Album: Nightmare - Killer Show

Killer Show

Date released: 21.5.2008.

Track list
1. パンドラ (Pandora)
2. DIRTY [PV]
3. the LAST SHOW [PV]
4. TrickSTAR
5. メビウスの憂鬱 (Moebius no Yuuutsu) [PV]
6. このは (Konoha) [PV]
7. レゾンデートル (Raison d’être) [PV]
8. WORST
9. ジャイアニズム罰 (Djaïnism batsu)
10. ジェネラル (General)
11. White Room [PV]
12. Cloudy dayz [PV]
13. 夜想曲 (Yasoukyoku)

Over a year has passed since the last Nightmare album THE WORLD RULER and Nightmare have returned with a new, again pretentiously named album Killer Show.

A glimpse at the track list reveals that almost half of the songs present on the album have been released before starting off from the dirty rock'n'roll roarer DIRTY, playful and relaxed ska song Moebius no Yuuutsu, slow and boring ballad Konoha, anthem-like, easy marching Raison d’être up to the over-the-top Cloudy Dayz. Those mostly mediocre songs somehow water down the album, with their similar refrains and sure composition.

Unlike that the rest of the album is pretty stunning compared to previous releases (which most are featured on the album). The album starts with the mesmerizing, almost meditaitive oriental rock song Pandora where Yomi's really good vocals shine with bliss and the guitar riffs sparkle mixing into a transcendental sort of feel. Very nicely done for the start. The playfulness goes even beyond on the swing and rock'n'roll hybrid the LAST SHOW delivering an almost theatrical feel to it because of the piano and horns placed at the front and the glamorous, yet settled refrain. Fun and catchy the LAST SHOW forces you kinda to get up and start dancing.

Another highlight is the excellent and upbeat TrickSTAR, my personal favorite on the album, with it's very singable and catchy refrain that has been brought to almost perfection with a hint of melancholy. Amazing and quite unpredictable for Nightmare. Even WORST is not that half bad with its surf-rock style, crazy riffs and again with an darn catchy chorus. And what would be an Nightmare album without a Djaïnism song? Killer Show's Djaïnism batsu features some really face ripping, alarming riffs and a lot of Ni~ya's slap bass, building up the tension just like in BOYS BE SUSPICIOUS and launching a loud and powerful chorus. And the explosive mass reaches with the probably most GazettE-like song ever not being written by the GazettE: Gerneral. General begins with almost identical riffs to those on the mosh-parts of alice nine.'s -Dice- and riffs of GazettE's AGONY going to the BURIAL APPLICANT like calm and omnious verses and exploding with the powrful and a bit jumpy chorus just like in CIRCLE OF SWINDLER. Surprisingly, Nightmare really manages to give out a good and fitting performance to General.

The last highlight of the album is the melancholic but strong ballad White Room which was released before, but on the live-distributed single. And then again I can't help not to notice the Kyomu no owari, hakodzume no mokushi resembling intro with a lot of dramatic riffs and piano notes. Unlike Kyomu, White Room is less darker and more firmer, though also with too much of a sure chorus just like it's GazettE pandan. The album ends with Yasoukyoku, a dreamy like parting song that you'll likely to forget.

The new songs featured on this album would have made a Killer mini-album, but unfortunately they are stuck together with the pretty mediocre former releases which in a way water down the quality of the new songs. Though this album has got less variety in songs than the WORLD ruler, Killer Show nevertheless has got more exciting songs I'll probably listen to more times. This album is worth checking, primary because of the exciting new songs that somehow return Nightmare to their fierce, dirty rock'n'roll soul. But as always with Nightmare, only fans will enjoy this album comepletely, while others will find their favorite bits.