AFM Records [Release date: 06.06.24]
Formed in 1979, French Power Metal band, Nightmare have been worshipping the mighty riff for 11 albums now.
Their 12th album, Encrypted, sees ex Songbird songbird, Barbara Mogore (a smart bit of recruitment by Yves Campion), fronting the band for the first time.
With this new album, Encrypted, the band hit the road to hell running, and they do so with a refreshing commitment to a powerful, timeless style of Power Metal, liberally mixed in with other strains of the Heavy Metal genre.
Opener, ‘Nexus Inferus’ mainlines us into a world of muscular Metal, where a towering cliff face of pounding rhythms constantly threatens to overwhelm the guitars, the keyboards and the vocals. It never does, but that’s the plan of course. Mostly thanks to Mogore, who rises above this metal maelstrom to deliver a considered, carefully calibrated vocal.
The band like to take their up-market Power Metal on a daring journey to the extremes at times.
Producer, Simone (DGM) Mularoni is a slick genre craftsman whose mix and match choices – as on ‘The Blossom Of My Hate’, where the harsh male vocals link death metal hands with Mogore’s beseeching counterpoint – feel more organic than mechanical.
And again with this reprogrammed version of ‘Eternal Winter’, the classic Nightmare song (from 2009), released last month as one in an advance guard of trailer tracks.
Its verse has been roughened up with harsh vocals, bleeding straight into Magore’s smoothly vocalised responses. That calculated light and shade forms the perfect intro to the haunting, hymn like chorus.
Sinister marching metal song, ‘Voices From The Other side’ slows the pace. A welcome variation. The bell tolls as the guitars paint a darkly colourful soundscape in strong, sure, strident brushstrokes. Cool melody too.
There’s more, and the quality just doesn’t dip. Fine album. ****
Review by Brian McGowan
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.
Next session: Sunday 1 December
Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio
David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 20 October 2024.
UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 22 October 2024.
How to Listen Live?
Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)
Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”
Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.
More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com
Power Plays w/c 28 October 2024
THE RASMUS Rest In Pieces (Better Noise Music)
THE PLAGUE What Else Can I Do (FiXT)
STAR CIRCUS Turn The Tide (indie)
DEFENCES Breathe It In (Long Branch Records)
Featured Albums w/c 28 October 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)
PDF - you can delete unwanted sections
