Band:	Vangough
Album:	Game On
Style:	Progressive metal
Release date:	April 27, 2010
A review by:	Jeff

01. Wily's Castle (MM2)
02. Marine Fortress (WR64)
03. Simon's Revenge (CVIV)
04. Your Darkest Hour (PO)
05. The Turtle King's Lair (SMW)
06. Green Hill Terror (StH)
07. Corneria (SF)
08. The Killer Instinct (KI)
09. Torvus Bog (MP2)
10. Coral Capers (DKC)

What Clay Withrow does when he is not busy writing some new materials for his band Vangough ? Well he plays video games! And since that our dude apparently cannot leave his guitars alone, he decided to mix two of his passions, and wrote Game On, a cover album of video games music! Perfect for old school nostalgic gamers, this release features mega hits from Mega Man 2, Starfox or the legendary Castlevania IV among other excellent games. Sure this is just covers but they're extremely well done and it's just great to have metal versions of such standards. Ok you think that we're geeks? You're right, and so what? Fuck you! Those songs are better than any of your "necro - I'm the devil" uninspired music!

Mega Man 2, Donkey Kong Country, Killer Instinct, Starfox, Sonic, Punch-Out, Super Mario Bros, Castlevania IV etc, I'm sure that you all know one of those games but do you know their music, or do you remember it? Gamers will not need more than 2 seconds to remember those fabulous songs if they were already born in the 80's or if they've found the time to check those games lately. And it's a real way to come back to the past listening to good music. More than a simple covers albums, Game On is a way to be nostalgic and remember good old times when we were sitting in front of TV screens whole days with good mates, sodas and cookies!
Clay added his own personal touches to the music, guitars solos for example or changed the tempos of some songs, added some ambiances, double bass drums etc. The most memorable tracks of the album are without any doubt the Castlevania IV medley, a song of 9 mins which featured five different songs of the game. Being one of my favourite games ever released, I was expecting a lot of this song and I cannot say that I'm disappointed; this metal version is really good. Starfox main theme "Corneria" is also really well done and I could say the same with "Wily's Castle" or the mellow "Coral Capers"? Game On truly kicks ass !!!

We could always regret that some songs are missing but the video games musical universe is so high that you should need a whole life to re-write the half of the best song but hey, maybe that we will have some other Game On in the future after all? Other than that, Vangough found the way to do some good covers, original and personal but which never transform the original songs into some heretical tracks. Well played, with a certain intelligence in the choice of the effect of the guitars and keyboards which give a little excellent "old (geek) school" aspect to the music, Game On is a great homage to classy games and compositors. The true fans will understand what I mean they just have to check the tracklist?

Don't take this album so seriously; this is just good fun and great music if you was already born in the 80's. I really hope that Vangough will do other Game On in the future between each new studio albums. It could become a real reference and a perfect funny way to wait the next releases. Video games music is just underrated and people are just missing some of the best songs ever written so, if this kind of CDs can help, then please guys do it again and again! Check this release asap, you'll just discover some pearls. I leave you now, I have a fucking clock tower to climb and some vampires to kill?