American Nightmare - Background Music

  by Benjamin Howarth

published: 29 / 4 / 2002

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It only takes the first track and I’m already in love with this band. You’ll understand why from reading the lyrics.                  "This is the soundtrack to saying goodbye                    We are making out with desperate days                  So turn the volume up high (you love it)                             God bless repeat                   Play nights, heartbreaks and fights            And all the pretty, pretty kids with tired, tired eyes               Sitting out parties to be with your headphones             Reciting your last words and writing your last notes                  This is the soundtrack to saying goodbye             For feeling cold like December, in the middle of July" Then later: -   "We are the depressed future heartbreakers and this is how we sound …." And the song finishes with: -                   "We slept right through the yesterday’s                     ‘cos everyone was in our way                           goodbye my loves                          you can have my heart                 this is the volume three of our tragedy" The band does all of this and more on this album, over 23 supreme minutes of glorious noise and if that doesn’t convince you to buy it nothing will. The music itself is a cross between Death Metal and Minor Threat, but all the songs are love songs. The band even thanks New Found Glory on the sleeve! It also thanks Converge, the undisputed kings of extreme noisecore, with whom it shares it label. As well as that, the record has one of the coolest, gory but beautiful sleeves I’ve seen. What else though would you expect from Equal Vision, a label that takes a great pride in each of its releases. This is one hell of a cool record, basically. If you don’t like extreme noisecore I guess I should try to explain why it is so cool. Firstly, it is the sound of wild abandon and of adventure and it grabs the listener and forces them into a crazy new world. Secondly, it is totally uncompromising. Thirdly, it has absolutely zero chance of ever making people rich and therefore every single person involved is present for the sheer love of it. Consequently, the presentation as a whole is always stunning (hence, the superb sleeves of Equal Vision, and other extreme labels like HydraHead and Tortuga). The final and most important reason is that these bands rock – big time! This music is not metal, which I hate, but awesome powerful hardcore, played as far to the extremes as possible. The drummer in American Nightmare is outrageous, and the guitars drive with so much power and precision that the listener cannot help but be grabbed by the groove. Unlike metal though, there is no cheesy solos or goblins, just raw, honest, heartfelt rock and roll. The world of extreme noisecore is rather cool, even if the hearing ability among its older generation is slight! I suggest that once you’ve finished with this masterpiece you get Converge’s 'Jane Doe' and Cave In’s prog styled 'Jupiter'.

Track Listing:-

1 (We Are)
2 Theres A Black Hole In The Shadow Of The Pru
3 AM/PM
4 Shoplifting In A Ghost Town
5 I Saved Latin
6 Postmark My Compass
7 I.C. You Are Feeling Drake
8 Hearts
9 God Save The Queen
10 Your Arsonist
11 Farewell

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