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Brand new and sealed. The photo used is the stock photo for this version of the record. 
Splatter vinyl. 
Imported from Germany's HIGH ROLLER RECORDS
EXORCIST - Nightmare Theatre LP
EXORCIST Nightmare Theatre LP BI-COLOR SPLATTER
High Roller Records, reissue 2023, red/ purple bi-color w/ bone splatter vinyl, ltd 200, 425gsm heavy cardboard cover, insert, poster, bonus track, mastered for vinyl by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony

-Black Mass -The Invocation -Burnt Offerings -The Hex -Possessed -Call for the Exorcist -Death by Bewitchment -The Trial -Execution of the Witches -Consuming Flames of Redemption -Megawatt Mayhem -Riding to Hell -Queen of the Dead -Lucifer's Lament -The Banishment -Spin Your Head Around Backwards
1st + 2nd pressing: SOLD OUT! 3rd pressing: LAST COPIES 4th pressing: TBA

When Exorcist originally issued their one and only album »Nightmare Theatre« via Cobra Records back in 1986, there was confusion all around. Who was this band that virtually came out of nowhere? And who is playing on the record? All members used pseudonyms and the sleeve itself did not feature a band photo. So what was »Nightmare Theatre« supposed to be? An early death metal classic or just and elaborate hoax? The whole truth came to light only decades later when legendary Virgin Steele singer David DeFeis confirmed that he not only handled the mix of the record but was also responsible for the entire concept and of course the lead vocals. However, in the underground metal scene of the day, »Nightmare Theatre« had already become a cult album shortly after its original release in 1986. Surprisingly, David DeFeis states that back in the day it was not really that difficult to keep the secret about Exorcist’s real identity: “It was pretty easy actually. No one really knew who was on there… sure there was speculation, but nobody really knew what it was all about or who did what. There is still confusion about it and all sorts of wrong information out there on the internet.” By 1986, Virgin Steele had just recorded “Noble Savage” and there were three spare days of studio time – that was all the time that was needed to record “Nightmare Theatre”. “Yes that was it and it was actually probably more like two and a half days”, laughs David DeFeis. “We finished up earlier than expected. We cut all the music the first day, and on the second day we did all the vocals and guitar solos, and then started mixing. The following day we went back in and completed the remaining mixes and I also did all those interlude pieces like ‘The Trial’ and ‘The Hex’. I did create all those pieces myself in the studio, using my voice and an old Ensoniq mirage keyboard… (it was a new piece of gear back then!). And I also used other crazy devices like aluminum foil, hammers, whatever… nothing was borrowed from any film. I knew exactly what I wanted to do prior to going in, so I was able to work very quickly.” As could have been expected, the concept of »Nightmare Theatre« was at least partly influenced by horror film culture: “Horror films probably had somewhat of an influence, as yes, I am very much a horror film fan. I still love the movie »Horror Hotel«, which is in black and white and has a kind of »Nightmare Theatre« type ambiance. The other films that I enjoyed as a kid that had a great atmosphere were »The Blood on Satan’s Claw« and »Mark Of The Devil«. I also read a lot of horror or supernatural type books, so there was that influence, and for that album I really dove into a subject that has interested me since the fifth grade: the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, and all that went on during that period in history. For some reason I have always been drawn to that particular time and place. Maybe I am the reincarnation of John Proctor! I began reading about the whole witchcraft epidemic in elementary school. For some reason our school library had a few books on the subject and I read them all and they really resonated with me. The »Nightmare Theatre« album is a kind of mini-proto-thrash/black-metal opera based largely on that topic. I have been to Salem and Marblehead and the other surrounding towns, and I must say: It all did feel very familiar to me. I did indeed write all the lyrics to »Nightmare Theatre« on my own. I got myself into that Salem Witchcraft type head-space, and I also tapped into the Witchcraft things that were happening in Europe… the inquisition and all the various dramas that each country had going on. These are subjects that I have always been interested in, so that Exorcist project afforded me the opportunity to explore those particular passions of mine.” Back in 1986, the death metal and black metal scenes weren’t that big as they are today. Sure, you had pioneers such as Venom, Bathory, Possessed and Death but where was the actual connection between those and a project like Exorcist? “We didn’t have a huge connection to those genres”, states David DeFeis. “We were aware of Venom, a little bit of Slayer we might have heard…hmm… let’s see… a Bathory album perhaps and not too much else. Edward and I always rather liked Venom… the vibe of their records was cool, and we eventually did a big festival with them in Greece, which was really nice. We hung around and chatted with them for the day… they were very nice, very approachable people. But no, back then we had not had all that much exposure to all the early thrash bands… just bits and pieces here and there. But what we did hear we generally liked and were open to.” At no point in time did David DeFeis consider Exorcist to be merely a hoax band: “No, I never thought of it as a hoax. We took it seriously in terms of rehearsing all the songs before we went in and recorded the album, and we were serious about crafting the songs and creating something that we could stand by years later. It wasn’t necessarily intended to be something that we were going to make several more albums with or have an ongoing career with, but that being said we did actually manage to come up with several more tracks just in case we wanted to do a second album… so I guess you could say that we didn’t take it lightly. We did care about it and we really enjoyed making the album and all the writing and rehearsing that went into it.” So there actually was the possibility of a second Exorcist album? “Yes, as I mentioned earlier, we did write some more tracks that we saved on a cassette for a second album, should the need arise”, confirms the Virgin Steele singer. “Perhaps we should do that one day soon as well. There will actually be a few bonus tracks on the High Roller re-issue coming out, plus some alternate mixes of some of the songs, like ‘Execution Of The Witches’ and ‘Burnt Offerings’ for example, and I have re-mastered the entire album. I think it will be a very nice package. I have taken a lot of time with it, restoring the original tapes, and painstakingly going through all the musical material and artwork. It has been very rewarding for me personally to undertake all the work on this. This project has definitely brought back many memories. One in particular stands out. One day the drummer Geoff was late for rehearsal and I asked him why. His reply was: ‘I was abducted by aliens!” And he was totally serious. This, he claims, happens to him quite often.” In order to keep the identity of the band secret David De Feis had chosen the pseudonym of “Damian Rath” for himself: “I came up with all the group names, and also all the crew member’s names. I am always thinking, and always writing, creating music, lyrics, poems, and titles… stories… whatever… So that was just an outgrowth of my creative process. The name Damian sounds kind of demonic and ‘Rath”’ sounds like ‘wrath’, which is a good wicked sounding word.” So how many live shows did Exorcist play throughout their “career”? The answer, not surprisingly, is: “None as Exorcist. But three of us have played together in various other projects, namely a thing called Carnival Of Souls, which featured myself, Marc Dorian and Geoff Fontaine, and we did play ‘Queen Of The Dead’.” According to David DeFeis, the time was finally right to re-release »Nightmare Theatre«: “For the past several years I have been receiving an average of three to four offers a month from various labels wanting to re-issue the album. I have always said: ‘No I am not interested in doing it’, but this time the offer came at the right time, and was quite interesting so I thought ‘well, maybe?’, and the more I thought about it, the more I felt that the record’s time had finally come. My idea was to issue something special that leaps out and says: ‘This is not a bootleg, this is an actual re-issue put out with thought and care and a whole lotta love for what the album was all about.’” Matthias Mader
Back in mid-to-late 1985, my group of 30 young and crazed metal head friends were in full swing of the underground Metal movement. Gone were the praises of any act that could get on radio or MTV, replaced with the worship of the heavier lesser-known acts at that time like Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, King Diamond, and Venom. To us, if it had a brutal or offensive front cover with music that matched, we were in. Soon the flood gates opened and numerous new bands came flowing through like Bathory, Possessed, and Exodus, and with each album the genre broaden & broadened, getting darker and more intense. Then one day through all this came an album that has stuck with me more than possibly all the others that came before it, with it's demonic sound and storytelling that today over thirty years later I scream it's praises. That album would be by an unknown "band" (read on) called Exorcist, and that album was called Nightmare Theatre. But strangely just what and how that album came to be might be more interesting (might, I say might) than the album itself....
Y'see back in the early to mid-80's was a lead singer/songwriter in New York by the name David Defeis. He was the leader of a small independent power metal band called Virgin Steele. Steele never grew to the heights of the bands I mentioned above, but consistently put out albums of great Power Metal in the vein of early Queensryche & Iron Maiden. However, after "borrowing" money from his manager to get the quality of the albums he and his band wanted to have, this manager started wanting some of that money back. Wanting to have his client "sing with the angels" rather than "sleep with the fishes", he proposed an idea, one that Defeis couldn't refuse: Write me some albums, find some musicians, record it quickly, and make me three albums I can sell on top of your stuff, all without knowing it's really you.
While artists pretending to be other artists weren't new (see The Monkees first two albums line-up of "real" musicians & songwriters), it was new to the world of metal. But Defeis, stuck in a rock-and-a-hard place, accepted the deal to pay off the debt. Joined by fellow Virgin Steele guitarist Edward Pursino, they set out to record three Metal albums in one month. That's right, one month. Each trying to be distinct, different, and definitely not of the Virgin Steele mode, they quickly went into the studio to create this music all under the pressure to get certain people off their backs.
The first record was by an already established band called Piledriver. Led by vocalist Gord Kirchin, Piledriver was in sort of a "Mentors" like style, macho men with no regard towards women's rights. The album "Stay Ugly" was written by Defeis and Pursino after hearing the first one called "Metal Inquisition" and trying to pick up where that album left off. Written and recorded in less than a week, Stay Ugly was eventually a moderate success, a good start to this charade, but the best was yet to come.
The second album was supposed to be a brand new project. This was supposed to be a black metal album in the vein of Venom & newcomers Bathory. Defeis was to write the material, hire musicians to join Pursino, and oversee & produce the project. Defeis, rasied on a story-telling Opera-like background decided that this album would have a concept: the Salem Witch Trials of the 1600's and the demonic possession that went along with it. However, when it came time to record his satanic opus, both the bass player and hired lead singer dropped out immediately due to their own Christian beliefs. Pressured by time, Defeis realized that at this point the only man left for the vocal job was himself. So he got behind the mic and quickly changed his natural three octave plus vocals into the voice from Hell. And in less than a week, another album was recorded, and this was Exorcist.
Strangely, what really gets me about this album is just how good it is in what little time it was created. Over the top evil vocals that growl in pain, guitar solos that blaze in fire, and even bass and drum parts that sound like a band that's been together playing this material for years, not the presence of Virgin Steele. In fact, it had something most albums of the era couldn't say, it was actually frightening, like a Hammer horror movie of the 70's. To anyone who has never heard it, imagine if say Mercyful Fate were "forced" to make an album like Venom. Or Maiden doing their best Bathory. In fact, a photo shoot was done for the "fake" band with four guys that were not on the album! All this, under the gun of making sure no one could recognize that it was really those guys from Steele. And trust me, they pulled it off. If this secret never came out, even I wouldn't have believed it was the same guys. Truly one of the strangest stories of 80's underground Metal, they created a "band" that after the project was done, hit the stores, sold well, and quickly disappeared with no one ever knowing that the band never really existed.
Sadly, and I do mean sadly, like many of the labels of that era, Cobra Records folded before the decade ended. Because of that, Nightmare Theatre never got a CD release (outside of a few bootlegs mastered from the vinyl). Over thirty-years passed, and just recently Defeis has come out to admit he was the one behind Exorcist. Lucky for all of us, when he handed over the masters to these three albums back in the 80's, he handed them mixed copies, keeping the tracked master to himself for one day maybe, maybe he'd release it again. Happily, in 2016 he decided it was the right time.
This two CD set, complete with slipcover, new liner-notes/photos, and what I'd never thought possible: lyrics, features not one, or two, but three different versions of the album, each slightly different than the rest. The first version is the original album I grew up with, remastered to today's standards, the second, a higher mix with a few slight additions, and a third where certain parts are extended, re-recorded, and additional eerie effects are added. As a whole it's a great presentation. Also are new "unearthed" Exorcist tracks, but in reality they are new tracks by Defeis recorded in the Exorcist vibe that finally let him be his Steele vocals self along with his "Damian Rath" dark half (for which he was credited as on the original album). These new tracks are interesting, including two re-records of "Death By Bewitchment" and "Queen Of The Dead", where he seems to be dueting with both halves of himself! Overall, this album, both the original and the new, is an 80's thrash/black metal masterpiece. I know I say this a lot, but for an album that I first heard in my mid-teens to affect me so much as this, I truly mean it. With it's unique concept & storytelling (almost two years before King Diamond's Abigail), terror-like interludes, and blistering Metal tracks that will stick in your head forever, Nightmare Theatre is one of my top twenty-five albums ever, yup ever.
Finally, I'd like to add that if Mr. Defeis ever reads this, I'd like to thank him. I know Virgin Steele is your baby, your bread & butter, but out of all your work you've done, nothing has stuck with me as Nightmare Theatre has. A truly original piece of concept-album music for an era of Metal that will never die. It still sounds as fresh and downright scary as it did in 1986. Your personal remaster was well done. Hopefully with this, a new generation of fans will discover it, making you realize that even great moments can come out of duress. As you as the small child at the ending of the album says "All thanks to the Exorcist, God Bless You." Thanks man....but did you have to make me wait thirty years????? (Just kidding).
Oh, and what about the "third" album I was talking about? That final project was called "Original Sin" and was supposed to be an all-girl band. A girl band performed & written by three guys and David's own sister on lead vocals! Sounding like a musical continuation of Nightmare, but with a gothic female lead, it in itself is it's own story. Thanks for reading, and thanks to the Exorcist!