Nightmare Of You/Nightmares For A Week - Split (7 Inch Review)

Paper + Plastic have really put together something special with the Nightmares EP. Fans of either Nightmare Of You or Nightmares For A Week will be happy with this release. Also, fans of limited vinyl will be happy with only two variants being released

 with a orange/black swirl disc limited to 325 and the glow in the dark variant limited to 175. Having both variants, I can say that they both deliver great sound quality and great looks. The orange/black swirl is transparent and the glow in the dark variant is the stereotypical green color and when the lights are off the sight of the glowing disc spinning on the turntable has a definite cool factor.

I have been a Nightmare Of You fan for a long time and was not aware of Nightmares For A Week until this release. NFAW definitely grab your attention with the 57 second long “2011”. It starts out with hard hitting drums and loud guitars with some aggressive guttural vocals leading into a chorus that’s sure to have the crowds singing and jumping along and just when you think they're gearing up the song is done. The followup is the more melodic song “Mr. Grimm” that features some emotional lyrics and a sound that makes me think of Letter Kills. These songs are enough to make people unfamiliar of their work stand up and listen.

In a way, this EP is Nightmare Of You making a comeback. After 2009s Infomaniac they have been on a hiatus and while they released a handful of songs themselves earlier last year online this is their first label release since 2009. It seems that even with only two tracks the wait was well worth it. “It's Not Enough Until It's Killing Me” is a dark dance popish track with some great vocal lines you would come to expect from Brandon Reilly. “Box Of Hops” is a track that feels like it would fit right in with the bands 2005 self-titled release with great vocals and catchy dream like guitar lines. Ultimately, a great pair of tracks that can bring in new listeners and long time fans will enjoy.

Having both variants is nice and also affordable, but not something I had planned. When this release came up in October it was just a pre-order and the plan was for the record to be pressed and shipped by mid December. As is common with any release there was a little setback combined with the holiday season, so my copy was sent to me after the first of the year. I had ordered the glow in the dark variant, but instead received the orange/black swirl. I emailed the label about the mix up and the next day I had a response telling me they were sorry and were sending me the correct variant. To top it off they allowed me to keep the one they had already sent and it could be considered a gift. Needless to say, I was very happy with the outcome and I had the glow in the dark variant by the end of the week. This EP was well worth the wait and worth picking up if you're thinking of doing so. It offers great music from both bands and is a great vinyl release from the label.

Review Written By: Jacob Barnes (Twitter.com/JimRemis)