It’s hard to keep a good man…and band…down. Metal outfit Nightmare is proof of that. The band has survived multiple lineup and label changes (possibly more than most bands) and even a “hiatus” that lasted more than a decade to keep making music for the masses. That perseverance has resulted in a dozen albums, the most recent of which being Encrypted, which was released early last month through AFM Records. Spanning 10 tracks, the record is a work that will appeal to a wide range of metal audiences. That is due in part to its featured musical arrangements, which will be discussed shortly. The lyrical themes that accompany the album’s musical arrangements add to that appeal. They will be discussed a little later. The record’s production rounds out its most important elements and will also be examined later. Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of Encrypted. All things considered they make Nightmare’s latest album one more welcome addition to this year’s field of new hard rock and metal albums.
Encrypted, the latest album from Nightmare, is an engaging and entertaining new offering from the veteran metal outfit. The album’s appeal comes in part through its featured musical arrangements. From one to the next, the arrangements featured in this record immediately lend themselves to comparison to music from Arch Enemy. Speaking more specifically, the musical content featured here is most comparable to work from Arch Enemy in its current lineup, which features Alissa White-Gluz. That is evident through vocalist Barbara Mogore’s balanced use of clean vocals and screams. That vocal delivery style pairs with the work of guitarists Matt Asselberghs and Franck Milleliri to make that comparison even clearer. At the same time, that is not the only comparison that can be made. In a moment, such as ‘Wake The Night,’ one cannot help but imagine Halestorm if it were even heavier. ‘Nexus Inferus’ and ‘Voices From The Other Side’ meanwhile, conjure thoughtsof the metalcore sounds of Killswitch Engage during the Howard Jones era. What’s more, the band’s power metal roots go on display again in ‘Saviours of the Damned’ and ‘Wake The Night.’ Simply put, the band exhibits a variety of metal styles throughout the 10 songs that flesh out Encrypted. That variety is in itself a source of engagement and entertainment. The power in each arrangement, and the unique identity that each arrangement presents adds to that appeal, forming an overall foundation for Encrypted that gives audiences reason enough to hear this record.
The musical arrangements spread across Encrypted are just part of what will ensure listeners’ interest. The lyrical themes that accompany the album’s musical content adds to that appeal. The album’s single, ‘Saviours of the Damned’ serves well to exhibit the importance of the album’s lyrical theme. On the surface, the song comes across decidedly nihilistic in its lyrics but at the same time, it exhibits at least the slightest hint of hope. This as Mogore sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “Earth kept our secrets for too long/Only memories will last/History repeats on and on/The burden of the past/I have a dream to change the pathway of mankind/You are the gleam within the darkness in your mind/You are the future and the past/You are the draining hourglass/And now the end is coming fast/ We are the saviors of the damned/Humanity is mistaken/Thinking there is no ending/Millenial wisdom will have no new beginning.” In other words (and this is just this critic’s own interpretation), this is the song’s subject telling listeners they are that last hope and that the current generation (the millennials) will not make a difference because of their thinking, their mindset. Mogore adds in the song’s second verse, “We are here as a last reminder/Let’s begin now or drown forever.” In other words, “it’s not or never.” She continues on in similar fashion in the song’s finale verse, warning listeners that “A new dawn has come/Giving the next souls freedom/To choose between the seed and the blossom.” It is that choice between the short term or the long. It makes for an intriguing metaphorical way to address a familiar topic. That new way to tackle this seeming matter (again this is all this critic’s interpretation) and the topic itself make for just some proof of the importance of the album’s lyrical themes.
‘White Lines,’ which comes later in the album’s 47-minute run time, is another example of that importance. The very song title conjures thoughts of a reference to drug use but the lyrics point to something else. This as Mogore sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “I wanted the world/I wanted the power/Life is not scaring me/I wanna go fast/I wanna play harder/Leaving you aside/I have a mission to carry my pain/Always in action/No matter the aim/White lines/Crossing the borders/White lines/Hypnotizing me/White lines/Facing the dangers/White lines are guiding me.” The phrasing of ‘white lines” is more metaphorical language. For what is anyone’s guess, but there is something that points away from drug use here. Mogore adds in the song’s second verse, “Every county/Every landscape/Are in my head, refueling me/Perpetual motion and lost emotions/Are my luxury.” Maybe those white lines are the lines on roads? This is all up to interpretation. Either way, the discussions that are sure to rise from examining this one is more proof in itself, of the importance of the album’s lyrical themes.
In another example of that importance, listeners can examine the early entry, ‘Blossom of My Hate.’ In the case of this song, the theme comes across as that of someone who is quite angry as a result of perhaps being tread badly by others. This is inferred as, Mogore sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “Isn’t it that funny/How the mind is made/Switching so easily from luminous to fade/The words are heavy/Words are pretty/But as quick as needed/They will be erased/White pages that are left/Have turned to dust/And you put me down/Ripping my trust/Look at me/I am bleeding under your must/Enjoy/This was your last burst/Don’t you see the blossom of my hate/Is now becoming your fate/It’s too late to bring the light/In this dark and lonely night/And this blossom is your hate.” She adds in the song’s second verse, “Crown or cross/Make your choice/Your cold heart struggles/Without any compassion or prayers/I will take your breath way.” This comes across as some pretty heavy thoughts and emotions. This seems to be someone who is absolutely fiery furious with another person and these are the thoughts running through that wronged person’s mind. If in fact that interpretation is in the ball park then it is certain to resonate with audiences all the more. That is because so many people think similar thoughts toward those who have wronged them. To that end, this proves to be another example of the importance of the lyrical themes featured in Encrypted. When it and the other themes examined here are examined alongside the rein of the album’s lyrical content, the whole therein shows even more fully, the importance of the album’s lyrical material.
The lyrical themes and musical arrangements that collectively make up the body of Encrypted are but part of what makes Encrypted engaging and entertaining. Its production rounds out its most important elements. The album in whole is powerful, to say the least. Due to that, those behind the boards had to obviously pay plenty of attention to balancing all of the instrumentations and vocals in each song. The result of that effort is a record whose overall presentation is rich and full in each work. The result therein is a record that will keep metal fans and the band’s established audiences alike engaged and entertained from beginning to end. When the positive result of the expert production is considered alongside the depth of the album’s overall content, the whole makes for a record that is certain to engage and entertain metal fans and Nightmare’s fans alike.
Encrypted, the latest album from Nightmare, is an interesting offering from the veteran hard rock outfit. The album’s interest comes in part through its featured musical arrangements. The arrangements offer some variety, at points being comparable to works from Arch Enemy and at others to works from the likes of Halestorm and Killswitch Engage. The variety noted and the power of the arrangements makes for reason enough for audiences to hear Encrypted. The lyrical themes that accompany that musical content adds to the album’s interest because of the unique way in which it delivered. It is sure to generate plenty of discussion among listeners. The record’s production puts the finishing touch to its whole, ensuring that positive aesthetic aspect. Each item examined here is important in its own way to the whole of Encrypted. All things considered they make the album one more interesting and welcome addition to this year’s field of new hard rock and metal albums.
Encrypted is available now. More information on the album (and the band’s current tour in support of the album) s available along with all of Nightmare’s latest news at:
Website: https://nightmare.band