Album: Nightmare - majestical parade

Release date: 13.5.2009.

Track list
1. Parade
2. Can you do it? [PV]
3. Mr.trash music
4. NAKED LOVE [PV]
5. MASQUERADE
6. MELODY（original ver.）
7. Cynical Re:actor
8. ジャイアニズム究 (Djaïnism Kyuu)
9. Nothing you lose
10. Lost in Blue [PV]
11. シンプライフ (Simple Life)
12. クロニクル (Chronicle)

Hand on heart, I have heard a lot of Nightmare songs and almost all of their albums and I have really endured and toleratet their frequent lack of originality and innovation in some of their songs, especially choruses, but I've never had such an URGE to erase each and every chorus like I've had on this album, I don't even want to start commenting them because it always goes down on one: repetition, same progressions, same  melody patterns, same singing style... How much you'll enjoy this album depends on how much recycling you can handle and how hardcore of a Nightmare fan you are.

The album starts with the unexciting rock'n'roll march named Parade, pompous on each step, stretching way too long to be an effective intro, but being too short to be an actual full-blooded song. Can you do it? comes along shimmering, bursts with a mass of trembling riffs (the ones they pull off the best) tensing up to the chorus that tries to burst but doesn't and leaves a "this is familiar..." feel that will haunt you on every chorus. Mr. trash music is actually Nightmare? Right? Right? Because the jumpy, distorsion, horrid trash fest will make you smash your CD player onto a wall.... horrid...

NAKED LOVE gives a better impression here than it does on the same-titled single. The slow-tempo, funky guitar flaired, seducive piece hits the sexy mood right in the middle, subtly crawling under your single until you're struck with the usual, but passable chorus. Wish they did something else, a bit less explosive there, but it works and passes, unlike the most choruses on this album. The funky feel on MASQUERADE is actually really fun and I could easily imagine this track as a great, energetic summer hit, yeah if it wasn't plaqued with THE GENERIC CHORUS. The jazzy-breakdown-switch of this song is really cool and another plus.

Melody brings some beautiful acoustic guitar melodies but that is almost all that is to this lovely, half-melancholic piece. The deep-rooted genericness can't be overshadowed, not even by the amazing guitar that stroll around this album. Cynical Re:actor is a very interesting blend of harder guitars and english female talk set in the foreground that reminds on End of Sorrow by LUNA SEA... when I think about it the guitars DO sound like a harder version of LUNA SEA. I could even close an eye on the chorus cause it doesn't beat the song to the ground like the rest of the chorus-gang. Djaïnism songs are almost a standard sure-hit on each Nightmare album, and Djaïnism Kyuu isn't an expection, though slightly weaker than the rest of such songs because of the generic and predictable elements. I'm really glad to hear Ruka smash that double bass for once.

Nothing you lose glove-slaps the GazettE for a ballad duel, but doesn't really stand up the fight because of the lack of deeper expression, more tension and slight originality. They could easily be head-to-head with the GazettE in popularity if they'd just be a bit more versatile, original and not killing themselves with generic melodies, progressions, choruses and similar. Lost in blue brings a reminiscent and melodic feel, excellent bass-lines but turns a bit bland halfway, but is overall a tense and pretty expressive song. Simple life is a lazy lying in the grass staring in the sky on a sunny day, progressing slowly, without any sudden nor strong jumps, but lives up to the carfree, unexciting mood. Chronicle is a bit more present than Simple life, but is just as light, hitting a hrad not here and there but being overall slight reminiscent and relaxing.

Fact is Nightmare haven't managed to top their previous album Killer Show, but frankly not even any other of their albums, making majestical parade their weakest long player. The sadest thing about it, as mentioned on the start, are the generic choruses that basically and reservelessly water down every song, giving them a generic and unmemorable seal, even though some of the songs like NAKED LOVE, MASQUERADE and Cynical Re:actor as well as Nothing you lose aren't that half bad and have really great instrumentals. I wonder do these guys ACTUALLY listen to their songs because the repetition of certain elements is obvious even to half-deaf people. And it's more like their aiming for quantity rather than quality.

If you're a diehard Nightmare fan or somebody to whom this album is a first contact with this band then you'll probably be pleased with it, while other should rather get ready for a generic-fest if they don't plan to skip this one this time.