#reviews — Public Fediverse posts on home.social

Ireland @[email protected] · 2026-09-21 · 13:49 UTC

https://www.europesays.com/ie/699142/ Mittags-Abgrund – Mittags-Abgrund Review | Angry Metal Guy #20 #2026 #Absu #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #CMPT #DarknessShallRiseProductions #DeathMetal #Éire #Entertainment #IE #Immortal #Ireland #MittagsAbgrund #Music #Review #Reviews #RussianMetal #Sep26

#sep26 #russianmetal #reviews #review #music #mittagsabgrund

WIRED - The Latest in Technology, Science, Culture and Business [Unofficial] @[email protected] · 2026-09-21 · 13:00 UTC

Apple Mac Mini (M6) Review: For the AI Curious

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.wired.com/review/apple-mac-mini-m6/

#gear #gearproducts #gearreviews #gearproductscomputers #shopping #mac

Angry Metal Guy @[email protected] · 2026-09-21 · 11:48 UTC

Mittags-Abgrund – Mittags-Abgrund Review By Thus Spoke

At face value, Mittags-Abgrund appear to be an act after my own heart. Their name—which translates from German approximately to “Midday Abyss”—references what else but Thus Spoke Zarathustra (though the lyrics are penned in progenitor Sch.’s native Russian). Promo material even contains the source quote where Zarathustra proclaims with a kind of prophetic joy, “when, O well of eternity! you serene and ghastly midday-abyss! when will you drink my soul back into you?”1 This epigraph, in conjunction with artwork depicting a ringlike serpent surrounding a dramatically rent sky, points towards the theme of Eternal Recurrence, an idea that forms the philosophical center of the book and which is to many an important piece of Nietzsche’s thought overall.2 But it’s one whose true relevance to the music of Mittags-Abgrund is ultimately vague. Mittags-Abgrund have me on side immediately, but can the music win over its audience in the same way?

Mittags-Abgrund play a style of blackened death that strays just occasionally outside of the lines separating second-wave and melo-black into the territory of dissonant and even old-school death. Bookended by instrumentals that progress from acoustics into something more like atmo-black, its main body is characterised by an almost grandiose, ugly heaviness that quickly recalls Absu, Immortal, and Sch.’s own Cmpt. Sch. pulls from several places across the spectrum of vocal styles in this sphere: croaking, growling, snarling, and chanting in more or less equal measure. Guest musician F takes charge of percussion in a performance that begins as quite standard, but becomes noticeably more complex and dynamic as the record progresses. So does the rest of the music, as the largely unremarkable black metal evolves and we get more overt signs of Sch.’s history in hardcore brutal death metal groups (“Пой со мной (Грусть в глазах бога) ,” “Паруса крыльев простёрты”); there are even a few toe-dips into more experimental territory (“В городе”).

Mittags-Abgrund could hardly match the profundity of its possible inspiration, but killer riffs and a dramatic atmosphere can make up for that to some extent. These aren’t abundant. The former mostly come in the form of fleeting dissonant scales (“Портреты моих предков”) and arpeggios that dance snakelike above the stalwart barrages (“Высокомерие над пропастью червей”), guitars otherwise persisting in less colourful repetitions. This dominant multi-influence style of blackened death can be gnarly and thrilling when it wants to be (“Высокомерие над пропастью червей,” “Паруса крыльев простёрты”), and the increasing degree of fluctuations and flourishes in the drumming gives a notable edge to proceedings (“Паруса крыльев простёрты,” “Ignis Subterraneus”). The inconsistency of such edges is therefore a pity, the cause of an uneven listening experience requiring patience and close attention to achieve a questionable reward. When not confined to forceful vocal reverb, atmosphere via synths and spaciousness help the music reach some vaguely epic heights (“Aurora Consurgens”) and nuanced spooky pensiveness (“В городе”) I wouldn’t have minded hearing more of and wish were blended better and earlier on with the heavier instrumentation.

Mittags-Abgrund also perplexes in certain compositional and mixing choices. The music varies in volume depending on the dominant element, with lead guitars typically drawing the short straw except for a few notable occasions on which they appear with particular prominence. This is frustrating when they carry melodic lines and would develop the mood and add tangible layers if they were more audible. Speaking of layers, the use of vocal multitracking takes that idea to a literal extreme with interpolations of growls and wails that distract rather than enrich the progression of the piece (“Паруса крыльев простёрты,” “В городе”). It is nonetheless possibly better than the dominant croak that rapidly grew grating without a sufficiently wild or engrossing soundscape—which would have been improved with louder leads and better atmospheric integration. The album feels overall like an odd dichotomy between hastily combined flirtation with more original musical elements and dry unremarkability, with too little cohesiveness outside of the latter’s tendency to obscure what’s actually good.

Not for the first time do I find myself lamenting the missed opportunity of a Nietzschean-themed album. Mittags-Abgrund shows glimmers of greatness, but these are close to invisible in the midst of ostensibly heavy and dramatic music one struggles to give adequate attention to. With a better mix, stronger leads, and more confident strides into the unusual shades Mittags-Abgrund display a fondness for, there’s potential. Is it the worst thing an unreserved Amor Fati would have to embrace in embracing the necessity of the totality?3 Absolutely not. But the blend of broadly unstirring blackened death metal and irresolute explorations remains disappointing as they are.

Rating: Disappointing
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: Darkness Shall Rise
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: September 15th, 2026

#20 #2026 #Absu #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #CMPT #DarknessShallRiseProductions #DeathMetal #Immortal #MittagsAbgrund #Review #Reviews #RussianMetal #Sep26

#absu #blackmetal #blackeneddeathmetal #cmpt #darknessshallriseproductions #deathmetal

Angry Metal Guy @[email protected] · 2026-09-21 · 11:48 UTC

Mittags-Abgrund – Mittags-Abgrund Review By Thus Spoke

At face value, Mittags-Abgrund appear to be an act after my own heart. Their name—which translates from German approximately to “Midday Abyss”—references what else but Thus Spoke Zarathustra (though the lyrics are penned in progenitor Sch.’s native Russian). Promo material even contains the source quote where Zarathustra proclaims with a kind of prophetic joy, “when, O well of eternity! you serene and ghastly midday-abyss! when will you drink my soul back into you?”1 This epigraph, in conjunction with artwork depicting a ringlike serpent surrounding a dramatically rent sky, points towards the theme of Eternal Recurrence, an idea that forms the philosophical center of the book and which is to many an important piece of Nietzsche’s thought overall.2 But it’s one whose true relevance to the music of Mittags-Abgrund is ultimately vague. Mittags-Abgrund have me on side immediately, but can the music win over its audience in the same way?

Mittags-Abgrund play a style of blackened death that strays just occasionally outside of the lines separating second-wave and melo-black into the territory of dissonant and even old-school death. Bookended by instrumentals that progress from acoustics into something more like atmo-black, its main body is characterised by an almost grandiose, ugly heaviness that quickly recalls Absu, Immortal, and Sch.’s own Cmpt. Sch. pulls from several places across the spectrum of vocal styles in this sphere: croaking, growling, snarling, and chanting in more or less equal measure. Guest musician F takes charge of percussion in a performance that begins as quite standard, but becomes noticeably more complex and dynamic as the record progresses. So does the rest of the music, as the largely unremarkable black metal evolves and we get more overt signs of Sch.’s history in hardcore brutal death metal groups (“Пой со мной (Грусть в глазах бога) ,” “Паруса крыльев простёрты”); there are even a few toe-dips into more experimental territory (“В городе”).

Mittags-Abgrund could hardly match the profundity of its possible inspiration, but killer riffs and a dramatic atmosphere can make up for that to some extent. These aren’t abundant. The former mostly come in the form of fleeting dissonant scales (“Портреты моих предков”) and arpeggios that dance snakelike above the stalwart barrages (“Высокомерие над пропастью червей”), guitars otherwise persisting in less colourful repetitions. This dominant multi-influence style of blackened death can be gnarly and thrilling when it wants to be (“Высокомерие над пропастью червей,” “Паруса крыльев простёрты”), and the increasing degree of fluctuations and flourishes in the drumming gives a notable edge to proceedings (“Паруса крыльев простёрты,” “Ignis Subterraneus”). The inconsistency of such edges is therefore a pity, the cause of an uneven listening experience requiring patience and close attention to achieve a questionable reward. When not confined to forceful vocal reverb, atmosphere via synths and spaciousness help the music reach some vaguely epic heights (“Aurora Consurgens”) and nuanced spooky pensiveness (“В городе”) I wouldn’t have minded hearing more of and wish were blended better and earlier on with the heavier instrumentation.

Mittags-Abgrund also perplexes in certain compositional and mixing choices. The music varies in volume depending on the dominant element, with lead guitars typically drawing the short straw except for a few notable occasions on which they appear with particular prominence. This is frustrating when they carry melodic lines and would develop the mood and add tangible layers if they were more audible. Speaking of layers, the use of vocal multitracking takes that idea to a literal extreme with interpolations of growls and wails that distract rather than enrich the progression of the piece (“Паруса крыльев простёрты,” “В городе”). It is nonetheless possibly better than the dominant croak that rapidly grew grating without a sufficiently wild or engrossing soundscape—which would have been improved with louder leads and better atmospheric integration. The album feels overall like an odd dichotomy between hastily combined flirtation with more original musical elements and dry unremarkability, with too little cohesiveness outside of the latter’s tendency to obscure what’s actually good.

Not for the first time do I find myself lamenting the missed opportunity of a Nietzschean-themed album. Mittags-Abgrund shows glimmers of greatness, but these are close to invisible in the midst of ostensibly heavy and dramatic music one struggles to give adequate attention to. With a better mix, stronger leads, and more confident strides into the unusual shades Mittags-Abgrund display a fondness for, there’s potential. Is it the worst thing an unreserved Amor Fati would have to embrace in embracing the necessity of the totality?3 Absolutely not. But the blend of broadly unstirring blackened death metal and irresolute explorations remains disappointing as they are.

Rating: Disappointing
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: Darkness Shall Rise
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: September 15th, 2026

#20 #2026 #Absu #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #CMPT #DarknessShallRiseProductions #DeathMetal #Immortal #MittagsAbgrund #Review #Reviews #RussianMetal #Sep26

#absu #blackmetal #blackeneddeathmetal #cmpt #darknessshallriseproductions #deathmetal

Angry Metal Guy @[email protected] · 2026-09-21 · 11:48 UTC

Mittags-Abgrund – Mittags-Abgrund Review By Thus Spoke

At face value, Mittags-Abgrund appear to be an act after my own heart. Their name—which translates from German approximately to “Midday Abyss”—references what else but Thus Spoke Zarathustra (though the lyrics are penned in progenitor Sch.’s native Russian). Promo material even contains the source quote where Zarathustra proclaims with a kind of prophetic joy, “when, O well of eternity! you serene and ghastly midday-abyss! when will you drink my soul back into you?”1 This epigraph, in conjunction with artwork depicting a ringlike serpent surrounding a dramatically rent sky, points towards the theme of Eternal Recurrence, an idea that forms the philosophical center of the book and which is to many an important piece of Nietzsche’s thought overall.2 But it’s one whose true relevance to the music of Mittags-Abgrund is ultimately vague. Mittags-Abgrund have me on side immediately, but can the music win over its audience in the same way?

Mittags-Abgrund play a style of blackened death that strays just occasionally outside of the lines separating second-wave and melo-black into the territory of dissonant and even old-school death. Bookended by instrumentals that progress from acoustics into something more like atmo-black, its main body is characterised by an almost grandiose, ugly heaviness that quickly recalls Absu, Immortal, and Sch.’s own Cmpt. Sch. pulls from several places across the spectrum of vocal styles in this sphere: croaking, growling, snarling, and chanting in more or less equal measure. Guest musician F takes charge of percussion in a performance that begins as quite standard, but becomes noticeably more complex and dynamic as the record progresses. So does the rest of the music, as the largely unremarkable black metal evolves and we get more overt signs of Sch.’s history in hardcore brutal death metal groups (“Пой со мной (Грусть в глазах бога) ,” “Паруса крыльев простёрты”); there are even a few toe-dips into more experimental territory (“В городе”).

Mittags-Abgrund could hardly match the profundity of its possible inspiration, but killer riffs and a dramatic atmosphere can make up for that to some extent. These aren’t abundant. The former mostly come in the form of fleeting dissonant scales (“Портреты моих предков”) and arpeggios that dance snakelike above the stalwart barrages (“Высокомерие над пропастью червей”), guitars otherwise persisting in less colourful repetitions. This dominant multi-influence style of blackened death can be gnarly and thrilling when it wants to be (“Высокомерие над пропастью червей,” “Паруса крыльев простёрты”), and the increasing degree of fluctuations and flourishes in the drumming gives a notable edge to proceedings (“Паруса крыльев простёрты,” “Ignis Subterraneus”). The inconsistency of such edges is therefore a pity, the cause of an uneven listening experience requiring patience and close attention to achieve a questionable reward. When not confined to forceful vocal reverb, atmosphere via synths and spaciousness help the music reach some vaguely epic heights (“Aurora Consurgens”) and nuanced spooky pensiveness (“В городе”) I wouldn’t have minded hearing more of and wish were blended better and earlier on with the heavier instrumentation.

Mittags-Abgrund also perplexes in certain compositional and mixing choices. The music varies in volume depending on the dominant element, with lead guitars typically drawing the short straw except for a few notable occasions on which they appear with particular prominence. This is frustrating when they carry melodic lines and would develop the mood and add tangible layers if they were more audible. Speaking of layers, the use of vocal multitracking takes that idea to a literal extreme with interpolations of growls and wails that distract rather than enrich the progression of the piece (“Паруса крыльев простёрты,” “В городе”). It is nonetheless possibly better than the dominant croak that rapidly grew grating without a sufficiently wild or engrossing soundscape—which would have been improved with louder leads and better atmospheric integration. The album feels overall like an odd dichotomy between hastily combined flirtation with more original musical elements and dry unremarkability, with too little cohesiveness outside of the latter’s tendency to obscure what’s actually good.

Not for the first time do I find myself lamenting the missed opportunity of a Nietzschean-themed album. Mittags-Abgrund shows glimmers of greatness, but these are close to invisible in the midst of ostensibly heavy and dramatic music one struggles to give adequate attention to. With a better mix, stronger leads, and more confident strides into the unusual shades Mittags-Abgrund display a fondness for, there’s potential. Is it the worst thing an unreserved Amor Fati would have to embrace in embracing the necessity of the totality?3 Absolutely not. But the blend of broadly unstirring blackened death metal and irresolute explorations remains disappointing as they are.

Rating: Disappointing
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: Darkness Shall Rise
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: September 15th, 2026

#20 #2026 #Absu #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #CMPT #DarknessShallRiseProductions #DeathMetal #Immortal #MittagsAbgrund #Review #Reviews #RussianMetal #Sep26

#absu #blackmetal #blackeneddeathmetal #cmpt #darknessshallriseproductions #deathmetal

Angry Metal Guy @[email protected] · 2026-09-21 · 11:48 UTC

Mittags-Abgrund – Mittags-Abgrund Review By Thus Spoke

At face value, Mittags-Abgrund appear to be an act after my own heart. Their name—which translates from German approximately to “Midday Abyss”—references what else but Thus Spoke Zarathustra (though the lyrics are penned in progenitor Sch.’s native Russian). Promo material even contains the source quote where Zarathustra proclaims with a kind of prophetic joy, “when, O well of eternity! you serene and ghastly midday-abyss! when will you drink my soul back into you?”1 This epigraph, in conjunction with artwork depicting a ringlike serpent surrounding a dramatically rent sky, points towards the theme of Eternal Recurrence, an idea that forms the philosophical center of the book and which is to many an important piece of Nietzsche’s thought overall.2 But it’s one whose true relevance to the music of Mittags-Abgrund is ultimately vague. Mittags-Abgrund have me on side immediately, but can the music win over its audience in the same way?

Mittags-Abgrund play a style of blackened death that strays just occasionally outside of the lines separating second-wave and melo-black into the territory of dissonant and even old-school death. Bookended by instrumentals that progress from acoustics into something more like atmo-black, its main body is characterised by an almost grandiose, ugly heaviness that quickly recalls Absu, Immortal, and Sch.’s own Cmpt. Sch. pulls from several places across the spectrum of vocal styles in this sphere: croaking, growling, snarling, and chanting in more or less equal measure. Guest musician F takes charge of percussion in a performance that begins as quite standard, but becomes noticeably more complex and dynamic as the record progresses. So does the rest of the music, as the largely unremarkable black metal evolves and we get more overt signs of Sch.’s history in hardcore brutal death metal groups (“Пой со мной (Грусть в глазах бога) ,” “Паруса крыльев простёрты”); there are even a few toe-dips into more experimental territory (“В городе”).

Mittags-Abgrund could hardly match the profundity of its possible inspiration, but killer riffs and a dramatic atmosphere can make up for that to some extent. These aren’t abundant. The former mostly come in the form of fleeting dissonant scales (“Портреты моих предков”) and arpeggios that dance snakelike above the stalwart barrages (“Высокомерие над пропастью червей”), guitars otherwise persisting in less colourful repetitions. This dominant multi-influence style of blackened death can be gnarly and thrilling when it wants to be (“Высокомерие над пропастью червей,” “Паруса крыльев простёрты”), and the increasing degree of fluctuations and flourishes in the drumming gives a notable edge to proceedings (“Паруса крыльев простёрты,” “Ignis Subterraneus”). The inconsistency of such edges is therefore a pity, the cause of an uneven listening experience requiring patience and close attention to achieve a questionable reward. When not confined to forceful vocal reverb, atmosphere via synths and spaciousness help the music reach some vaguely epic heights (“Aurora Consurgens”) and nuanced spooky pensiveness (“В городе”) I wouldn’t have minded hearing more of and wish were blended better and earlier on with the heavier instrumentation.

Mittags-Abgrund also perplexes in certain compositional and mixing choices. The music varies in volume depending on the dominant element, with lead guitars typically drawing the short straw except for a few notable occasions on which they appear with particular prominence. This is frustrating when they carry melodic lines and would develop the mood and add tangible layers if they were more audible. Speaking of layers, the use of vocal multitracking takes that idea to a literal extreme with interpolations of growls and wails that distract rather than enrich the progression of the piece (“Паруса крыльев простёрты,” “В городе”). It is nonetheless possibly better than the dominant croak that rapidly grew grating without a sufficiently wild or engrossing soundscape—which would have been improved with louder leads and better atmospheric integration. The album feels overall like an odd dichotomy between hastily combined flirtation with more original musical elements and dry unremarkability, with too little cohesiveness outside of the latter’s tendency to obscure what’s actually good.

Not for the first time do I find myself lamenting the missed opportunity of a Nietzschean-themed album. Mittags-Abgrund shows glimmers of greatness, but these are close to invisible in the midst of ostensibly heavy and dramatic music one struggles to give adequate attention to. With a better mix, stronger leads, and more confident strides into the unusual shades Mittags-Abgrund display a fondness for, there’s potential. Is it the worst thing an unreserved Amor Fati would have to embrace in embracing the necessity of the totality?3 Absolutely not. But the blend of broadly unstirring blackened death metal and irresolute explorations remains disappointing as they are.

Rating: Disappointing
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: Darkness Shall Rise
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: September 15th, 2026

#20 #2026 #Absu #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #CMPT #DarknessShallRiseProductions #DeathMetal #Immortal #MittagsAbgrund #Review #Reviews #RussianMetal #Sep26

#sep26 #russianmetal #reviews #review #mittagsabgrund #immortal

Angry Metal Guy @[email protected] · 2026-09-21 · 11:48 UTC

Mittags-Abgrund – Mittags-Abgrund Review By Thus Spoke

At face value, Mittags-Abgrund appear to be an act after my own heart. Their name—which translates from German approximately to “Midday Abyss”—references what else but Thus Spoke Zarathustra (though the lyrics are penned in progenitor Sch.’s native Russian). Promo material even contains the source quote where Zarathustra proclaims with a kind of prophetic joy, “when, O well of eternity! you serene and ghastly midday-abyss! when will you drink my soul back into you?”1 This epigraph, in conjunction with artwork depicting a ringlike serpent surrounding a dramatically rent sky, points towards the theme of Eternal Recurrence, an idea that forms the philosophical center of the book and which is to many an important piece of Nietzsche’s thought overall.2 But it’s one whose true relevance to the music of Mittags-Abgrund is ultimately vague. Mittags-Abgrund have me on side immediately, but can the music win over its audience in the same way?

Mittags-Abgrund play a style of blackened death that strays just occasionally outside of the lines separating second-wave and melo-black into the territory of dissonant and even old-school death. Bookended by instrumentals that progress from acoustics into something more like atmo-black, its main body is characterised by an almost grandiose, ugly heaviness that quickly recalls Absu, Immortal, and Sch.’s own Cmpt. Sch. pulls from several places across the spectrum of vocal styles in this sphere: croaking, growling, snarling, and chanting in more or less equal measure. Guest musician F takes charge of percussion in a performance that begins as quite standard, but becomes noticeably more complex and dynamic as the record progresses. So does the rest of the music, as the largely unremarkable black metal evolves and we get more overt signs of Sch.’s history in hardcore brutal death metal groups (“Пой со мной (Грусть в глазах бога) ,” “Паруса крыльев простёрты”); there are even a few toe-dips into more experimental territory (“В городе”).

Mittags-Abgrund could hardly match the profundity of its possible inspiration, but killer riffs and a dramatic atmosphere can make up for that to some extent. These aren’t abundant. The former mostly come in the form of fleeting dissonant scales (“Портреты моих предков”) and arpeggios that dance snakelike above the stalwart barrages (“Высокомерие над пропастью червей”), guitars otherwise persisting in less colourful repetitions. This dominant multi-influence style of blackened death can be gnarly and thrilling when it wants to be (“Высокомерие над пропастью червей,” “Паруса крыльев простёрты”), and the increasing degree of fluctuations and flourishes in the drumming gives a notable edge to proceedings (“Паруса крыльев простёрты,” “Ignis Subterraneus”). The inconsistency of such edges is therefore a pity, the cause of an uneven listening experience requiring patience and close attention to achieve a questionable reward. When not confined to forceful vocal reverb, atmosphere via synths and spaciousness help the music reach some vaguely epic heights (“Aurora Consurgens”) and nuanced spooky pensiveness (“В городе”) I wouldn’t have minded hearing more of and wish were blended better and earlier on with the heavier instrumentation.

Mittags-Abgrund also perplexes in certain compositional and mixing choices. The music varies in volume depending on the dominant element, with lead guitars typically drawing the short straw except for a few notable occasions on which they appear with particular prominence. This is frustrating when they carry melodic lines and would develop the mood and add tangible layers if they were more audible. Speaking of layers, the use of vocal multitracking takes that idea to a literal extreme with interpolations of growls and wails that distract rather than enrich the progression of the piece (“Паруса крыльев простёрты,” “В городе”). It is nonetheless possibly better than the dominant croak that rapidly grew grating without a sufficiently wild or engrossing soundscape—which would have been improved with louder leads and better atmospheric integration. The album feels overall like an odd dichotomy between hastily combined flirtation with more original musical elements and dry unremarkability, with too little cohesiveness outside of the latter’s tendency to obscure what’s actually good.

Not for the first time do I find myself lamenting the missed opportunity of a Nietzschean-themed album. Mittags-Abgrund shows glimmers of greatness, but these are close to invisible in the midst of ostensibly heavy and dramatic music one struggles to give adequate attention to. With a better mix, stronger leads, and more confident strides into the unusual shades Mittags-Abgrund display a fondness for, there’s potential. Is it the worst thing an unreserved Amor Fati would have to embrace in embracing the necessity of the totality?3 Absolutely not. But the blend of broadly unstirring blackened death metal and irresolute explorations remains disappointing as they are.

Rating: Disappointing
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: Darkness Shall Rise
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: September 15th, 2026

#20 #2026 #Absu #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #CMPT #DarknessShallRiseProductions #DeathMetal #Immortal #MittagsAbgrund #Review #Reviews #RussianMetal #Sep26

#absu #blackmetal #blackeneddeathmetal #cmpt #darknessshallriseproductions #deathmetal

WIRED - The Latest in Technology, Science, Culture and Business [Unofficial] @[email protected] · 2026-09-21 · 09:37 UTC

Factor Delivery Meals Review (2026): Tender Salmon, Room to Grow

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.wired.com/review/factor-perpared-meals-2026/

#gear #gearreviews #gearproductsonlineservices #gearproductskitchen #gearproductshome #kitchen

WIRED - The Latest in Technology, Science, Culture and Business [Unofficial] @[email protected] · 2026-09-21 · 09:37 UTC

Factor Delivery Meals Review (2026): Tender Salmon, Room to Grow

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.wired.com/review/factor-perpared-meals-2026/

#gear #gearreviews #gearproductsonlineservices #gearproductskitchen #gearproductshome #kitchen

WIRED - The Latest in Technology, Science, Culture and Business [Unofficial] @[email protected] · 2026-09-21 · 09:37 UTC

Factor Delivery Meals Review (2026): Tender Salmon, Room to Grow

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.wired.com/review/factor-perpared-meals-2026/

#gear #gearreviews #gearproductsonlineservices #gearproductskitchen #gearproductshome #kitchen

WIRED - The Latest in Technology, Science, Culture and Business [Unofficial] @[email protected] · 2026-09-21 · 09:37 UTC

Factor Delivery Meals Review (2026): Tender Salmon, Room to Grow

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.wired.com/review/factor-perpared-meals-2026/

#xfactor #mealkits #shopping #reviews #foodanddrink #kitchen

WIRED - The Latest in Technology, Science, Culture and Business [Unofficial] @[email protected] · 2026-09-21 · 09:37 UTC

Factor Delivery Meals Review (2026): Tender Salmon, Room to Grow

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.wired.com/review/factor-perpared-meals-2026/

#gear #gearreviews #gearproductsonlineservices #gearproductskitchen #gearproductshome #kitchen

Variety @[email protected] · 2026-09-20 · 20:55 UTC

‘Magazine’ Review: Lily McInerny Scores Her Dream Internship in Alexandra Pechman’s Warmly Nostalgic Study of a Bygone Literary Scene
#Variety #Reviews #AlexandraPechman #LilyMcInerny #Magazine #TorontoFilmFestival

https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/magazine-review-2-1236870524/

#variety #reviews #alexandrapechman #lilymcinerny #magazine #torontofilmfestival

Variety @[email protected] · 2026-09-20 · 20:55 UTC

‘Magazine’ Review: Lily McInerny Scores Her Dream Internship in Alexandra Pechman’s Warmly Nostalgic Study of a Bygone Literary Scene
#Variety #Reviews #AlexandraPechman #LilyMcInerny #Magazine #TorontoFilmFestival

https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/magazine-review-2-1236870524/

#variety #reviews #alexandrapechman #lilymcinerny #magazine #torontofilmfestival

Variety @[email protected] · 2026-09-20 · 20:55 UTC

‘Magazine’ Review: Lily McInerny Scores Her Dream Internship in Alexandra Pechman’s Warmly Nostalgic Study of a Bygone Literary Scene
#Variety #Reviews #AlexandraPechman #LilyMcInerny #Magazine #TorontoFilmFestival

https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/magazine-review-2-1236870524/

#variety #reviews #alexandrapechman #lilymcinerny #magazine #torontofilmfestival

Variety @[email protected] · 2026-09-20 · 20:55 UTC

‘Magazine’ Review: Lily McInerny Scores Her Dream Internship in Alexandra Pechman’s Warmly Nostalgic Study of a Bygone Literary Scene
#Variety #Reviews #AlexandraPechman #LilyMcInerny #Magazine #TorontoFilmFestival

https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/magazine-review-2-1236870524/

#torontofilmfestival #magazine #lilymcinerny #alexandrapechman #reviews #variety

Variety @[email protected] · 2026-09-20 · 20:55 UTC

‘Magazine’ Review: Lily McInerny Scores Her Dream Internship in Alexandra Pechman’s Warmly Nostalgic Study of a Bygone Literary Scene
#Variety #Reviews #AlexandraPechman #LilyMcInerny #Magazine #TorontoFilmFestival

https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/magazine-review-2-1236870524/

#variety #reviews #alexandrapechman #lilymcinerny #magazine #torontofilmfestival

Variety @[email protected] · 2026-09-20 · 20:10 UTC

‘Angh’ Review: Toronto’s Platform Award Winner Is a Lush Lament for an Indian Tribe in the 1960s
#Variety #News #Reviews #Angh #ThejaRio #TorontoFilmFestival

https://variety.com/2026/film/news/angh-review-1236869752/

#variety #news #reviews #angh #thejario #torontofilmfestival

Variety @[email protected] · 2026-09-20 · 20:10 UTC

‘Angh’ Review: Toronto’s Platform Award Winner Is a Lush Lament for an Indian Tribe in the 1960s
#Variety #News #Reviews #Angh #ThejaRio #TorontoFilmFestival

https://variety.com/2026/film/news/angh-review-1236869752/

#variety #news #reviews #angh #thejario #torontofilmfestival

Variety @[email protected] · 2026-09-20 · 20:10 UTC

‘Angh’ Review: Toronto’s Platform Award Winner Is a Lush Lament for an Indian Tribe in the 1960s
#Variety #News #Reviews #Angh #ThejaRio #TorontoFilmFestival

https://variety.com/2026/film/news/angh-review-1236869752/

#variety #news #reviews #angh #thejario #torontofilmfestival

Variety @[email protected] · 2026-09-20 · 20:10 UTC

‘Angh’ Review: Toronto’s Platform Award Winner Is a Lush Lament for an Indian Tribe in the 1960s
#Variety #News #Reviews #Angh #ThejaRio #TorontoFilmFestival

https://variety.com/2026/film/news/angh-review-1236869752/

#torontofilmfestival #thejario #angh #reviews #news #variety

Variety @[email protected] · 2026-09-20 · 20:10 UTC

‘Angh’ Review: Toronto’s Platform Award Winner Is a Lush Lament for an Indian Tribe in the 1960s
#Variety #News #Reviews #Angh #ThejaRio #TorontoFilmFestival

https://variety.com/2026/film/news/angh-review-1236869752/

#variety #news #reviews #angh #thejario #torontofilmfestival

Ireland @[email protected] · 2026-09-20 · 19:45 UTC

https://www.europesays.com/ie/698047/ Game Over – When Darkness Falls Review #2026 #30 #Anthrax #Éire #Entertainment #Exodus #GameOver #IE #Ireland #ItalianMetal #Music #Review #Reviews #ScarletRecords #Sep26 #Testament #ThrashMetal #WhenDarknessFalls

#whendarknessfalls #thrashmetal #testament #sep26 #scarletrecords #reviews

Angry Metal Guy @[email protected] · 2026-09-20 · 17:56 UTC

Game Over – When Darkness Falls Review By Owlswald

Here it is. My first repeat customer. Last April, Italian five-piece Game Over blindsided me with their sixth LP, Face the End, a love letter to ’70s and ’80s horror flicks and coast-to-coast prime-era thrash. Even with some uneven songwriting, a refreshed lineup helped them carve out a newly honed sound that balanced thrash’s timeworn genre tropes with a punchy, aggressive energy that hit all the right notes. Well, color me surprised again. Just a little over a year later, Game Over returns with their seventh album, When Darkness Falls, and a first glance suggests we’re in for more of the same. Anytime a band releases albums in such quick succession, though, I get wary. Will the songwriting suffer? Is this a case of having too much material for their own good? Will it bring the same fun factor as Face the End?

When Darkness Falls picks right up where Face the End left off, offering a heaping plate of thrash comfort food. It’s the kind of thrash made for tearing around town in your beat-up van with the stereo cranked and a case of cheap beer rattling around in the back. These tracks are stuffed with enough sing-along gang vocals and high-octane energy to get any metal fan to pump their fists in time with the riffs. Game Over pull from both ends of the classic thrash spectrum. “Fight For Your Mind” and “Two Souls One Flesh” channel strong Testament vibes, while “Break Away” does its best early Exodus impression with its “Toxic Waltz” swagger. Elsewhere, Anthrax’s East Coast party atmosphere roots “Scream It Out” and “Self Denied,” balancing their aggression with a sense of fun and accessibility. And while the horror-themed lyrics are tropey as hell, they fit Game Over’s approach so naturally that it’s hard to hold any real complaints.

Game Over’s brand of thrash is almost guaranteed to be a blast live, but its familiarity underscores both When Darkness Falls’ strengths and its limitations. The quartet writes solid, entertaining material that hits exactly where it aims, yet it rarely pushes beyond the safety of the genre’s borders or tests how far their sound could stretch. Outside of “What Fate Brings” and “Curse of Strahd,” as well as closer “Command to Die” which drags somewhat in energy and songwriting, the album’s tracks are appealing and well executed, but so safe that they raise questions about the group’s appetite for evolution. A few calculated risks here and creative detours there could have elevated When Darkness Falls to the next level. Still, the old saying “a classic never dies” applies. Game Over know how to deliver and across the record’s brisk 33 minutes I found myself often nodding along, swept up in the abrasive riffs and infectious energy of “Scream It Out,” “Fight For Your Mind,” “Self Denied” and “Two Souls One Flesh” without a care in the world.

Game Over continues to run through vocalist Danny Schiavina, who remains one of the band’s strongest assets. Shifting effortlessly between gritty and menacing roars (“Beneath the Ground,” “Curse of Strahd”) and the soaring, Belladonna-esque proclamations of “Break Away,” Schiavina gives When Darkness Falls a dynamic spine and is a force to be reckoned with. He leans less on his higher register here than he did on Face the End, and he’s not pushed quite as forward in the mix as I would have liked, but his performance suits the heavier, more direct approach of the songwriting all the same. The gang vocals also add punch and immediacy, even though they are overutilized. Now the sole guitarist after Alessandro “Sanso” Sansone’s departure, Luca “Ziro” Zironi, comes armed with a formidable ax, firing off power chords, relentless down-picking, and sharp solos that fuel When Darkness Falls with brute force.

When Darkness Falls delivers exactly what it sets out to do. It’s a familiar platter of loud, well-executed thrash served with enough charm and muscle to satisfy the loyal denim faithful still craving the nostalgic bite of olde. After two very similar records in such close succession, though, I’m hoping Game Over develops some new tricks because that’s what ultimately keeps When Darkness Falls from reaching greater heights, and at this point, we know the cut of these Italians’ gib.

Rating: Good
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Scarlet Records
Websites: gameoverofficial.bandcamp.com | gameoverofficial.net | facebook.com/GameOverThrashMetal
Releases Worldwide: September 18th, 2026

#2026 #30 #Anthrax #Exodus #GameOver #ItalianMetal #Review #Reviews #ScarletRecords #Sep26 #Testament #ThrashMetal #WhenDarknessFalls

#anthrax #exodus #gameover #italianmetal #review #reviews

Angry Metal Guy @[email protected] · 2026-09-20 · 17:56 UTC

Game Over – When Darkness Falls Review By Owlswald

Here it is. My first repeat customer. Last April, Italian five-piece Game Over blindsided me with their sixth LP, Face the End, a love letter to ’70s and ’80s horror flicks and coast-to-coast prime-era thrash. Even with some uneven songwriting, a refreshed lineup helped them carve out a newly honed sound that balanced thrash’s timeworn genre tropes with a punchy, aggressive energy that hit all the right notes. Well, color me surprised again. Just a little over a year later, Game Over returns with their seventh album, When Darkness Falls, and a first glance suggests we’re in for more of the same. Anytime a band releases albums in such quick succession, though, I get wary. Will the songwriting suffer? Is this a case of having too much material for their own good? Will it bring the same fun factor as Face the End?

When Darkness Falls picks right up where Face the End left off, offering a heaping plate of thrash comfort food. It’s the kind of thrash made for tearing around town in your beat-up van with the stereo cranked and a case of cheap beer rattling around in the back. These tracks are stuffed with enough sing-along gang vocals and high-octane energy to get any metal fan to pump their fists in time with the riffs. Game Over pull from both ends of the classic thrash spectrum. “Fight For Your Mind” and “Two Souls One Flesh” channel strong Testament vibes, while “Break Away” does its best early Exodus impression with its “Toxic Waltz” swagger. Elsewhere, Anthrax’s East Coast party atmosphere roots “Scream It Out” and “Self Denied,” balancing their aggression with a sense of fun and accessibility. And while the horror-themed lyrics are tropey as hell, they fit Game Over’s approach so naturally that it’s hard to hold any real complaints.

Game Over’s brand of thrash is almost guaranteed to be a blast live, but its familiarity underscores both When Darkness Falls’ strengths and its limitations. The quartet writes solid, entertaining material that hits exactly where it aims, yet it rarely pushes beyond the safety of the genre’s borders or tests how far their sound could stretch. Outside of “What Fate Brings” and “Curse of Strahd,” as well as closer “Command to Die” which drags somewhat in energy and songwriting, the album’s tracks are appealing and well executed, but so safe that they raise questions about the group’s appetite for evolution. A few calculated risks here and creative detours there could have elevated When Darkness Falls to the next level. Still, the old saying “a classic never dies” applies. Game Over know how to deliver and across the record’s brisk 33 minutes I found myself often nodding along, swept up in the abrasive riffs and infectious energy of “Scream It Out,” “Fight For Your Mind,” “Self Denied” and “Two Souls One Flesh” without a care in the world.

Game Over continues to run through vocalist Danny Schiavina, who remains one of the band’s strongest assets. Shifting effortlessly between gritty and menacing roars (“Beneath the Ground,” “Curse of Strahd”) and the soaring, Belladonna-esque proclamations of “Break Away,” Schiavina gives When Darkness Falls a dynamic spine and is a force to be reckoned with. He leans less on his higher register here than he did on Face the End, and he’s not pushed quite as forward in the mix as I would have liked, but his performance suits the heavier, more direct approach of the songwriting all the same. The gang vocals also add punch and immediacy, even though they are overutilized. Now the sole guitarist after Alessandro “Sanso” Sansone’s departure, Luca “Ziro” Zironi, comes armed with a formidable ax, firing off power chords, relentless down-picking, and sharp solos that fuel When Darkness Falls with brute force.

When Darkness Falls delivers exactly what it sets out to do. It’s a familiar platter of loud, well-executed thrash served with enough charm and muscle to satisfy the loyal denim faithful still craving the nostalgic bite of olde. After two very similar records in such close succession, though, I’m hoping Game Over develops some new tricks because that’s what ultimately keeps When Darkness Falls from reaching greater heights, and at this point, we know the cut of these Italians’ gib.

Rating: Good
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Scarlet Records
Websites: gameoverofficial.bandcamp.com | gameoverofficial.net | facebook.com/GameOverThrashMetal
Releases Worldwide: September 18th, 2026

#2026 #30 #Anthrax #Exodus #GameOver #ItalianMetal #Review #Reviews #ScarletRecords #Sep26 #Testament #ThrashMetal #WhenDarknessFalls

#anthrax #exodus #gameover #italianmetal #review #reviews

Angry Metal Guy @[email protected] · 2026-09-20 · 17:56 UTC

Game Over – When Darkness Falls Review By Owlswald

Here it is. My first repeat customer. Last April, Italian five-piece Game Over blindsided me with their sixth LP, Face the End, a love letter to ’70s and ’80s horror flicks and coast-to-coast prime-era thrash. Even with some uneven songwriting, a refreshed lineup helped them carve out a newly honed sound that balanced thrash’s timeworn genre tropes with a punchy, aggressive energy that hit all the right notes. Well, color me surprised again. Just a little over a year later, Game Over returns with their seventh album, When Darkness Falls, and a first glance suggests we’re in for more of the same. Anytime a band releases albums in such quick succession, though, I get wary. Will the songwriting suffer? Is this a case of having too much material for their own good? Will it bring the same fun factor as Face the End?

When Darkness Falls picks right up where Face the End left off, offering a heaping plate of thrash comfort food. It’s the kind of thrash made for tearing around town in your beat-up van with the stereo cranked and a case of cheap beer rattling around in the back. These tracks are stuffed with enough sing-along gang vocals and high-octane energy to get any metal fan to pump their fists in time with the riffs. Game Over pull from both ends of the classic thrash spectrum. “Fight For Your Mind” and “Two Souls One Flesh” channel strong Testament vibes, while “Break Away” does its best early Exodus impression with its “Toxic Waltz” swagger. Elsewhere, Anthrax’s East Coast party atmosphere roots “Scream It Out” and “Self Denied,” balancing their aggression with a sense of fun and accessibility. And while the horror-themed lyrics are tropey as hell, they fit Game Over’s approach so naturally that it’s hard to hold any real complaints.

Game Over’s brand of thrash is almost guaranteed to be a blast live, but its familiarity underscores both When Darkness Falls’ strengths and its limitations. The quartet writes solid, entertaining material that hits exactly where it aims, yet it rarely pushes beyond the safety of the genre’s borders or tests how far their sound could stretch. Outside of “What Fate Brings” and “Curse of Strahd,” as well as closer “Command to Die” which drags somewhat in energy and songwriting, the album’s tracks are appealing and well executed, but so safe that they raise questions about the group’s appetite for evolution. A few calculated risks here and creative detours there could have elevated When Darkness Falls to the next level. Still, the old saying “a classic never dies” applies. Game Over know how to deliver and across the record’s brisk 33 minutes I found myself often nodding along, swept up in the abrasive riffs and infectious energy of “Scream It Out,” “Fight For Your Mind,” “Self Denied” and “Two Souls One Flesh” without a care in the world.

Game Over continues to run through vocalist Danny Schiavina, who remains one of the band’s strongest assets. Shifting effortlessly between gritty and menacing roars (“Beneath the Ground,” “Curse of Strahd”) and the soaring, Belladonna-esque proclamations of “Break Away,” Schiavina gives When Darkness Falls a dynamic spine and is a force to be reckoned with. He leans less on his higher register here than he did on Face the End, and he’s not pushed quite as forward in the mix as I would have liked, but his performance suits the heavier, more direct approach of the songwriting all the same. The gang vocals also add punch and immediacy, even though they are overutilized. Now the sole guitarist after Alessandro “Sanso” Sansone’s departure, Luca “Ziro” Zironi, comes armed with a formidable ax, firing off power chords, relentless down-picking, and sharp solos that fuel When Darkness Falls with brute force.

When Darkness Falls delivers exactly what it sets out to do. It’s a familiar platter of loud, well-executed thrash served with enough charm and muscle to satisfy the loyal denim faithful still craving the nostalgic bite of olde. After two very similar records in such close succession, though, I’m hoping Game Over develops some new tricks because that’s what ultimately keeps When Darkness Falls from reaching greater heights, and at this point, we know the cut of these Italians’ gib.

Rating: Good
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Scarlet Records
Websites: gameoverofficial.bandcamp.com | gameoverofficial.net | facebook.com/GameOverThrashMetal
Releases Worldwide: September 18th, 2026

#2026 #30 #Anthrax #Exodus #GameOver #ItalianMetal #Review #Reviews #ScarletRecords #Sep26 #Testament #ThrashMetal #WhenDarknessFalls

#anthrax #exodus #gameover #italianmetal #review #reviews

Angry Metal Guy @[email protected] · 2026-09-20 · 17:56 UTC

Game Over – When Darkness Falls Review By Owlswald

Here it is. My first repeat customer. Last April, Italian five-piece Game Over blindsided me with their sixth LP, Face the End, a love letter to ’70s and ’80s horror flicks and coast-to-coast prime-era thrash. Even with some uneven songwriting, a refreshed lineup helped them carve out a newly honed sound that balanced thrash’s timeworn genre tropes with a punchy, aggressive energy that hit all the right notes. Well, color me surprised again. Just a little over a year later, Game Over returns with their seventh album, When Darkness Falls, and a first glance suggests we’re in for more of the same. Anytime a band releases albums in such quick succession, though, I get wary. Will the songwriting suffer? Is this a case of having too much material for their own good? Will it bring the same fun factor as Face the End?

When Darkness Falls picks right up where Face the End left off, offering a heaping plate of thrash comfort food. It’s the kind of thrash made for tearing around town in your beat-up van with the stereo cranked and a case of cheap beer rattling around in the back. These tracks are stuffed with enough sing-along gang vocals and high-octane energy to get any metal fan to pump their fists in time with the riffs. Game Over pull from both ends of the classic thrash spectrum. “Fight For Your Mind” and “Two Souls One Flesh” channel strong Testament vibes, while “Break Away” does its best early Exodus impression with its “Toxic Waltz” swagger. Elsewhere, Anthrax’s East Coast party atmosphere roots “Scream It Out” and “Self Denied,” balancing their aggression with a sense of fun and accessibility. And while the horror-themed lyrics are tropey as hell, they fit Game Over’s approach so naturally that it’s hard to hold any real complaints.

Game Over’s brand of thrash is almost guaranteed to be a blast live, but its familiarity underscores both When Darkness Falls’ strengths and its limitations. The quartet writes solid, entertaining material that hits exactly where it aims, yet it rarely pushes beyond the safety of the genre’s borders or tests how far their sound could stretch. Outside of “What Fate Brings” and “Curse of Strahd,” as well as closer “Command to Die” which drags somewhat in energy and songwriting, the album’s tracks are appealing and well executed, but so safe that they raise questions about the group’s appetite for evolution. A few calculated risks here and creative detours there could have elevated When Darkness Falls to the next level. Still, the old saying “a classic never dies” applies. Game Over know how to deliver and across the record’s brisk 33 minutes I found myself often nodding along, swept up in the abrasive riffs and infectious energy of “Scream It Out,” “Fight For Your Mind,” “Self Denied” and “Two Souls One Flesh” without a care in the world.

Game Over continues to run through vocalist Danny Schiavina, who remains one of the band’s strongest assets. Shifting effortlessly between gritty and menacing roars (“Beneath the Ground,” “Curse of Strahd”) and the soaring, Belladonna-esque proclamations of “Break Away,” Schiavina gives When Darkness Falls a dynamic spine and is a force to be reckoned with. He leans less on his higher register here than he did on Face the End, and he’s not pushed quite as forward in the mix as I would have liked, but his performance suits the heavier, more direct approach of the songwriting all the same. The gang vocals also add punch and immediacy, even though they are overutilized. Now the sole guitarist after Alessandro “Sanso” Sansone’s departure, Luca “Ziro” Zironi, comes armed with a formidable ax, firing off power chords, relentless down-picking, and sharp solos that fuel When Darkness Falls with brute force.

When Darkness Falls delivers exactly what it sets out to do. It’s a familiar platter of loud, well-executed thrash served with enough charm and muscle to satisfy the loyal denim faithful still craving the nostalgic bite of olde. After two very similar records in such close succession, though, I’m hoping Game Over develops some new tricks because that’s what ultimately keeps When Darkness Falls from reaching greater heights, and at this point, we know the cut of these Italians’ gib.

Rating: Good
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Scarlet Records
Websites: gameoverofficial.bandcamp.com | gameoverofficial.net | facebook.com/GameOverThrashMetal
Releases Worldwide: September 18th, 2026

#2026 #30 #Anthrax #Exodus #GameOver #ItalianMetal #Review #Reviews #ScarletRecords #Sep26 #Testament #ThrashMetal #WhenDarknessFalls

#whendarknessfalls #thrashmetal #testament #sep26 #scarletrecords #reviews

Angry Metal Guy @[email protected] · 2026-09-20 · 17:56 UTC

Game Over – When Darkness Falls Review By Owlswald

Here it is. My first repeat customer. Last April, Italian five-piece Game Over blindsided me with their sixth LP, Face the End, a love letter to ’70s and ’80s horror flicks and coast-to-coast prime-era thrash. Even with some uneven songwriting, a refreshed lineup helped them carve out a newly honed sound that balanced thrash’s timeworn genre tropes with a punchy, aggressive energy that hit all the right notes. Well, color me surprised again. Just a little over a year later, Game Over returns with their seventh album, When Darkness Falls, and a first glance suggests we’re in for more of the same. Anytime a band releases albums in such quick succession, though, I get wary. Will the songwriting suffer? Is this a case of having too much material for their own good? Will it bring the same fun factor as Face the End?

When Darkness Falls picks right up where Face the End left off, offering a heaping plate of thrash comfort food. It’s the kind of thrash made for tearing around town in your beat-up van with the stereo cranked and a case of cheap beer rattling around in the back. These tracks are stuffed with enough sing-along gang vocals and high-octane energy to get any metal fan to pump their fists in time with the riffs. Game Over pull from both ends of the classic thrash spectrum. “Fight For Your Mind” and “Two Souls One Flesh” channel strong Testament vibes, while “Break Away” does its best early Exodus impression with its “Toxic Waltz” swagger. Elsewhere, Anthrax’s East Coast party atmosphere roots “Scream It Out” and “Self Denied,” balancing their aggression with a sense of fun and accessibility. And while the horror-themed lyrics are tropey as hell, they fit Game Over’s approach so naturally that it’s hard to hold any real complaints.

Game Over’s brand of thrash is almost guaranteed to be a blast live, but its familiarity underscores both When Darkness Falls’ strengths and its limitations. The quartet writes solid, entertaining material that hits exactly where it aims, yet it rarely pushes beyond the safety of the genre’s borders or tests how far their sound could stretch. Outside of “What Fate Brings” and “Curse of Strahd,” as well as closer “Command to Die” which drags somewhat in energy and songwriting, the album’s tracks are appealing and well executed, but so safe that they raise questions about the group’s appetite for evolution. A few calculated risks here and creative detours there could have elevated When Darkness Falls to the next level. Still, the old saying “a classic never dies” applies. Game Over know how to deliver and across the record’s brisk 33 minutes I found myself often nodding along, swept up in the abrasive riffs and infectious energy of “Scream It Out,” “Fight For Your Mind,” “Self Denied” and “Two Souls One Flesh” without a care in the world.

Game Over continues to run through vocalist Danny Schiavina, who remains one of the band’s strongest assets. Shifting effortlessly between gritty and menacing roars (“Beneath the Ground,” “Curse of Strahd”) and the soaring, Belladonna-esque proclamations of “Break Away,” Schiavina gives When Darkness Falls a dynamic spine and is a force to be reckoned with. He leans less on his higher register here than he did on Face the End, and he’s not pushed quite as forward in the mix as I would have liked, but his performance suits the heavier, more direct approach of the songwriting all the same. The gang vocals also add punch and immediacy, even though they are overutilized. Now the sole guitarist after Alessandro “Sanso” Sansone’s departure, Luca “Ziro” Zironi, comes armed with a formidable ax, firing off power chords, relentless down-picking, and sharp solos that fuel When Darkness Falls with brute force.

When Darkness Falls delivers exactly what it sets out to do. It’s a familiar platter of loud, well-executed thrash served with enough charm and muscle to satisfy the loyal denim faithful still craving the nostalgic bite of olde. After two very similar records in such close succession, though, I’m hoping Game Over develops some new tricks because that’s what ultimately keeps When Darkness Falls from reaching greater heights, and at this point, we know the cut of these Italians’ gib.

Rating: Good
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Scarlet Records
Websites: gameoverofficial.bandcamp.com | gameoverofficial.net | facebook.com/GameOverThrashMetal
Releases Worldwide: September 18th, 2026