Nightmare (French band)

Nightmare
Nightmare live in 2012
Background information
Origin	Grenoble, France
Genres	Heavy metal, power metal
Years active	1979–1987, 1999–present
Labels	Ebony (1983-1985) Dream (1985-1987) Adipocere (1999-2000) Napalm (2000-2004) Regain (2005-2008) AFM (2009-present)
Website	www.nightmare-metal.com
Members	Magali Luyten Franck Milleliri Matt Asselbergs Yves Campion Olivier Casula
Past members	Christophe Houpert Jean-Marie Boix Tom Jackson Nicolas De Dominicis Jean Stripolli Alex Hilbert Stéphane Rabilloud JC "Jess" Lefevre Jo Amore David Amore

Nightmare is a power metal band, native of Grenoble, France. The band was influenced by the new wave of British heavy metal phenomenon developing in the UK in the 1980s and started their career playing classic heavy metal, that later changed to power metal with death metal and thrash metal influences.

Nightmare was formed in 1979 and became known when opened for Def Leppard at the Alpexpo of Grenoble in 1983, in front of an audience of more than 4000. They signed for the label Ebony Records, which published the album Waiting for the Twilight. The LP entered the charts in Japan and was distributed in Greece by Virgin Records. Nightmare replaced singer Christophe Houpert with Jean-Marie Boix to record their second album Power of the Universe. Shortly after, the band terminated its partnership with Ebony Records and the album was reissued in France by Dream Records. Their new label was soon subjected to financial difficulties, which delayed the release of an LP the band was working on. In addition, Jean-Marie Boix was forced to leave the band because of health problems. He was replaced by Scottish singer Tom Jackson (ex- Praying Mantis), hoping that his vocal qualities and his mastery of the English language could help the success of Nightmare on the other side of the Channel. This incarnation of Nightmare produced a demo with two songs and did a few shows in France and England, with moderate success. However, dissension between the musicians about the musical direction for the band, whose music was veering toward AOR, led to disbandment in 1987, closing for more than a decade the career of Nightmare.

Nightmare was reborn in 1999 with a revised line-up. Jo Amore, former drummer, took the singer position and left the sticks to his younger brother, David.

The band signed a contract with Adipocere Records and released the mini-album Astral Deliverance, recorded in tribute to Jean-Marie Boix deceased a few months before. Moreover, the old albums were reissued by Brennus Records. Nightmare released also the double-live album Live Deliverance, recorded at the reunion concert held on 30 October 1999 at the Summum of Grenoble. It was the first double-live album ever made by a French metal band. In 2000, Nightmare performed at the festival of Artifacts in Strasbourg and at the prestigious Wacken Open Air Festival.