Nightmare formed in 1979 in Grenoble, France, influenced by the burgeoning NWOBHM scene exploding across the Channel in England, and even supported Def Leppard at a huge show in Grenoble in 1983. The band have continued to release music and tour over the years, and in June 2024 issued a brand-new studio album, their 12th, via AFM Records. 2024 also sees the 40th anniversary of ‘Waiting For The Twilight’ – the band will celebrate this milestone with a live show in Grenoble on October 18th, which will feature two sets, one from the current line up, and one featuring former members of the band to bring the history of this enduring metal institution full circle.

Waiting For The Power: The Early Years is a magnificent 23 track, three disc set from cult French metal act Nightmare featuring their first two full length studio albums, originally released on Ebony Records, and a bonus disc of rare and unreleased material.

Disc One: Waiting For The Twilight (1984)
1. Trust A Crowd
2. Waiting For The Twilight
3. Too Late
4. Royal Death
5. Drive Down To Hell
6. Lord Of The Sky
7. The Legend
8. Fool On The Scene
9. Le Jour Du Châtiment (Waiting For The Twilight) [Bonus Track]
10. Victime De L’exil (Too Late) [Bonus Track]
11. Esprits, Sortilèges (Royal Death) [Bonus Track]
12. Les Forces Du Mal (Lord Of The Sky) [Bonus Track]

CD 1 features their debut full length recording, ‘Waiting For The Twilight’, originally released in 1984, with four French language bonus tracks.

Oh-so clearly influenced by NWOBHM (the new wave of British heavy metal), and yet never truly mimicking the era, in case they were labelled as merely copycats, the band still very much managed to showcase a distinct musical character.

For me, Waiting For The Twilight (CD1/1984) was an album of exciting metal akin to, shall we say, Iron Maiden and such, and even back then hinted at a relative sophistication that was already in development.

Stand out tracks include both Trust A Crowd and the soaring Lord Of The Sky, lest we forget the propulsive title track, and the four French language bonus tracks are brilliant to hear now too.

Disc Two: Power Of The Universe (1985)
1. Running For The Deal
2. Diamond Crown
3. Prowler In The Night
4. Power Of The Universe
5. Let’s Go
6. Judgment Day
7. Princess Of The Rising Sun
8. Invisible World
Live in Grenoble, 22nd February 1985
9. Princess Of The Rising Sun [Bonus Track]
10. Diamond Crown [Bonus Track]
11. Waiting For The Twilight [Bonus Track]
12. Power Of The Universe [Bonus Track]
13. Let’s Go [Bonus Track]
14. Invisible World [Bonus Track]

CD 2 features the follow up ‘Power Of The Universe’, originally released in 1985, with six bonus live tracks. Both albums were originally released via cult NWOBHM label Ebony Records.

As we fans all know by now, for their next album The Power Of The Universe, the band brought in a brand new vocalist, Jean Marie Boix. A man with the most grittiest of vocals, where at times he actually sounded like his vocal train had left the rails, he was most definitely a different kettle of fish to that of his predecessor, Christophe Houpert.

As for the songwriting, overall it is noticeably stronger for this follow up, but that fits the voice of Boix, of course. There’s also a sense that the band, already under leader Yves Campion’s tutelage, were unsure of their musical direction at times, for as much as the album totally rocks, it is also somewhat musically uneven at times.

Stand out tracks include the trio of Running For The Deal, Diamond Crown and the titular Power Of The Universe, with others making the cut such as both Judgment Day and Princess Of The Rising Sun, but it is the set of live tracks (bonus cuts) that make this disc the Crème de la crème, my friends.

Disc Three: Rare & Unreleased*
1. Hallucinations Directes (Demo 1981)
2. Vengeance (Demo 1982)
3. Maudis Ton Destin (Demo 1982)
4. Tu Es Damné (Garage Tapes: Rehearsal 1982)
5. Le Dilemme (Garage Tapes: Rehearsal 1982)
6. The Hunter (Ebony Records Demo 1983)
7. Ballad Test (Rehearsal 1984)
*All tracks previously unreleased

CD 3 comprises of very early material specially curated by the band from their own archives, including completely unreleased tracks.

This release is complimented with the addition of liner notes featuring exclusive new interviews with the band, and includes rare photos from the band’s own archive.

Nightmare - Waiting For The Power 3CD [Trailer]

Official Purchase Link