Album Review: Oxygen Destroyer - Guardian of the Universe
Reviewed by Sam Jones
When I first heard Oxygen Destroyer were returning with another album under their belts, I was simultaneously hyped and terrified. The band’s past releases have shown nothing but ecstatic quality and unbridled chaos, and now set for an August 9th Oxygen Destroyer are poised to unleash Guardian Of The Universe. Formed in 2014 and hailing out of Seattle, United States, the band draw upon a shared love of all things Kaiju and monstrous. Other bands might have parodied the adoration towards this subject matter but Oxygen Destroyer go all in, taking it just seriously enough that their songwriting reinforces the terrible power such Kaiju can enact. The band’s earlier days were riddled with Demos and a Split alongside Carnotaurus but their first album, Bestial Manifestations Of Malevolence And Death, was a massive hit and garnered a great deluge of attention to their side. This wave of popularity not only cemented itself but swelled in scope as they released album two, Sinister Monstrosities Spawned By The Unfathomable Ignorance Of Mankind, in 2021, a record that absolutely melted the skins of many faces. Three years on, the band’s third full length work sees them continue their partnership alongside Redefining Darkness Records and hopefully unload a volley of death once more upon virgin ears. I was awash with glee after acquiring a review copy of this album and so it’s time to see whether Oxygen Destroyer can once again kill us dead with their uniquely blackened thrash/death metal.
There have been numerous iterations of Kaiju in popular culture across the decades but I love how Oxygen Destroyer buy into the sheer devastation such calamitous monsters, wreaking havoc upon one another or the world, would have. With a short introduction the band get well underway with the kind of annihilation that’s become all so familiar to Oxygen Destroyer’s pedigree; the riffs aren’t simply vast but come down on us with the weight of cinderblocks, and when you think the blast beats are already ripping your skin off they double down even faster akin to gravity blast tempo. Such is the way Oxygen Destroyer write their blackened thrash/death attack for there is little mercy to had, and though the band may not alter their songwriting too much for variety or tempo, you know full well you’re going to have a great time and it’s especially so if you’re an established fan familiar with their preceding two records. One listens to Oxygen Destroyer to be utterly crushed and left a smoking ruin, only to crawl back for another bout of bludgeoning all over again. It’s good to see that the band have not compromised with what other acts have done, staying true to their sound and what they’re comfortable and competent playing with.
You’d think the band might employ some steadier, mid-paced playing when tracks can be less than two minutes long, but “Drawing Power From The Empathetic Priestess Of Tranquility” forgoes any notion of slowing down, and has the gall to actually quicken and intensify the band’s assault upon the senses. Just because a track might not run as long doesn’t mean you’re in the clear; with tapping solos, gravelling vocals and more, Oxygen Destroyer have crafted a reputation wherein the presence of a short track brings one to slower breathing, practically conditioning us into preparation of what’s to come. The numerous sound bites the band utilise throughout the record are also effective since it helps immerse us that little more into the chaos Oxygen Destroyer have become renowned for; it’s the rare instance where a band’s playing is just as intense as the audio files they adapt into their songwriting. One can only imagine how their live shows must operate; they’re surely sheer bloodbaths.
One aspect I think gets overlooked concerning Oxygen Destroyer’s playing is the adrenaline you feel upon the end of one track, only to feel it revitalised upon the next. Since we know the band’s tempo and intensity isn’t going to sway too greatly, we know what we’re going into yet it still doesn’t fully prepare us for the kind of action coming our way. The fact that the band seemingly throw all restraints and limitations off their performance is terrifying, as vocals pierce the fourth wall, the only wall separating you and the band, and you get these sequences whereby they’re not merely playing but outright breaking free of the album cover and come gunning for your throat. It’s a loud, merciless release that’s been written to plainly murder its audience and actually lives up to its pretenses. The speed rarely dips for a moment; riffs, vocals, drumming are absolutely nuts here as their collective assault builds this wall of sound that strikes, sweeps and drowns you totally. You’ve barely got your head above water as you see one wave after another after another bare down on you amidst storm, but because their attack is so sincere and powerful it gets your blood boiling, gifting you with the notion you could challenge Nature itself. Just as fighting for your life turns your energy into frenzy, each succeeding track the band plays revives the monster in your own soul again and again.
I think the brief length of Oxygen Destroyer’s records works wonders for them, and their growing fanbase, for it ensures not only repeated listens but also crafts these albums as genuine experiences that feel exclusive to Oxygen Destroyer alone. We all know the band play it ludicrously fast and hold nothing back, but had their records been just a touch longer I think the magic of their performance would become lost since such a record’s impact would dissipate across a longer runtime. With records, like Guardian Of The Universe here, just spanning over half an hour long, Oxygen Destroyer craft music that’s less akin to a traditional record and is more along the lines of a war captured in sonic form. You move from one battlefield to another and though the weapons they throw at you may differ pending on the songwriting, you cannot run nor hide nor arm yourself well enough to stand against whatever Oxygen Destroyer throw at you. It’s this carnage on record that’s blessed the band with such a fiery presence, you can practically see the record bouncing around on the ground out of the outright violence contained within.
In conclusion, Guardian Of The Universe goes out in absolutely spectacular, blistering fashion with the band firing on all fronts with everything they have. With this third record, Oxygen Destroyer are now three for three for stellar metal releases. They have yet to put out anything other than exceptionally well written and played extreme metal and this record is no different; I feel like this is one of the few bands where picking and selecting specific songs isn’t as nearly effective as playing an album from start to finish, for doing so doesn’t accurately capture the sheer, ballistic nature that Oxygen Destroyer deploy on record so easily. You’ll come away from Guardian Of The Universe breathless and beseeching the world to finally let you rest and sit down for the band give no opportunity for respite. You stand, fight, endure or die; that is the ethos given to this band and their third record together hints no surrender to any other ideal as of yet. I think it’s surreal how you can listen to music so eviscerating and violent but it’s that killing drive that only encourages you to want more of it. Oxygen Destroyer are badly needed here in the UK and I would jump at the chance to see them live, but I hope whatever venue they play has insurance, for I’d imagine Oxygen Destroyer would leave nothing in their wake. Truly a blistering listen.
