Boston Hardcore outfit American Nightmare return, name intact for their self-titled first release since 2004. The nine tracks are brutal, fast pit friendly, slam dancing winners. The band come out swinging with the street fighting left hook ’The World Is Blue’. ’Flowers Under Siege’ is forty seconds of stop-start heart attack bulldog Punk. ’American Death’ accelerates into the brain like a getaway car being driven by a speeding Meth head and the frenetic pace continues on ’War’ which is aided but some shrapnel removing vocals.
Both ’Gloom Forever’ and ’Lower Than Life’ donkey kick the temple with a ferocious deep burning anger that is almost tangible. Mercifully ’Colder Than Death’ is a slightly slower Goth smeared classic. The entwining of styles produces an anthem of beautifully symmetrical style and substance, it’s a stunning track. The hardcore order is restored with the thirty-six second ‘Dream’ whereas final cut ‘Crisis Of Faith’ pounds nails into crosses, heads into hands and leaves tortured souls crying at the pit bloodied tattooed feet of Hardcore.
