American Nightmare

***Available again for the first time in decades. Originally released in 2001, the Boston hardcore band’s 25th anniversary release of Year One pays tribute to their formative years. This collection unites their first two 7”s, originally released by Bridge 9 Records founder and then-roommate Chris Wrenn, on a 180-gram LP, with all tracks recorded by Kurt Ballou at God City. Originally designed by Jake Bannon (Converge), this edition has been reimagined by Del Jae (Futurismo Records) and singer Wesley Eisold, and comes packaged in a gatefold with an insert of handwritten lyrics and collaged images.

Year One doesn’t just celebrate a milestone; it reaffirms American Nightmare’s enduring legacy. Their music raised the bar for emotional depth in hardcore, adding a distinctly poetic and existential lyrical approach that set them apart and changed the rules of the scene, paving the way for countless bands that followed. The result was something harder, darker, and more emotionally resonant than anything the scene had yet produced. They pushed hardcore into uncharted territory, borrowing influences from youth crew, street punk, and even the aesthetics of the late-’90s mod revival and Britpop subcultures. The fusion created a new blueprint—fast, traditional hardcore delivered with dire, venomous lyrics that demanded a visceral crowd response. Their impact was immediate, and their influence continues to reverberate. Twenty-five years later, the venom still cuts as deep.

Pressed on180-gram white/black splatter vinyl and housed in gatefold jackets.