Oxygen Destroyer – Guardian Of The Universe Review

One of the many admirable qualities of the PNW-based METAL (all caps purposeful) band Oxygen Destroyer is its near equal adherence to both aesthetic and evolution. The band sounded every bit like graduates of the Morbid Saint school of frenetic fretwork in 2018. And, well, they sound every bit like graduates of the Morbid Saint school of frenetic fretwork in 2024. The difference, perhaps, is that if Bestial Manifestations of Malevolence and Death were a tribute to that influence, this third album – Guardian of the Universe – feels more like a FFO Morbid Saint. And Demolition Hammer. And Kreator. And a plethora of death/black bands. An expansion pack versus an overhaul.

Yet there’s something distinctly *oxygen destroying* about Oxygen Destroyer. Certainly, Lord Kaiju’s cutting vocals are one of those distinctly oxygen destroying things. “Shadow of Evil” is a prime example. His voice is appropriately sharp, a driving force even amongst the largely relentless guitarwork. The inclination to treat vocals as somewhat of an afterthought may be stronger with the brand of thrashy death metal Oxygen Destroyer plays, but that’s hardly the way they are presented here. And it’s not just that they are as front and center in the mix as everything else, including the riffs. For instance, in “Thy Name is Legion, maximizing the eventual impact, there’s a minute-long delay before the vocals kick in. Ultimately these smaller, but no less important choices are the accent to the Morbid Saint glue.

Three albums and ten character-defining years later, Oxygen Destroyer shows little sign of slowing down on Guardian of the Universe. If anything, the intensity level has been ratcheted up, even with the subtle embrace of a wider set of influences. The breakneck pace of “Eradicating the Symbiotic Hive Mind Entity from Beyond the Void,” for example, is the rule, not the exception. There are slower moments, like the introductory passage to “Awakening the Malevolent Destroyer of the Heavens and Earth.” But those moments are largely transitory, giving way to the aforementioned breakneck pace. The result is a record that plays to the band’s strengths but allows for those necessary detours.

Believe it or not, at just over 33 minutes, Guardian of the Universe is Oxygen Destroyer’s longest record to date. It also happens to be the band’s strongest. There’s a newfound confidence that radiates throughout. The songwriting has improved. And the punchy production delivers it all on an appropriately raw plate.