GAME OVER hailing from Ferrara, Italy were formed in 2008. The Thrash Metal outfit released two EPs and four full-length albums so far. Their fifth album “Hellframes” was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Matteo Tabacco (DESTRAGE; OVERCHARGE). It has a length of about 41 minutes, and it was released via Italian Power, Thrash, and Heavy Metal specialists Scarlet Records.

The album starts after the cinematic and tension-building intro “Visions”. “Call Of The Sirens” has a frantic start with tight and aggressive guitar riffing at a fast pace. The vocals are clean and are around the medium to deeper end of the vocal range. The chorus part carries most of the melodic framework and the chorus lines are almost anthemic. “Call Of The Sirens” is a good opener that gives appetite for more. “Path Of Pain” start with powerful riffing at a measured tempo, where the lead guitars introduce the main melody. The melodies are dark in particular during the verse parts. While the tempo during the verse parts remains measured, it switches towards mid-tempo during the chorus part and the break for the lead guitar solo. “Path Of Pain” has some epic features in the melodies and during the end of the track. “The Cult” is a mid-tempo track at a head-banging rhythm. Main feature is the melodic framework that determines the riffing and the vocals. Highlight is the short but contributing lead guitar solo.

“Count Your Breaths” starts with an extended acoustic part and the first half has many ballad-esque features. The guitars and the vocals, which undergo a tonal shift towards deeper notes, drive this part. While verse and chorus parts would classify the track as ballad, the extended break unexpectedly changes the textures of the song as the track switches to a fast tempo with aggressive riffing and an excellent lead guitar solo. The break is the counterpoint of the track and gives “Count Your Breaths” an extra dimension. “Atonement” is a two-minute instrumental driven by powerful riffing and the lead guitars providing grim melodies. It also serves as a pre-lude for “Deliver Us” which is one of the fastest album tracks. The verse parts are played at blistering pace with aggressive and tight guitar riffs, while the chorus parts are slightly slower, but still fast. Highlight is the extended break, which consists of two parts. It starts with crushing riffs at a head-banging rhythm introducing another excellent lead guitar solo at mid-tempo. The second part is a slower lead guitar part followed by a riffing transition towards the verse part. “Deliver Us” is with almost six minutes one of the longest album tracks.

“Synthetic Dreams” is a fast, but not overly fast track. It sounds slightly different from most tracks on the album as the riffing is very direct with simple melodies, and there are some Rock ‘n Roll vibes added as well. The chorus melodies are catchy with an anthemic chorus line. The song has been released as video and the YouTube link is provided below. “My World Dies Screaming” starts with powerful guitar riffing at a measured tempo. The melodies are dark throughout and the chorus parts have some Gothic vibes, reminding me on the 90s period of PARADISE LOST. The vocals include many deeper notes again. Highlight is the very contributing lead guitar solo. The album finishes with the title song. It starts with an extended tension-building electronic part transitioning into the verse part at a measured tempo. The riffing and the lead guitars provide a playful melodic framework for the verse part. The structure of the song is complex as there are many changes in tempo and rhythm as well as many melodic twists. During the extended break, I got lost several times, but the track comes back to the main melodies in the end. It is with almost eight minutes the longest album track; however, it sounds a bit unfinished as it fades out at the end.

I am not quite sure what to make of the fifth album of GAME OVER. “Hellframes” is a diverse album with many different elements, where the melodies are the focal point of the tracks. Although there are a couple of fast songs on the album, I miss speed, aggression, and the good old school Thash Metal vibes.  The album surely has its moments but lacks a few highlights. It is well produced. GAME OVER deliver an album that might not be the favorite of traditional Thrash Metal fans, but “Hellframes” will have its shares of fans who like melodic Thrash Metal.