Review: “Face The End” by Game Over

There are few things you can be certain of in life and one of those is the inevitability of change and since their last audio confession tape in 2023’s “Hellframes“, Italian Thrash quartet Game Over have been through their fair share. For this new burnt offering “Face The End“, in walk new bassist Leonardo Molinari (Vlterior, Plagued Birth) and vocalist Danny Schiavina (Hemp, Sofisticator, Demolition Saint) to join guitarist pairing Alessandro “Sanso” Sansone, Luca “Ziro” Zironi and drummer Anthony “Vender” Dantone. However while some things change, others remain the same. Once again illustrated by Mario López (Evil Invaders, Toxik, Crystal Viper) and produced by Simone Mularoni (Against Evil, Vision Divine, Ne Obliviscaris) at Domination Studio, album number six has been described as a warning about the Western world’s critical state and a call to face challenges that often mark new beginnings…

There is a certain weight of expectation with a Game Over record after sixteen years on the prowl, the band arguably setting their standard with fan favourite “Crimes Against Reality” in 2016. This time around the inspirations remain very much the same, rooted in Slasher and Horror movies from the ’70s and ’80s. As if plucked from the score of a John Carpenter movie, the synths of “The Final Hour” set an eerie tone before the guitars come in, this introduction piece of an instrumental serving as a palate cleanser to free the mind and focus it on the horrors of the album. Taking a page from the Gama Bomb playbook “Lust For Blood” dances with the devil on the thirteenth floor in adrenaline pumping style, the anthemic gang chanted moments perfectly designed for their live performances. A couple of scorching solos blaze a trail back to 1983 and the album is off to a great start. The tongue-in-cheek humour of “Neck Breaking Dance” is good fun, echoing cuts like “Caught In A Mosh” by Anthrax or “World Needs Mosh” by Crisix over mid-tempo riffs but kind of feels like it would have been better as the final cut.

A sing-a-long chorus gives driving anthem “Grip Of Time” another dimension as it warns of the woes of endless consumption, a gruff spoken word before an all out face melting solo a very nice touch. Hints of “Of Wolf And Man” era Metallica influence weigh heavy in the air during the introduction of “Lost In Disgrace“, a classic mid-tempo Thrash cut that riffs hard with moments of atmosphere well placed to break it up like a sledge hammer to a concrete slab. The sentiment that this is not the end is a take on not all those who wander are lost and while it works, it’s solid rather than stunning, stopping just a little short in comparison to some of the other material on display here. As if aware of that “Veil Of Insanity” increases the intensity a couple of notches, throwing in a couple more choice solos in the final third before galloping into the distance, again the Metallica influence perhaps this time from the “Master Of Puppets” era, obvious. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just that Game Over have more to their armoury than that as they have demonstrated previously. By contrast “Gateway To Infinity” moves with verve and swagger, having far more of a life of its own with the extended solos and accompanying lead work absolutely stunning.

Instrumental interlude piece “Tempesta” is cut from the same cloth as the introduction piece, synths cutting against the sounds of a violent storm in the dead of night. It’s perhaps unnecessarily separated from the start of “Crimson Waves” but serves it’s purpose well, setting the tone and building the atmosphere. Lyrically the title track of the album, this one is told in the first person as a sailor lost to the seven seas, his vessel smashed upon the rocks and dying alone. Haunting, dark and brooding this one is well constructed sonically as a reflective moment that we can all relate to without perhaps having the gut punch moment it needs to really make it stand out. Crawling out from underneath the rubble “Weaving Fate” then returns to the bands main sound, mid-tempo Thrash riffs flying in all directions but after such a sombre moment you may find yourself feeling a little numb to it. A slick old school Thrash album with Traditional Heavy Metal roots, this one has all the right elements but at times lacks a bit of cutting edge. You can’t help but feel like someone has missed a trick here, a simple thing like changing the order of the songs would also help give it better flow… [7/10]

Track Listing

1. The Final Hour
2. Lust For Blood
3. Neck Breaking Dance
4. Grip Of Time
5. Lost In Disgrace
6. Veil Of Insanity
7. Gateway To Infinity
8. Tempesta
9. Crimson Waves
10. Weaving Fate

“Face The End” by Game Over is out 25th April 2025 via Scarlet Records