With four studio albums under their bullet belts along with a healthy touring track record that includes sharing the stage with Megadeth, Testament, Overkill, Destruction, Sodom, Tankard and other heavyweights, Face The End – the latest album by Italian Thrashers Game Over – is well worth turning the dial up to 11 for!
Game Over were formed in 2008 and Face The End not only heralds a new, and I would say slightly darker chapter for them, but also a new line up. Face The End has been produced at Domination Studio by Simone Mularoni (the respected guitarist and producer), and I think that the quality of production really shines through across all the tracks.
Taking a more detailed look at Face The End itself, the heavy and power-laden opening of The Final Hour soon shifts into the high gear I would expect – making a great opener to the album. The excellent second track Lust For Blood has recently been released as a single and you can catch it here:
I really enjoyed the third almost tongue-in-cheek track, Neck Breaking Dance, which has some great hooks and riffs and invites us to get up and mosh! I thought that Grip Of Time had a particularly good drumline in there, courtesy of Anthony Danthone and moving into the next track, Lost In Disgrace slows down a little in tempo while the power seems to kick up a gear. Front man Danny Schiavina is a powerful vocalist and this track seems to really emphasise his vocal capabilities. The bridge in this track deserves a mention too with Luca Zironi and Alessandro Sansone really powering through on guitars.
With a hint of Megadeth in the opener, Veil Of Insanity shifts back to full on thrash and the mood continues through Gateway To Infinity. Tempesta works well as a short and melodic interlude and also gives you chance to catch your breath a little before moving into the melancholic and penultimate Crimson Waves, another slower track that also give the guitars the opportunity to really shine through. As the final track, Weaving Fate is no holds barred thrash once again. Across the album there some superb guitar, bass and drum lines running through while the lyrics are often on the darker side but come across well with some snappy hooks and choruses.
European thrash has had a welcome resurgence over the last few years, and I have to say that this is unsurprising when bands of the calibre of Game Over are regularly contributing to the scene. I really enjoyed listening to Face The End as Game Over offer up some great tracks which seamlessly meld full throttle thrash with a generous side of aggression. Face The End is definitely one to wake the neighbourhood up with!
Track listing
- The Final Hour
- Lust For Blood
- Neck Breaking Dance
- Grip Of Time
- Lost In Disgrace
- Veil Of Insanity
- Gateway To Infinity
- Tempesta
- Crimson Waves
- Weaving Fate
Line-up
- Danny Schiavina (vocals)
- Luca ‘Zeero’ Zironi (guitar)
- Alessandro ‘Sanso’ Sansone (guitar)
- Leonardo ‘Leo’ Molinari (bass)
- Anthony ‘Vender’ Dantone (drums)
Face The End is due out on 25th April 2025 and you can find out more about Game Over on their official website and facebook. You can listen to their music on the usual streaming platforms including Spotify.
“…. Game Over offer up some great tracks which seamlessly meld full throttle thrash with a generous side of aggression. Face The End is definitely one to wake the neighbourhood up with!”
Special thanks to Scarlet Records.
