Nightmare – Encrypted (2024)

Nightmare is a group I am very fond of for a variety of reasons. At the dawn of their reunion in 2000, with Jo Amore transitioning from the position of drums to vocals, they crafted some very interesting and special records, namely Cosmovision and The Dominion Gate. Where I truly loved them was in the following Genetic Disorder and Insurrection, since they established a very heavy sound at the time. Till now they continue to play VERY heavy music without relinquishing their melodic side. 

Circumstances were not on their side for the last decade, as they have released 4 different albums with 4 different vocalists, something that I believe must be very taxing for them and is not the best experience you can have as their fan. Barbara Mogore is their third take on female lead vocals and I must say her voice fits Nightmare greatly. They even re-recorded the song Eternal Winter (originally sung by Jo Amore) and while different, it is very good. The whole transition from male to female vocals is a successful experiment, aside from the sad fact of changing vocalist each record, so let’s hope that this time Lady Luck will be on their side and their line-up will stabilize for at least a couple of albums.    

As for Encrypted, it suffices to say that I have not enjoyed a Nightmare album so much, since Insurrection. It grabs you straight from the start and its energy does not retreat till the last second. First of all, It has a rich production where all metal instruments are allowed to shine. I truly adore today’s Metal scene, but at times I am very tired of hearing weak guitars and fast songs that lack power. In that regard Encrypted came as a breath of fresh air and each time it visits my speakers, I just sit back and enjoy. 

Each song is similarly structured. We have badass riffs, fat guitars and strong drumming. But this is only one side of the coin with Nightmare not being just an “I hit hard” group. They have many melodic parts like in The Blossom Of My Hate, that gracefully switches between Power and Death Metal. The choruses are dedicated to the vocals, with epic lines and occasionally backing choirs, in typical Nightmare fashion. I like this contradiction a lot, you can see the refrains as a chance to catch your breath before the pounding resumes. It is not only that, but they are very interesting also, my favorites being found in Saviours of the Damned and Wake the Night.

Very good stuff till now, what about some small critique as well? I would say that as usual with Nightmare, they do not have that song that will become a super great hit. If you tell me to add something in a playlist, my hand will not go straight to THAT track. It is not black or white though, simultaneously there is not one bad song that stands lower than the others, that means all album tracks are equal and there is a great flow. The middle ground is that Encrypted does not have any strong teaser to blow minds, but if you liked any of its singles, you will share the same sentiment for it as a whole.

The final result ends up exactly how I wanted it to be. A record that is entertaining, consistent, well played. And why not, I could even place it among my favorite Nightmare moments. The bet the band has to win, is whether they can maintain the team united, because creatively they have found that sweet spot. For album #12, mastermind Yves Campion should be proud of Encrypted.    

85/100

Pavlos Pavlakis

On behalf of Metal Domain