CRAZED
"Game Over" (Profane Records;
2020)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
"Game Over" is the debut album by the Netherland's Crazed. The band formed in 2012 but, according to their bio, they didn't really get serious until 2018 and now, here we are, with their debut release in 2020.
"Game Over" is a collection of ten heavy tunes that feature everything from Pantera-like razor riffs to Black Sabbath buzz, sometimes within the very same song (as in "Story Teller.") Geno Ramdaras' guitars are the driving force here, for the most part, and their corrosive tone sucks you into each tune almost instantly. Also impressive are the vocal stylings of Jasper van der Linden, which run the gamut from hard rock ballad to visceral death metal growls. And I would be remiss not to mention bassist Tony van Hussen and drummer Wes van Vilet who both shine throughout the entire record, and both of whom share highlights on various tracks.
Hard to pick favorite cuts on this album, but I'll give it a shot. The opener, "Rise in Rage," starts things off right with an irressistible acid-y riff and a fast pace; the 90-second "Daggers" will get your heart rate up almost dangerously fast; "Enemy in Front of Me" closes out the album with a machine-gun rat-a-tat (and is one of the tracks during which drummer Vilet really shows his stuff).
On their Facebook page, Crazed cites System Of A Down, Static-X, Lamb Of God, Pantera, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Soilwork and other as some of their favorite music. If you're a fan of any of those artists, I think you'll like Crazed, too.
Crazed is:
Jasper ''Captain D' Japp'' van der Linden - Vocal shredder; Geno ''Genocide''
Ramdaras - Riffmeister; Tony van Hussen - Low end rumble; Wes van Vliet -
Sticks.
For more information, check out
https://www.facebook.com/Crazed030 or
https://www.instagram.com/crazed030.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. No a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2020 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights reserved.
