Game Over – Hellframes (Scarlet Records)
Monday, 16th October 2023
It’s been almost six years between releases for Italian thrashers Game Over – which could seem like an eternity when the quartet previously issued four full-lengths and an EP between 2012-2017. Time will tell if that long absence makes the rabid following stronger or flock to other acts, but it’s easy to hear that Hellframes will probably go down as the most diverse record in the group’s discography, as the ten tracks traverse punk, traditional, and groove metal vibes next to their well-established style.
On initial airings, special attention to the smaller aspects gives many tracks an enhanced energy that gravitates into Mercyful Fate, Iron Maiden angles as far as the tempo shifts, transitions, plus guitar harmonies/intricacies developing out of the hands of Luca Zironi and Alessandro Sansone. Never fear that the accelerator isn’t pressed full throttle in the riff parade headbanger “Call of the Siren” or “Deliver Us” – gang background vocals shouting out key phrases to punctuate the hard charging drum hits, fills, and mid-tempo, chugging instrumental transitions sure to throw bodies hurtling through the crowd. Angular rhythms possess this hook-laden nature that allows these musicians to branch off easily into sensible melodic hooks (vocally as well as musically). It’s hard not to tap your feet and raise your fists to the mid-tempo bass/dual guitar cultural textures within “The Cult”, while the acoustic to electric emotive output to follow-up “Count Your Breaths” has visions of older Death Angel / Act III measures – impressive licks and pacing from this semi-ballad that picks up momentum into progressive, Maiden-esque movements as the shredding leads mesmerize. The greatest transformation occurs in the diverse vocal approach bassist Renato Chiccoli takes on most of these songs – he’s added a melancholy-oriented mid-range timbre that fits the dynamic moodiness of tracks like “Synthetic Dreams” and the epic eight-minute and change closing title track that should appease followers of Megadeth, Grip Inc., and possibly Suicidal Tendencies.
A major leap in terms of showcasing multiple sides to their sound, Game Over appears to be separating themselves from the typical pack through Hellframes. The more melodic metal touches and sophisticated textures should ensure this record gets longer playbacks with intense appreciation, as the finer details could win more over to the fold.
