till Weâre Undergroundâ in 2003, and then called it a day shortly after to move on to other projects. Yet the legacy of âBackground Musicâ remains unsullied 14 years after itâs release. It truly was a groundbreaking album that will forever be remembered in the annals of punk rock history, and now is the perfect time to reacquaint yourself with it before American Nightmare visit our shores later this year. Tell the boyâs Iâll see them soon.
American Nightmare will play two nights at the Electric Ballroom on the 29th and 30th of April respectively, before heading to play Groezrock in Belgium. Tickets for the shows are on sale now.