THE NIGHTMARE STAGE 'The Infamous' official single from the album 'When The Curtain Closes'

https://www.facebook.com/The-Nightmare-Stage

http://myspace.com/thenightmarestage

Scott Oliva - vocals (Reverence)
Craig Besemer – guitars, bass
Anthony Dazzo - bass
Mark Muchnik - keyboards
Rob Garcia - drums

The Nightmare Stage is a Prog/Power metal band based out of Long Island, New York. Their soon to be released sophomore CD, entitled "When the Curtain Closes," offers a unique brand of sonic textures that are sure to captivate any fan of heavy music.

The Nightmare Stage began from the combination of two bands; Immortally Committed, a mainstay in the local Long Island metal scene in the mid to late 90s, and Live after Death, the exceptionally well regarded Iron Maiden tribute band. Possessing a solid back catalogue of original music, guitarist Craig Besemer speaks to the song writing process in those days; “We would just jam riffs and patchwork them together. “ Classically trained in piano as a child, Marc Muchnik had never been part of a band when he met Besemer in 2004. As far as influences, Muchnik, the youngest of the bunch, was a product of the 90s, with metal experiencing a dry spell, as opposed to the other members of the Nightmare Stage, who grew up during a time when seminal acts like Priest, Maiden, and to a lesser extent Black Sabbath were releasing classic albums almost yearly. Muchnik states, “I thought the world began and ended with Metallica, Slayer and Pantera. Then I went away to college and discovered Nevermore, Symphony X, and Evergrey. A whole new world of musical possibilities was unleashed, and it blew me away.” Immortally Committed had never had a live keyboardist, but did employ some keys on its recorded output. “It was exciting for me to be presented with these ready-made compositions and be able to add keys. It really transformed the songs, “recalls Muchnik. This process stoked the song-writing fires for the pair, leading to the formation of Mourning Hour and tightening the song craft. Anthony Dazzo joined Mourning Hour on drums soon after Craig and Marc linked up. Dazzo remembers of the early writing sessions, “Those tunes just came together really fast. We met in August and were in the recording studio by October.”

After the 2010 release of their debut album “Free Admission for the Damned”, the band had been floating around new material for several years. “It was frustrating at times because it seemed like everyone was not on the same page, and as a result it stifled the song writing process.” That all changed when Rob Garcia joined the band in 2014, and the backbone of this new batch of songs came to fruition. The material showcases a logical progression for the band from their debut. Now more than ever, song craft and originality are the name of the game for The Nightmare Stage circa 2018. This is accomplished all while respectfully drawing from their influences, which range from the classic metal sounds of Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, and Uriah Heep, to the more modern tones of Nevermore, Symphony X and Evergrey . The well-considered, orchestral arrangements by keyboardist, Marc Muchnik, along with soaring melodies by vocalist Scott Oliva (Inner Strength 1991-97,Last Vision Black 1994, Wind Wraith 2000-2006,Oceans Of Night 2007-2013, Reverence 2016- present and also who, by the way, plays Bruce Dickinson in his aforementioned day job) provide for vast musical exploration. The thunderous beat supplied by the 30 years plus drumming experience, Rob Garcia, is the glue that holds it all together. Multi-instrumentalist, Anthony Dazzo has now switched to the OTHER bottom end, adding in gorgeous bass fills which elevate the intricacy of the material. Besemer recalls, “The Nightmare Stage didn’t find a proper bassist (ex-Cities, Anvil stomper Sal Italiano) until after the material was recorded, so I did all the bass tracks. This time around, it was great to have a different musician’s perspective on that instrument.” Rounding it out are the gargantuan riffs of Craig Besemer's bone crushing guitar work.

This CD takes the listener on a journey, as each track combines various dynamic levels and tempos with complex harmonic structures. The CD’s opening track, "Demented Impresario" sets the tone as the lyrics invite you to, "Come inside. Settle down. Let me pour you a drink". Special guest vocal appearances, by Joe Totillo, on tracks like "The Infamous", “Hellbound”, and “From Below”, as well as Brenda Parisimo’s chilling vocal on the title track, both add another layer of dimension that draws you further inside the music. Complementing the punishing assault on songs like “Returns Again”, “Finding Home”, and “The Future I See”, tracks like “This is the End” capture a more epic ballad feel. The bands dynamic range and versatility are showcased during such moments as the Blackmore-esque guitar solo at the tail end of “Demented”, the Floydian bass run that segues “The End”, and the haunting guitar atmospherics that surface in “Future.”

For more information or to contact The Nightmare Stage, go to Facebook
https://m.facebook.com/The-Nightmare-Stage-1399775000131074/

To check out their first CD, go to iTunes, and search “The Nightmare Stage – Free Admission for the Damned

Free Admission for the Damned - 2010
When The Curtain Closes - 2019