Metal Mayhem: Thanks for talking to us. Can you give us a brief introduction about yourself?
I’m Alex (lead and rhythm guitars) I’ve been in the band since “Silent Room” and I was only one year old when they formed! Nightmare is a power metal band from France and we have just realised our 5th studio album in 25 years!
MM: So, Nightmare, formed way back in 1979, and going from strength to strength with a tour with Def Leppard and major success in Japan up until the band decided to call it a day in 1987. What were the main reasons for this decision?
The main part came from a big business fuck!!!!!! They went so far for a French band and spent so much energy in this band that they felt they did all for nothing.
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MM: It must have been difficult for a French band back then to gain any real attention? Things were easier in those metal days!!!! When they recorded "Waiting for the Twilight" and "Power of the Universe", they were the first metal band from France to sign in English so they managed to get an international distribution. They had success in Japan and Greece but thanks to their label (Ebony records) they never saw any money… |
MM: What is you opinion on the French Metal scene in general and how do you think it compares to the US & UK scenes?
It was incredible in the 80’s (I think that I was born 20 years too late!!!!!) But we have a nice scene now compared to the 90’s with a lot of fuckin’ good bands! But France is not a country who supports metal. You’ll never hear it on radio or see it on TV most people listen to rap, r’n’b, techno or some shit like that… In France it’s always been a handicap to be a French metal band, but things are beginning to change now… It has always been easier for us in the other countries! Sad but true!!
MM: Coming back to the band. After the split, did any of the members go onto join/form new bands?
Joe (Who was drummer in the early days of Nightmare) began to sing in metal bands (Temple), he recorded some demos with Ricky Marx (ex Pretty Maids who plays one lead on "The Dominion Gate") Nico formed another band (a kind of French TOTO), Jeannot became bank manager (!!!!!) Yves built the biggest metal magazine in France (Metallian)
MM: Then 12 years after the split, the band reunited. How did all this happen?
The reunion in 1999 was the result of Jeannot’s drinking party birthday!!!! It was just for one show in the biggest venue of our town. But after the good reactions they got a contract with Napalm Records and the party joke turned into a new part of the story of Nightmare!!!
MM: In October 1999, you performed a reunion show in Grenoble, what was this like? What was the turnout like?
I wasn’t in the band in those days but this show is the beginning of the new life of Nightmare!
MM: Things have really heated up since the reunion, were you surprised at all by the reaction you received, especially since it was over 12 years that people last heard from you?
It’s cool because we have a large audience: from the fan of the band in the 80’s (who is about 40 years old now!) who is happy that the band still exists, to the young kid who just cares about the music and not our history!
MM: Then, quite surprisingly, in 2001, you became the first French heavy Metal act to play on US shores in nearly a decade. Can you tell us a bit about this, and who you played with?
Thanks to Napalm records USA!!!! It was my first show with Nightmare...and my first show ever!!!! I played in a band with friends for many years but I’d never been on stage. We played with Manowar, Saxon, Virgin Steele, Cannibal Corpse, Arch Enemy and many other bands…it was a dream come true!!!!!
We had very good reviews of the show and me were like fucking rock stars for a week!!! It was incredible! We‘ll never forget it!!!!!
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MM: Forwarding on a bit to 2005, "The Dominion Gate", a fine example of Heavy Metal that could only come from a band with experience. Happy with the finished results? Thanks so much, we play metal but our music is always evolving! We try to use the best of all our influences we play what we want!! We are very happy with this record, I think that the band reached another level in the song writing with this line up …and the best is yet to come!!!!
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MM: Forwarding on a bit to 2005, "The Dominion Gate", a fine example of Heavy Metal that could only come from a band with experience. Happy with the finished results?
Thanks so much, we play metal but our music is always evolving! We try to use the best of all our influences we play what we want!! We are very happy with this record, I think that the band reached another level in the song writing with this line up …and the best is yet to come!!!!
MM: Have you seen any reviews of the new album yet? What have they been like generally?
For the moment we have only good reviews. I think we managed to make an album who just sounds like Nightmare, I mean that we found our way now and we know what we want to sound like: still heavy but more aggressive and more melodic.
MM: What do you think of reviews? Do you take them to heart if they are bad, or do you just take it and get on with things?
I’ d like to say that that I don’t care with bad reviews but it always hurts when you give so much of your energy money time love personal feelings and that everything is destroyed in just one sentence! But it’s just a personal feeling, if you don’t like our music it‘s not a problem but I think that every artwork deserves respect, in every kind of art.
MM: What’s left now for the band for the rest of 2005?
We made a few festivals in France and now we are waiting for the European tour with After Forever in January/February (we played in London)!!! We can’t wait for being on stage again with our Dutch friends!!!!
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MM: 2006! Any major tours/festivals? Can you give us a few of the highlights? As I said, the European tour, after we are planning a few summer festivals (Maybe Wacken Open Air for the 3rd time, the Sweden rock, some festivals in Europe and maybe South America and USA… we crossed our fingers…) but if a promoter want Nightmare for a UK tour, you can contact our booking agent @ this address: booking.mp@metallian.net or visit our website: http://www.nightmare-metal.com
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MM: There is bound to be people unfamiliar with Nightmare, especially the younger generation. Why should they rush out and buy “The Dominion Gate” and what can they expect to hear?
If you like power metal, thrash, melodies, strong voices, choirs, speed guitar solos, atmospheres, energy, head banging …I think you should listen to "The Dominion Gate"..If you like it and if it was downloaded, please buy it: we have a fucking good artwork, done by JP Fournier (Edguy, Immortal)! in a amazing digipack CD!!!!
MM: Thanks a lot for answering our questions, any last words/comments?
Thanks to you for the support, we hope to see you on stage!!! Stay heavy!!!!
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