Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: Game Over
Label: Self-released
Release: 2008
Jesenice’s Game Over, a band that’s now considered legendary in the local metal scene (and so is their cult demo tape Tilt, released in 1990), called it quits far too soon in the early nineties because of misunderstandings within the group. Now that comebacks of long-dead bands (Interceptor, Železobeton, not to mention the foreign ones) are hot and popular again, Game Over are also returning after almost twenty years since Tilt. Their return is heralded by the ambitious Eclectric, and since the start of the year the wait for it has been sweetened by the single version Eclectric – The Version. (RockLine review HERE).
If Game Over played excellent, hard-hitting thrash metal in their early days, which at times already sounded technical and experimental, Eclectric has very little in common with Tilt. Whether it’s musical maturity or just being fed up with the limits of metal doesn’t matter. What matters is that Eclectric delivers a solid hour-long trip through the spheres of fusion, experimentation and genre-blending, with the occasional real headbanging moment that recalls the band’s metal years. Eclectric is definitely not an easy listen: the inner structures of the songs are varied and complex, and the atmosphere that each track conjures up with ease runs the gamut from a spaced-out “spacy” feeling, futuristic sci-fi elements and psychedelic funky parts to truly mystical, ethereal journeys into the mysterious realms of the human mind and the universe. A whole arsenal of instruments builds the album’s gorgeous ambient feel, mostly handled by the main Game Over trio. Aleksander Miklič’s guitar synths are the main carriers of the album’s ambient look, Gregor Rožič’s bass lays down smooth, flowing funky bass lines, especially contagious on No One, while with the wild bass work in Hardtastic it almost recalls the wacky soundtracks of eighties action movies. Blaž Soklič rounds out the rhythm section, constantly serving up subtle drums that don’t push too far to the front but nicely help tie the whole thing together, while also being inventive and varied, full of dynamic transitions and cymbals. Occasionally the drums are programmed too, which Miklič and Dali take care of. The strongest metal flavor on the record comes from the guitar, mostly handled by Klemen Gasar. Scorching guitars built from excellent riffs and spectacular solos come to the surface especially in RViPVO, Tilt! and Lost… …in Scapes, where Gasar and Dyz (Negligence) trade a few breathtaking solos in a duet. But the guitar isn’t just a carrier of the metal parts, since it perhaps even more often offers jazz/fusion sections that recall the likes of Planet X, Allan Holdsworth or Tony MacAlpine. Even though the album is almost entirely instrumental, vocals occasionally sneak into the tracks, or rather whispered, spoken parts that give the songs a special charm and stamp, and Game Over break out of the mold of seemingly serious musicians with a goofy bit complete with laughter in The Version (reportedly inspired by Monty Python). There are tons of such subtle bits on Eclectric, and to discover and conquer them all you need repeated listens, since the album is by no means an easy listen for the casual listener. But that’s also why Eclectric is a real gourmet treat for the music gourmand, and I dare say the record is one of the boldest and most daring attempts at instrumental jazz/fusion/metal here at home. Even though most of the tracks lodge in your ears quickly, mainly thanks to the catchy melodies, the record also serves up a nice helping of the abstract, with great examples being the almost “tribal” Plastastic with its atonal guitars, the “quirky” G or Eclectic, and the incredible “chill-out” track Too Long To Stop Nonsense Delirium Tremens Hell, which carries you off to completely different levels with its calm, subtle, soothing guitars and “easy listening” atmosphere.
With Eclectric, Game Over have created one of the boldest experiments in Slovenia, something totally new and fresh on Slovenian soil. Eclectric is by no means a record for superficial listening, and that’s exactly why it offers plenty of chances to discover new things with every fresh spin. Eclectric is an album tailor-made for those who love music that knows how to offer them something new, something still unexplored. More than fitting for anyone who doesn’t limit themselves with musical genres, whether you’re drawn to fusion, jazz, metal or whatever. If not in sales, then Eclectric will definitely leave a huge mark on the Slovenian music scene with its uniqueness, originality, and its bold, distinctive, uncompromising attitude.
Lineup
Aleksander Miklič – guitar synths, bass
Gregor Rožič – bass
Klemen Gasar – guitar
Blaž Soklič – drums
Frenk Rožič – sax
Dyz – guitar solo (Lost… …in Scapes)
Grule – birds&insects
Dali – drum programming
Fatso – V-Drum tom FX
Ghosts – vocals
Production
Dali and Eclectric Ensemble
Track list
1. RViPVO
2. No One
3. Hardtastic
4. The Version
5. Lost… …in Scapes
6. Tilt!
7. Y
8. Plastastic
9. qUlthaiC
10. G
11. Too Long To Stop Nonsense Delirium Tremens Hell
12. Virtual
Bonus:
13. Eclectric
14. Too Long To Stop Nonsense Delirium Tremens Hell (stringshesizer mix)
15. Lost… …in Scapes (ambient edit mix)
16. Virtual (ambient mix)
