Oxygen Destroyer – Guardian of the Universe

Kaiju? Is it just me or do you what that means? Well, just so you don’t have to I’ve already googled what it might mean. Apparently, Kajiu is a Japanese term used to describe media that involves giant monsters. Why start with this you ask, because it is the one and only lyrical topic for Oxygen Destroyer (as listed by Metal Archives). Unsurprisingly, the second (fun) fact I uncovered from the Metal Archives is that the band’s name is derived from the weapon that ultimately killed Godzilla in the original ’54 movie. Does that ring a Bolt Thrower-y bell? Enough silly shenanigans. Oxygen Destroyer hails from the United States of America and the band has released its third full-length back in 2024 entitled ‘Guardian of the Universe’. The cover art is depicting a city in ruination by a multitude of monsters… and what looks like a very small ‘hero’ with its right arm raised in defiance to said monsters. He must be guardian of the universe. Judging from the cover alone, he doesn’t seem to have a gigantic chance at getting out this mess alive, but how will Oxygen Destroyer fair in this little review?

First and foremost, let’s give the band credits for fighting ‘till the very end. This record is fast and savage. The almost never-ending attack of Blackened Death/Thrash Metal is effectively grabbing you by the head and banging it to death. The sheer power that’s radiating from ‘Guardian of the Universe’ is ultimately due to the drum performance. This drummer certainly knows his way around the kit and he knows how to do it very quickly. The opted style here is to absolutely nail all the gaps shut, but in a surprisingly varied way. Besides keeping the pace high, he seldomly misses a chance to accentuate the details in the riffs. This album is a must listen for every extreme drummer out there, but, assumingly, they will point out a drawback. His performance may well be exceptional, but it does lead to a kind of monotony. It might sound as if there’s so much going on, that all songs seem to be indistinguishable from another.

Riffwise, I’d say Oxygen Destroyer focuses heavily on speed and therefore utilizes lots of tremolo riffs. Almost to a point that they’re on their way to rivalling Vader. However, the riffs do feel more thrashy than the majority of Vader riffs. At the very least, most songs here start with fast thrashy riffs that’ll like then evolve and picking up hints of Black and/or Death Metal along the way. Still, I feel the Thrash Metal elements are present in the greatest numbers. For better or worse, listening to ‘Guardian of the Universe’ made my think of Eliminator’s first album ‘Breaking the Wheel’. Don’t know why, but that must make for a worthy comparison.

The vocals are spit forth like raspy shrieks that are somewhat decipherable (given the fact that you have a lyric sheet). I personally feel this style is the only style to truly justify the speed and savageness of the music. Obvious comparisons here are, of course, Kreator and Hypnosia. Despite the flawless execution and my preference for this style, it does come off rather predictable.

So, overall Oxygen Destroyer have put out a very enjoyable record. It’s absolutely packed with speed and thrashy aggression. This is highlighted by a very energetic and precise performance from behind the kit. The songs themselves are very varied and tainted by influences from Black, Death and Thrash Metal making for a nicely diverse record, despite risking becoming monotonous by the all-in focus on speed. I’d surely recommend Oxygen Destroyer if you’re into all different styles of Extreme Metal… and maybe to Kaiju fanatics who’re feeling adventurous.