Nightmare (song)
Encyclopedia
Nightmare is a song by American metal
band Avenged Sevenfold
released as the lead single
for their fifth studio album, Nightmare
. It is also their first single released without former drummer
"The Rev
", who died on December 28, 2009. The song was released digitally on May 18 and 21, 2010 on the US and worldwide, respectively, on iTunes
as well as an animated lyric video on YouTube
, which received over 275,000 plays in 24 hours. A preview for the song was released on May 6, 2010 on Amazon.com
, but was removed soon after for unknown reasons. However, on May 10, 2010, a 30-second audio uncensored
sample was again revealed, but this time at SoundCloud
.
"Nightmare" was nominated for "Best Single
" at "The Kerrang! Awards
", where fans were allowed to vote unlimited times for their desired song, but lost to Liquid Confidence
by You Me At Six
.
Nightmare was released on July 27, 2010 as a downloadable track in Rock Band 2 along with Seize the Day
and Scream
. It was discovered by fans that the face of Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan, the band's deceased drummer, can be seen on the single cover.
Nightmare is an available easter egg song in the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops
in the Zombie Map; Moon upon completing the One Giant Leap achievement/trophy.
in the US during one week of May 2010. It was also the No. 1 rock song
on iTunes
in the US (and also in the UK), selling over 23,000 units in its first day.
The song Nightmare became the most Radio Played rock song in the USA of 2010, with over 35,000 spins.
, who has worked with bands such as Mötley Crüe
, Bon Jovi
and Metallica
. The video itself was filmed at Linda Vista Hospital Community Hospital in Los Angeles, California. The music video premiered on July 17, 2010, on MTV2
, at 11 AM EST, and on Avenged Sevenfold's website. An unedited version of the video premiered later on that day. The video can be seen on the band's official YouTube
page.
The video depicts lead vocalist M. Shadows
about to undergo surgery, when the surgeons take him out of the room on a gurney
. Shadows then notices the torn-down former drum kit of the band's deceased drummer, The Rev
, when he toured with them to support their record City of Evil
. The surgeons move him through halls and he sees the members of Avenged Sevenfold acting mentally insane, such as lead guitarist Synyster Gates
continually banging his bloody head against the window of a door, bassist Johnny Christ
crawling on the ceiling, and seeing rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance
in a straitjacket
, and later waltz
ing with a skeleton, as well as disturbing images of children playing and soaked in blood. The video shifts between this and the band performing in a black environment with a small bit of background light. Towards the end of the video, M. Shadows
begins to fight the gurney, wanting to get off, as they wheel him toward a room being led by two young boys. He cannot get off because he is strapped to it. He is wheeled into a room, where the last drum set The Rev toured with Avenged Sevenfold with is set up with a light behind it, morphed into The Rev
's figure. The video does not feature Mike Portnoy
playing drums, this was decided by Portnoy himself as he wanted it to be all about Avenged Sevenfold and seeing as how The Rev wrote most of the drums for the album.Portnoy thought it would be wrong to have himself in the video. The music video is based heavily on the infamous scene from Jacob's Ladder
where Jacob Singer is being pulled on a stretcher through hell. This was because the band knew this was one of The Rev's favorite movies.
Many homages and tributes are shown through the video. For instance, The Rev's City of Evil
tour drum kit has spiders crawling on it, just like in the "Afterlife
" video, except that the spiders were on The Rev's face. Additionally, while filming the music video for "Afterlife" The Rev stated his arachnophobia. Another example is during one of Zacky's scenes where he is waltzing with a skeleton. This is also shown in the "Afterlife" video, except that he is dancing with his then girlfriend (now his wife). Other smaller references to Avenged Sevenfold's videos are The Priest from "Seize the Day
" and patients faces stretching, like in the "Bat Country
" video.
. However, on the week ending August 14, 2010, the song re-entered at #83 due to the release of the album.
Additional musician(s)
Production
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1999, the group consists of vocalist M. Shadows, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Johnny Christ....
released as the lead single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
for their fifth studio album, Nightmare
Nightmare (Avenged Sevenfold album)
Nightmare is the fifth studio album by American rock band Avenged Sevenfold, released on July 27, 2010 through Warner Bros. Records. It was produced by Mike Elizondo and mixed in New York City by noted engineer Andy Wallace...
. It is also their first single released without former drummer
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
"The Rev
The Rev
James Owen Sullivan , more commonly known by his stage name The Reverend Tholomew Plague, often shortened to The Rev, was an American musician, best known as the drummer for the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold...
", who died on December 28, 2009. The song was released digitally on May 18 and 21, 2010 on the US and worldwide, respectively, on iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
as well as an animated lyric video on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, which received over 275,000 plays in 24 hours. A preview for the song was released on May 6, 2010 on Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, but was removed soon after for unknown reasons. However, on May 10, 2010, a 30-second audio uncensored
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
sample was again revealed, but this time at SoundCloud
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform which allows collaboration, promotion and distribution of audio recordings.-History:SoundCloud was originally started in Stockholm, Sweden, but was established in Berlin, Germany in August, 2007 by sound designer Alex Ljung and artist Eric Wahlforss...
.
"Nightmare" was nominated for "Best Single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
" at "The Kerrang! Awards
The Kerrang! Awards
The Kerrang! Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine, Kerrang!. The awards feature a mixture of readers' and critics' awards. The annual Kerrang! Awards ceremony is usually held in mid-August in London...
", where fans were allowed to vote unlimited times for their desired song, but lost to Liquid Confidence
Liquid Confidence
-Chart performance:"Liquid Confidence" first debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number 196 on 11 April 2010. Upon physical release, the single climbed into the Top 100 at number 86, under the released title of "Liquid Confidence ". On 2 May 2010, the single fell 12 places to number 98, marking its...
by You Me At Six
You Me At Six
You Me at Six is a British rock band from Weybridge, Surrey. Formed in 2004, the group rose to fame in 2008 with the success of their debut album, Take Off Your Colours, which included the singles "Save It for the Bedroom", "Finders Keepers" and "Kiss and Tell", with the latter two peaking at #33...
.
Nightmare was released on July 27, 2010 as a downloadable track in Rock Band 2 along with Seize the Day
Seize the Day (song)
"Seize the Day" is a song by Avenged Sevenfold, the song is released as the fourth single from their third album City of Evil."Seize the Day" has been released on July 27, 2010 as a downloadable track in Rock Band 2 along with "Nightmare" and "Scream"....
and Scream
Scream (Avenged Sevenfold song)
"Scream" is the fifth and final single from Avenged Sevenfold's self-titled album. It has reached number nine on the U.S. Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 26 on the U.S. Alternative Songs chart. It is the second of five singles by Avenged Sevenfold written by M. Shadows...
. It was discovered by fans that the face of Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan, the band's deceased drummer, can be seen on the single cover.
Nightmare is an available easter egg song in the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Call of Duty: Black Ops is a first-person shooter video game developed by Treyarch, published by Activision and released worldwide on November 9, for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii consoles, with a separate version for Nintendo DS developed by n-Space. Announced on April 30, 2010,...
in the Zombie Map; Moon upon completing the One Giant Leap achievement/trophy.
Reception
The song was the No. 1 most added track at Active Rock radioActive rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:...
in the US during one week of May 2010. It was also the No. 1 rock song
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
on iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
in the US (and also in the UK), selling over 23,000 units in its first day.
The song Nightmare became the most Radio Played rock song in the USA of 2010, with over 35,000 spins.
Music video
The band has filmed a music video for "Nightmare". To film the video, they hired the famed video director, Wayne IshamWayne Isham
Wayne Isham is an American music video director who has directed music videos of many popular artists; such as Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Roxette, Mötley Crüe, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, Whitesnake, David Cook, Simple Plan, Avenged Sevenfold, Pantera, *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys,...
, who has worked with bands such as Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
, Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
and Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
. The video itself was filmed at Linda Vista Hospital Community Hospital in Los Angeles, California. The music video premiered on July 17, 2010, on MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
, at 11 AM EST, and on Avenged Sevenfold's website. An unedited version of the video premiered later on that day. The video can be seen on the band's official YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
page.
The video depicts lead vocalist M. Shadows
M. Shadows
Matthew Charles Sanders , better known by his stage name M. Shadows, is the lead vocalist, songwriter, and founding member for the American metal band Avenged Sevenfold.-Early life and musical beginnings:...
about to undergo surgery, when the surgeons take him out of the room on a gurney
Gurney
A gurney, known as a trolley in British medical context, is the U.S. term for a type of stretcher used in modern hospitals and ambulances in developed areas. A hospital gurney is a kind of narrow bed on a wheeled frame which may be adjustable in height. For ambulances, a collapsible gurney is a...
. Shadows then notices the torn-down former drum kit of the band's deceased drummer, The Rev
The Rev
James Owen Sullivan , more commonly known by his stage name The Reverend Tholomew Plague, often shortened to The Rev, was an American musician, best known as the drummer for the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold...
, when he toured with them to support their record City of Evil
City of Evil
City of Evil is the third studio album and first major label release by American metal band Avenged Sevenfold. The album was released on June 7, 2005 under the Warner Bros. Records label. Co-produced by Andrew Murdock, City of Evil contains a more hard rock and classic heavy metal sound than...
. The surgeons move him through halls and he sees the members of Avenged Sevenfold acting mentally insane, such as lead guitarist Synyster Gates
Synyster Gates
Brian Elwin Haner, Jr. , better known by his stage name Synyster Gates or simply Syn, is an American musician, best known for being the lead guitarist of the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold.-Early life:...
continually banging his bloody head against the window of a door, bassist Johnny Christ
Johnny Christ
Jonathan Lewis Seward, , better known by his stage name Johnny Christ, is the bassist of the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. Johnny was the fourth bassist to join Avenged Sevenfold in 2002, replacing former members Matt Wendt, Justin Sane, and Dameon Ash...
crawling on the ceiling, and seeing rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance
Zacky Vengeance
Zachary James Baker, better known by his stage name Zacky Vengeance, is the rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist for the American metal/rock band Avenged Sevenfold.-Biography:...
in a straitjacket
Straitjacket
A straitjacket is a garment shaped like a jacket with overlong sleeves and is typically used to restrain a person who may otherwise cause harm to themselves or others. Once the arms are inserted into the straitjacket's sleeves, they are then crossed across the chest...
, and later waltz
Waltz
The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
ing with a skeleton, as well as disturbing images of children playing and soaked in blood. The video shifts between this and the band performing in a black environment with a small bit of background light. Towards the end of the video, M. Shadows
M. Shadows
Matthew Charles Sanders , better known by his stage name M. Shadows, is the lead vocalist, songwriter, and founding member for the American metal band Avenged Sevenfold.-Early life and musical beginnings:...
begins to fight the gurney, wanting to get off, as they wheel him toward a room being led by two young boys. He cannot get off because he is strapped to it. He is wheeled into a room, where the last drum set The Rev toured with Avenged Sevenfold with is set up with a light behind it, morphed into The Rev
The Rev
James Owen Sullivan , more commonly known by his stage name The Reverend Tholomew Plague, often shortened to The Rev, was an American musician, best known as the drummer for the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold...
's figure. The video does not feature Mike Portnoy
Mike Portnoy
Michael Stephen "Mike" Portnoy is an American drummer primarily known as the former drummer, backing vocalist, and a co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater, as well as the temporary drummer for the hard rock band Avenged Sevenfold. Known for his drumming prowess and technical...
playing drums, this was decided by Portnoy himself as he wanted it to be all about Avenged Sevenfold and seeing as how The Rev wrote most of the drums for the album.Portnoy thought it would be wrong to have himself in the video. The music video is based heavily on the infamous scene from Jacob's Ladder
Jacob's Ladder (film)
Jacob's Ladder is a 1990 American psychological thriller/horror film directed by Adrian Lyne, based on a screenplay by Bruce Joel Rubin.-Plot:Jacob Singer is a U.S. soldier deployed in the Mekong Delta during the Vietnam War...
where Jacob Singer is being pulled on a stretcher through hell. This was because the band knew this was one of The Rev's favorite movies.
Many homages and tributes are shown through the video. For instance, The Rev's City of Evil
City of Evil
City of Evil is the third studio album and first major label release by American metal band Avenged Sevenfold. The album was released on June 7, 2005 under the Warner Bros. Records label. Co-produced by Andrew Murdock, City of Evil contains a more hard rock and classic heavy metal sound than...
tour drum kit has spiders crawling on it, just like in the "Afterlife
Afterlife (Avenged Sevenfold song)
"Afterlife" is a song by American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. The is released as the third single from their self-titled album. The song itself features a string orchestra and was written by the band's drummer, The Rev. It was voted the best song of the new album on the band's homepage...
" video, except that the spiders were on The Rev's face. Additionally, while filming the music video for "Afterlife" The Rev stated his arachnophobia. Another example is during one of Zacky's scenes where he is waltzing with a skeleton. This is also shown in the "Afterlife" video, except that he is dancing with his then girlfriend (now his wife). Other smaller references to Avenged Sevenfold's videos are The Priest from "Seize the Day
Seize the Day (song)
"Seize the Day" is a song by Avenged Sevenfold, the song is released as the fourth single from their third album City of Evil."Seize the Day" has been released on July 27, 2010 as a downloadable track in Rock Band 2 along with "Nightmare" and "Scream"....
" and patients faces stretching, like in the "Bat Country
Bat Country
"Bat Country" is a song by American metal band Avenged Sevenfold. The song was released as the second single from their third album, City of Evil. Avenged Sevenfold won 'Best New Artist' at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards for "Bat Country" and on October 1, 2009, the single was certified gold by...
" video.
Track listing
- "Nightmare" — 6:16
- "Nightmare" (Demo) — 6:05
- "Nightmare" (Instrumental) — 6:03
Chart position
"Nightmare" debuted and peaked at #51 on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. However, on the week ending August 14, 2010, the song re-entered at #83 due to the release of the album.
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Rock Songs Rock Songs Rock Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the airplay of songs on alternative, mainstream rock and triple A radio stations. The first chart was published in the issue dated June 20, 2009. "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day was the first number-one song. The Rock Songs... |
3 |
| US Billboard Heatseekers Songs | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks |
2 |
| US Billboard Alternative Songs | 12 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 51 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
65 |
| UK Rock Chart UK Rock Chart The UK Rock Chart usually refers to the Top 40 Rock Singles and the Top 40 Rock Albums Chart compiled by the Official Charts Company from physical record sales in British retail outlets with larger than average genrespecific sales.... |
2 |
Personnel
Avenged Sevenfold- M. ShadowsM. ShadowsMatthew Charles Sanders , better known by his stage name M. Shadows, is the lead vocalist, songwriter, and founding member for the American metal band Avenged Sevenfold.-Early life and musical beginnings:...
— lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the... - Synyster GatesSynyster GatesBrian Elwin Haner, Jr. , better known by his stage name Synyster Gates or simply Syn, is an American musician, best known for being the lead guitarist of the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold.-Early life:...
— lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Zacky VengeanceZacky VengeanceZachary James Baker, better known by his stage name Zacky Vengeance, is the rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist for the American metal/rock band Avenged Sevenfold.-Biography:...
— rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, backing vocals - Johnny ChristJohnny ChristJonathan Lewis Seward, , better known by his stage name Johnny Christ, is the bassist of the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold. Johnny was the fourth bassist to join Avenged Sevenfold in 2002, replacing former members Matt Wendt, Justin Sane, and Dameon Ash...
— bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - The RevThe RevJames Owen Sullivan , more commonly known by his stage name The Reverend Tholomew Plague, often shortened to The Rev, was an American musician, best known as the drummer for the American heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold...
— drum arrangements, drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
on demo version
Additional musician(s)
- Mike PortnoyMike PortnoyMichael Stephen "Mike" Portnoy is an American drummer primarily known as the former drummer, backing vocalist, and a co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater, as well as the temporary drummer for the hard rock band Avenged Sevenfold. Known for his drumming prowess and technical...
— drums - Mike ElizondoMike ElizondoMichael "Mike" Elizondo is a well-known songwriter, bassist, keyboardist, and hip hop music producer.-Musical career:Mike Elizondo is especially known for his collaborations with internationally successful producer Dr. Dre and rapper Eminem. He has played the bass for many of Dr...
— keyboards
Production
- Mike ElizondoMike ElizondoMichael "Mike" Elizondo is a well-known songwriter, bassist, keyboardist, and hip hop music producer.-Musical career:Mike Elizondo is especially known for his collaborations with internationally successful producer Dr. Dre and rapper Eminem. He has played the bass for many of Dr...
— producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Andy WallaceAndy Wallace (producer)Andy Wallace is a Grammy Award-winning music studio engineer with a long track record of successful productions, beginning with the 1986 production of the Run-DMC/Aerosmith collaboration on "Walk This Way" with Rick Rubin...
— mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Ted JensenTed JensenTed Jensen is an American recording engineer. Jensen is the chief mastering engineer at Sterling Sound. He started his career as a mastering engineer in 1976 and is currently the most active Mastering Engineer in the industry...
— masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...