Give Up The Ghost

Boston hardcore thrash outfit Give Up the Ghost—Tim Cossar on guitar, Wes Eisold handling vocals, Brian Masek also on guitar, Matt Woods on bass, and Nate Helm behind the drums—came together in autumn 1999 under the name American Nightmare. Local performances and a widely traded demo tape quickly drew attention, securing them a contract with Bridge Nine Records, the independent Boston imprint. Their debut EP appeared in 2000, after which they toured alongside Madball, Converge, Amen, and Boy Sets Fire. The following year brought a second EP, The Sun Isn’t Getting Any Brighter, still on Bridge Nine. That same period they moved to Equal Vision, a Caroline subsidiary, and unveiled their first full-length, Background Music, in June 2001; hardcore veteran Dean Baltulonis—known for work with Madball, Right Brigade, and Ten Yard Fight—produced the sessions. They also committed to contributing to an upcoming Black Flag tribute project on Initial Records. A 2003 trademark conflict with a Philadelphia band sharing the American Nightmare moniker prompted a short-lived switch to American Nothing before the group settled on Give Up the Ghost early that year. With the new identity in place, they delivered their Equal Vision follow-up, We’re Down Til We’re Underground, in September. Bridge Nine assembled Year One in early 2004, collecting the band’s early EPs and assorted initial recordings, yet by summer the members chose to disband citing personal and health concerns.