Game Over is a thrash metal band from Italy formed in 2008, releasing five albums to date – ‘For Humanity’ (2012), ‘Burst Into The Quiet’ (2014), ‘Crimes Against Reality’ (2016), ‘Claiming Supremacy’ (2017), and ‘Hellframes’ (2023).
Returning after a quiet six-year period, Italian thrashers Game Over are anything but quiet – the band’s new album ‘Hellframes’ a ten-song avalanche of thrash to get every metalhead rocking their heads back and forth, raising clenched fists high in the air to salute the bands “comeback”! For forty-two aggressive yet melodious minutes, the five-piece outfit from Ferrara, thrill and excite every sense in the human body – and I mean, every sense! The album opener ‘Visions’, is a one-and-a-half minute tense and very eerie instrumental, setting a haunting, almost chilling atmosphere…
…ready for ‘Call Of The Siren’ to furiously explode into life and run riot! Fierce and ferocious, ‘Call Of The Siren’ is a raucous rampage of all-out thrash to get the blood pumping, every metalhead around the world vigorously banging their heads! A simply blistering opening from a band making a return after a six-year break – well not a break, more of a quiet period! Either way, it’s great to see, or rather hear, the band haven’t lost any of their dynamic energy and oomph, the album stomping on with the menacing ‘Path Of Pain’, the crescendo of thunder just getting louder and louder – Game Over delivering a one-two from opposing sides of the thrash metal genre! Bringing the more melodious side of thrash to the fore, ‘Hellframes’ marches on with ‘The Cult’, forging a destructive path across the land, flattening anyone who dares to stand in the way of the Italian thrash metal machine.
And with an unexpected mellowness for a thrash metal album, ‘Count Your Breaths’ is a serene stroll through, err balladry – which for me, as regular readers are well aware, is a definite no! However, Game Over does sway me a little with a building crescendo of heaviness leading to a turn of speed after two minutes, ‘Count Your Breaths’ now identifying as a thrasher! And with mellowness still prevalent, ‘Atonement’ marches into sight, progressing to set a menacing tone as another cacophony of crescendo building thrash rips through the air – ‘Atonement’ a two minute instrumental leading straight into the fast and furious six minutes ‘Deliver Us’. Game Over is at its thrashing best here, devastating the airways with a barrage of thunder strong enough to snap bones and crush skulls! A myriad of thrash metal styles across the albums first half…
…I wonder what the second half will bring! Well, I certainly didn’t have to wait long to find out, ‘Hellframes’ striding on with the punk-edged, sleaze metal-tinged ‘Synthetic Dreams’. Moving at pace, ‘Synthetic Dreams’ is an out-and-out thrasher featuring hints of Anthrax and Skid Row among all of its thrash metal finery! The heavy mid-tempo style of thrash metal rises to the surface in the mighty shape of ‘My World Dies Screaming’, shuddering the ground with immense force, crumbling walls and shaking buildings as it marches on by. And in what seems like no time at all, the final song is just around the corner – losing track of time when listening to an album, is a sign of how good that album is! And ‘Hellframes’ is good – coming to an end with the eight-minute plus title song ‘Hellframes’. And an opening crescendo full of tension and menace, building to a majestic stroll, getting heavier, and finally adopting a hustle and bustle nature as it strides on to a conclusion.
Overall, a thunderous gallop of attractive thrash metal, featuring tonnes of headbang ability and an immense infectious level.
TRACKLIST
Visions
Call Of The Siren
Path Of Pain
The Cult
Count Your Breaths
Atonement
Deliver Us
Synthetic Dreams
My World Dies Screaming
Hellframes
Game Over: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: Scarlet Records
Category: Album
Country: Italy
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire and Metal-Roos.
