The French Metal masters are back with another studio album; Insurrection did burst almost out of nowher. I admit I had lost the traces of this respected band after their solid Genetic Disorder 2007 effort. It's nice to see bands of the glorious 80s still going strong - NIGHTMARE is one of the bands having an initial career in the golden Metal decade while not in 'official discography' action through the 90s, yet managing to get back on the road again in this running decade. Summing it up, NIGHTMARE's career now counts...
...30 years! Woah...One thing you'll come across reading the band's bio is that their name was initially heard out when opening for UK rockers DEF LEPPARD during their 1983 France tour leg. Two albums in the 80s - Waiting For The Twilight and Power Of The Universe - made enough fuss in France/UK, Central Europe but it was not until their 00's meeting that both albums were kinda honored as epitomes of France's contribution to metallic music. Being a classic Metal fan and listening - or owning these two LPs - shows there shouldn't have been such a delay in recognition...
Every CD NIGHTMARE has released after 2000 - starting with Cosmovision and counting five albums till this new material, now via AFM Records - is characterized by two critical factors: i) the band knows its whereabouts, not trying to just imitate what they did 20+ years ago, ii) there's a good mix between two of the founding/original members (Jo Amore - was the drummer in the band's early days - and Yves Campion) and the so-called new blood. Digging the album or not, a serious audition - and this goes for all late NIGHTMARE releases - will persuade you 'bout the band's level/profile.
In relation to Genetic Disorder, there's not much that do differentitate this new CD. NIGHTMARE's Metal is powerful, with an up-to-date production, full volume, enough of a 'dark' atmosphere, serious playing and widespread melodies (nothing sugary, trust me). The drums parts include enough double-bass pedaling and the bass lines are quite commanding, while the guitars are fat and at times behave as if there's something Speed/Thrash/extreme Metal bastard union (ICED EARTH or OVERKILL) lurking in the songs' Power Metal roots. The solos are efficient, but do not show enough variety, to be honest. Maybe some 'stick to this' songparts do not give the desired air for the leads to run on...The vocals of Jo are fitting, indeed; not an extraordinaire, but definitely a mature vocalist aware of the songs' needs, Jo is quite angry in fast tunes but can act gloomy or mysterious when things get down to obscurity.
Overall, the aura in Insurrection builds bridges with piercing German/Swedish Metal bands like e.g. BRAINSTORM, MORGANA LEFAY, LIONSHARE, GRAVE DIGGER or DREAM EVIL. Beats do not slow down (Target For Revenge excluded) and everything today's furious Power Metal fan wants is in this album (too). Added to a pile of interesting albums coming off this sub-genre, I do not know how many people's house Insurrection will find its way into but limited are the chances the cautious fan will show marks of anguish purchasing this CD.