METALLIAN - Nightmare

Waiting For The Twilight – 1984 - Ebony
Power Of The Universe – 1985 – Ebony
Live Deliverance – 2000 - Adipocere
Cosmovision – 2000 – Napalm
Silent Room – 2003 – Napalm
The Dominion Gate – 2005 – Regain
Genetic Disorder – 2007 – Regain
Insurrection – 2009 – AFM
One Night Of Insurrection – 2011 - AFM
The Burden Of God – 2012 – AFM
The Aftermath – 2014 – AFM
Dead Sun – 2016 – AFM
Aeternam – 2020 - AFM
Encrypted, through - 2024 - AFM

Members

Vocals

Christophe Houpert – Bronx, Drakkar>>Jean-Marie Boix>>Bronx – Jo Amore>>Temple, Now Or Never, Öblivïon – Jo Amore>>Now Or Never, Temple Of Dio, Öblivïon, KingCrown, Tower Of Babel - Spirittales, Virus IV, Over Us Eden, Beautiful Sin, Ayreon, Frameshift, Lyra>>Magali Luyten>>Over Us Eden, Beautiful Sin, Frameshift, Lyra, Akoustik Thrill, The Prize – Faith In Agony>>Madie [Marianne Dien]>>Faith In Agony - Muddles, Songbird>>BARBARA MOGORE>>Muddles, Songbird

Guitar

Jean Stripolli – Nicolas De Dominicis – Alexander Hilbert>>Lonewolf, My Doppelgänger – Black Hole, Hiemperium>>J.C. Lefevre>>J.C.Jess – Dark Light>>FRANCK MILLELIRI – Fire Wizzard, Architekt, Dead Crows, Sangdragon, FireForce>>MATT ASSELBERGHS>>Fire Wizzard, Architekt, Sangdragon, FireForce

Bass

Urgent, Acheron Angel>>YVES CAMPION>>Urgent, Acheron Angel

Drum

Jo Amore>>Now Or Never, Temple Of Dio, Öblivïon – David Amore>>Öblivïon, Fortunato, KingCrown - Thalidomide, The Seventh Gates, Necrosphera, Dead Crows>>Olivier Casula – Morbid Feculent, From Silence, Ossonor, Liquid Flesh>>NIELS QUIAIS>>Ossonor, Liquid Flesh

History & Biography

Grenoble is a city in southwest France known for its proximity to the Alps and an abundance of winter sports’ sites. As such, the city was the location for an international waste of money called the 1968 Winter Olympics. Heavy metal and punk rock band Nightmare was formed here in 1979.

Loic Ribaud, Hervé Mosca and Pierre-Louis Longequeue left the act in 1980 and, past a long hiatus when Campion moved to Montreal, Canada, the bassist has been the band’s leader and mainstay. A 1981 demo and a 1982 demo, called Maudit Ton Destin, preceded a deal with the English label Ebony (Grim Reaper). The group opened for Def Leppard in 1983. The band had two albums on the label, reverted to demo-land and issued 1987’s Escape From The Mirror before disbanding. In-between albums Houpert was out and Boix was in. Tom Jackson, formerly of Praying Mantis, joined the band, but the members did not get along and the group called it a day. Axe Killer Records’ employee Christophe Bailet was managing the group. A couple of years later Campion moved to Canada. Back in France, he reformed the band in 1999 and issued the Astral Deliverance EP on Adipocere. Jo Amore (now on vocals) and Jean Stripolli were also back in the band at this juncture. Jo’s brother was David who was now behind the kit. The track The Legend was dedicated to the former vocalist of the band Jean-Marie Boix who died that year. The group worked with Adipocere for one full-length before that label went bust. Cosmovision was supported by touring with Saxon. The French heavy metallers Nightmare were supporting the release of the Cosmovision album with appearances at Wacken festival, Metal Meltdown IV, and shows with Heavenly and Malediction, as well as the couple of gigs with Blind Guardian. Now augmented by new guitarist Alexandre Hilbert, the band has announced plans for the recording of its fourth album in 2003 with at Soundsuite Studio with Norwegian Producer Terje Refsnes. Napalm was next. Regain was next. AFM was next. The band was recording its 2009 album, Insurrection, at Peek studio in France in mid that year with Patrick Liotard and at U3multimedia and Indiscreet Studios in Germany with Achim Köhler. One Night Of Insurrection was a live DVD of the band’s show for its 30-year band anniversary and a tour with Saboton. The group issued The Burden Of God (formerly titled Mercury Rain) on May 18th through AFM Records in 2012. The album was recorded at the Peek studio with producer Patrick Liotard. The Aftermath would mark the end of the band’s work with the Amore brothers. They left the band in 2015 and indicated it was due to their relationship with Campion. The new vocalist was a female who had also been a guest singer on The Burden Of God. Rhapsody Of Fire, Nightmare and Manigance toured in 2023. A tour with Rhapsody Of Fire and Phantom Elite was postponed due to the pandemic in 2022. Singer Madie, who had joined in 2019, left in 2022. The band was part of 70000 tons cruise to start 2023. Guitarist Matt was in an accident requiring hospitalization and the band played the cruise as a quartet. The band played the main concert and a warm up gig at Plane’R Fest 2023.

Nightmare had a new album, entitled Encrypted, through AFM Records in June 2024. The band claimed this record had moments akin to extreme metal subgenres. Barbara Mogore was on vocals. The band was booked for Kreiz Y Fest of 2024.

Three former members of Nightmare formed Öblivïon and signed to ROAR. Campion is the owner of Metallian Magazine.

Nightmare has been around for forty years, yet a dozen other Nightmares roam the planet.

Reviews

NIGHTMARE - THE DOMINION GATE - NAPALM
A band that has been around for more then 25 years should know better. Instead, Nightmare has abandoned heavy metal for an album that could be described as a mix of Rhapsody and Blind Guardian gone messy. The damn thing is full of keyboards, synthesizers, opera singing and various string instruments. I especially like the male/female duet - he! With a vocalist who screams at pitches impermissible by law and an uneven production The Dominion Gate is everything a metal album should not be. Perhaps the album is the band’s effort to kick start sales or a misguided attempt at appealing to the kiddie market, although the attempt is not quite hitting the spot. In all fairness, there are several good riffs (the Iron Maiden riff on A Taste Of Armageddon, Messenger Of Faith, Secret Rules, etc.), impressive singing and synchronized soloing on the album, but these isles are surrounded by the sugary syrup of wimp rock.
How commercial is too commercial? The answer is when the degree of commercialism ends up not gaining you any sales. - Anna Tergel

Interviews

Nightmare