NIGHTMARE

Nightmare stands as a long-running power metal outfit from France whose roster has shifted repeatedly across the decades. The group first came together in the late 1970s as a traditional heavy metal act, issuing Waiting for the Twilight and Power of the Universe before dissolving in 1987. A fresh configuration anchored by original bassist Yves Campion, guitarists Nicolas De Dominicis and Alex Hilbert, drummer David Amore, and vocalist Jo Amore delivered the 2001 return Cosmovision and the 2003 follow-up Silent Room. Franck Milleliri stepped in for De Dominicis ahead of 2007’s Genetic Disorder, while session guitarist J.C. Lefevre contributed to 2009’s Insurrection. Guitarist Matt Asselberghs appeared on both 2012’s The Burden of God and 2014’s The Aftermath. Dead Sun arrived in 2016 without either Amore brother, employing Maggy Luyten on vocals; she took over from Life of Agony singer Magie (Marianne Dien) and was herself succeeded on tour by Barbara Mogore, who also fronted the band for several singles and 2024’s Encrypted.

The French musicians initially assembled in 1979 as a straightforward heavy metal unit and had faded from view by 1987, entering a lengthy hiatus that ended only when they regrouped in 1999 and pivoted fully into power metal. Their profile rose sharply after an energetic opening slot for then-chart-topping Def Leppard in Grenoble, prompting Ebony Records to ink a deal with guitarist Jean Strippoli, guitarist Nicolas De Dominicis, bassist Yves Campion, and drummer Jo Amore. Waiting for the Twilight surfaced in 1984, after which vocalist Jean-Marie Boix replaced outgoing singer Christophe Hupert. Nightmare’s second album, Power of the Universe, marked the close of the band’s first chapter when Dream Records folded and Boix departed for health reasons. An attempt to recruit English vocalist Tom Jackson from Scotland triggered further personnel upheaval that left only Campion and De Dominicis, yet the resulting demo failed to restore momentum and the group fell quiet once more. The year 1999 brought both the Astral Deliverance EP and the death of former singer Boix; reissues of early material soon followed, along with the double live set Live Deliverance in 2000. Signing with Napalm Records, the band unveiled Cosmovision in 2001 and Silent Room in 2003 after extensive touring that included festival bills alongside Saxon and Judas Priest. The Dominion Gate appeared on Regain in 2005. After another stretch of road work in 2006, the lineup of vocalist and ex-drummer Jo Amore, guitarist Franck Milleliri, guitarist Alex Hilbert, bassist Yves Campion, and drummer David Amore recorded 2007’s Genetic Disorder. AFM Records issued the well-received Insurrection in 2009 and later handled The Burden of God in 2012, The Aftermath in 2014, and Dead Sun in 2016 amid further lineup flux. Post-European festival dates, the group crossed into North America. Recording resumed with the 2020 singles “Aeternam,” “Lights On,” and “Divine Nemesis,” followed by the full-length Aeternam that introduced drummer Niels Quiase and featured Life of Agony vocalist Magie (Miranne Dien). Barbara Mogore assumed the frontwoman role both live and in the studio, guiding the band through 2024’s Encrypted.