A veteran French Metal act making their presence felt with early album releases on the British Ebony label. The group came together during 1979 in Grenoble. Having signed to the Hull based Ebony Records label, the group recorded the Darryl Johnston produced debut album 'Waiting For The Twilight' for issue in September 1984. NIGHTMARE replaced vocalist Christopher Houpert with erstwhile BRONX man Jean-Marie Boix for the 'Power Of The Universe' album, the group's second release for Ebony arriving in May 1985. However, the group folded in 1987.

NIGHTMARE reformed for 1999 mini-album 'Astral Deliverance' issued by the Adipocere label. The record was dedicated to the band's late frontman Boix who had died tragically young in April of the same year. NIGHTMARE, now fronted by Jo Amore, solidified their return by putting in a 2000 appearance at the famous German Wacken festival. The band backed it up with the double 'Live Deliverence' album which boasted cover versions of ACCEPT's 'Metal Heart' and SORTILEGE's theme tune, complete with a guesting Patrick Liotard of PRESENCE.

NIGHTMARE switched to Napalm Records for October 2001's studio effort 'Cosmovision'. Famed French guitarist PATRICK RONDAT of ELEGY would guest on the track 'Spirit Of The Sunset'. NIGHTMARE engaged in live work as support to SAXON in France and Italy as well as gigs guesting for GRAVE DIGGER on their 'Roads To Nazca... Cosmovison' tour. However, in February 2002 Jean Stripolli opted out and NIGHTMARE duly inducted Alex Hilbert as replacement.

In this incarnation the band put in an appearance at the 'Metal Meltdown' festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey that April and in the process becoming one of the first French Heavy Metal bands to play in the USA for nearly two decades. A further round of European dates in the summer saw the group acting as guests to BLIND GUARDIAN. Extended live action witnessed showings at the 'Rock Machina' festival in Spain, the Austrian 'Skeleton Bash' event and Germany's prestigious 'Wacken Open Air' extravaganza.

Working with Norwegian producer Terje Refsnes NIGHTMARE re-entered the recording studio toward the close of the year to work on a brand new studio album. The conceptual 'Silent Room' emerged in October of 2003, the whole affair rounded out with a cover of VICIOUS RUMORS 'Ship Of Fools'.

European package tour dates for January 2004 found the group in league with with Dutch act AFTER FOREVER, Swedes AMARAN and Spainish Gothic band DARK MOOR. A major gig came with a support to JUDAS PRIEST at Le Summum in Grenoble in June. Unfortunately another scheduled high profile performance, at the 'Headbangers Open Air' festival in Brande-Hörnerkirchen, Germany during July was cancelled "for financial reasons". That same month the band amicably severed ties with Napalm Records.

Co-founding member, Nicolas De Dominicis departed, being superseded by ex-DARK LIGHT guitar virtuoso Franck Milleliri. March of 2005 saw NIGHTMARE signing to Regain Records. The band entered Soundsuite Studios with producer Terje Refsnes in April to work on an album with a working title of 'The Dominion Gate'. Ex-PRETTY MAIDS guitarist Ricky Marx would guest in the studio, as did AFTER FOREVER singer Floor Jansen and vocalist/guitarist Sanders Gommans. To promote the album the track 'A Taste Of Armageddon' was given the video treatment by director Johann Porcher. A release party concert was held for 'The Dominion Gate' on 9th September at L'Art-scène in St. Martin D'Hères. NIGHTMARE partnered with Dutch band AFTER FOREVER and Rumanian Symphonic Metal act MAGICA for European gigs in January 2006.

To coincide, a highly sought after 25th anniversary tour compilation album, entitled 'Travel In The Spheres Of Time', was given out at shows to just 200 lucky fans. As well as regular album tracks plus covers of TRUST's 'Instinct De Mort', SORTILEGE's 'Sortilege' and VICIOUS RUMORS 'Ship Of Fools'. The collection closed with 'War Addict', a previously unreleased track from 'The Dominion Gate' sessions.

The recording of the group's sixth studio album started May 7th 2007 at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden with producer Fredrik Nordström.

NIGHTMARE released their seventh album, 'Insurrection', on 11th September 2009 via Germany's AFM Records. The set was recorded at Peek studio in France with Patrick Liotard and at U3multimedia and Indiscreet Studios in Stuttgart, Germany with Achim Köhler. Japanese editions hosted an extra song, 'Cosa Nostra...'. Fabrice Emmanuelsson from ELLIPSIS guested in the studio.

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, NIGHTMARE performed a special headlining show, filmed for commercial DVD, on 31st October 2009 at Salle Edmond Vigne in Fontaine, France with special guests ELLIPSIS, AMON SETHIS and RISE OF DOOM.