NIGHTMARE is created in 1979, but the band has to wait until March 1983 to take its flight, thanks to their opening of the Grenoble show of DEF LEPPARD (“Pyromania” era), in front of over 4000 fans and this opens to them the doors of record companies… A four track demo-tape is recorded, and their efforts are rewarded from the British Isles, as the band is signed by Ebony Records in 1984, for the recording of their debut, “Waiting For The Twilight”… The magazines give enthusiastic responses (the readers of Enfer Magazine going so far as to label the band "one of the most promising French acts”…)
NIGHTMARE is propelled into the Japanese charts, and the album is released in Greece by Virgin Records. Thanks to this successful debut, the quintette from Grenoble hires a new singer, Jean-Marie Boix (ex-BRONX), who brings a new breath to the band with his unbelievable voice… Jean Strippoli (guitar), Nicolas De Dominicis (guitar), Yves Campion (bass), Jo Amore (drums) and Jean-Marie Boix (vocals) are then ready to go back to Hull (North of England) to record their second opus, “Power Of The Universe”. Everything goes well for NIGHTMARE which raids the concert halls and festivals with PRESENCE (also from Grenoble), TOKYO BLADE, ADX, H BOMB, ATTENTAT ROCK… NIGHTMARE becomes one of the first French bands to achieve success in the U.K., appearing in the reknown Dingwalls, along with THE DOGS D’AMOUR, and this will enable the band to sign with a British management company, Spectrum LTD…
From then on, things progress at a higher speed : NIGHTMARE leaves Ebony Records, the “Power Of The Universe” album is re-released in France by Dream Records, and the band prepares their third L.P. … But the album, due to be released by Dream Records, will never come out : the collapse of the company and contractual difficulties put an end to their hopes. Morever, their singer, Jean-Marie Boix, suffering from a bad health, leaves his friends and… everything has to be done again…
We are now in 1987 : Spectrum Management insist on their hiring an English-speaking replacing singer, who eventually turns out to be the Scottish Tom Jackson (ex-PRAYING MANTIS, BERNIE MARSDEN’S S.O.S., ZENITH…), and proves to be the perfect fit…
A new band comes to life, with only Yves Campion and Nicolas De Dominicis remaining from the original line up… The band records a two track demo-tape and plays a few shows in France. It also gains a little success in Britain, with an unforgettable show at London’s Royal Standard, along with FINE and HEADMASTER…
Unfortunately, musical differences arise among the members of the band, and NIGHTMARE has to leave the foreground of the French musical scene, in which it had gained a leading role, and of which it was bound to become the leader…
1999 : more than twelve years after, the energy builds up again… Jo Amore, who has successfully left his drumkit for a microphone, Nicolas De Dominicis (guitar), Jeannot Strippoli (guitar), Yves Campion (bass), David Amore (drums) (Jo’s brother) and Stéphane Rabilloud (keyboards), feeling nostalgic about the past, have decided to give birth once again to NIGHTMARE, on the occasion of a successful reunion show, which took place in Grenoble (France) at “Le Summum” on October the 30th. 1999…The first two albums, “Waiting For The Twilight” and “Power Of The Universe” have also been re-released with lots of bonus tracks and previously unrealeased material…
NIGHTMARE has even returned to a studio in July 1999, in order to record an E.P : “Astral Deliverance”, adding also a very special thought for Jean-Marie Boix, who tragically departed this life on the 19 April 1999 at the age of 36...
2000 : NIGHTMARE is the first band in the whole French metal scene's history to release a "double live" CD... This album entitled “Live Deliverance”, even features a CDRom track that displays quite a few memorable moments taken from this event ! This is the springboard of a new start for the band and after a killer show in Lyon (F) as "special guest" of SAXON, NIGHTMARE appears during the same year, in different major European summer festivals like "The Artefacts" in Strasburg (F) with STRATOVARIUS, EDGUY and IRON MAIDEN and at the famous Wacken Open Air in Germany, where they impress a lot on stage and get excellent reviews from the international press...
Several labels show interest in NIGHTMARE and the band signs naturally a deal for 4 albums with Austrian label Napalm Records... Then the band records a cover song of French legends TRUST to be released for a "tribute album" In April 2001. In June of this same year, they're now ready to enter the Soundsuite studio with Norwegian producer Terje Refsnes on the helm for the recording of their brand new album, "Cosmovision" that will hit the stores internationally on the 8th of October 2001... The rebirth is complete...
Then, in November 2001 and to promote this album, the band open for SAXON in France and Italy... ans plays also with Grave Digger... This is the first leg of the "Roads To Nazca... Cosmovison Tour"... In April 2002, Nightmare appears at the famous New Jersey Metal Meltdown festival in Asbury Park - New Jersey (U.S.A) with bands like Virgin Steele, Manowar, Diamond Head, Arch Enemy, Nuclear Assault... They become then the first French heavy metal band to play North America since a decade... Back in France, Nightmare is opening for Blind Guardian... The band also play in cult summer festivals like the Rock Machina in Spain, Skeleton Bash in Austria and of course Wacken, and this, for the second time... It's now time to think about the next album... The story continues...
