Fast and effective, Guardian of the Universe is nine tracks spread over thirty three and a half minutes. Right from the jump, Oxygen Destroyer brings the listener into their world of destruction with the title track, "Guardian of the Universe (The Final Hope)." The kaiju sample gives a nice sense of atmosphere before the thrashing begins. Fast and with a purpose, the opener deftly switches up tempos to further the sense of urgency and destruction. Crispy, tight drumming is the motivator here echoing the millions of footsteps of city denizens fleeing destruction. Smart riffs fill the track with entertaining dread but also give nice flourishes keeping the piece from getting too heavily into itself. This is a great move because despite the speed and skill of the band, the subject matter is fun and fantastical, and Oxygen Destroyer keeps that in mind when crafting their songs. These could easily spiral down into an oppressive stew of fear and despair, but they remain engaging and upbeat (in a sense). And this is the beauty of Oxygen Destroyer: pummeling death/thrash that puts the emphasis on the listening experience vs an intended effect of the music itself, to inspire dread, for example. One puts on Guardian of the Universe and can headbang and air guitar along as mutated, giant turtles destroy cities and just have an absolute blast doing so.

 

From the fantastic cover art to the last note of "Exterminating the Ravenous Horde of Perpetual Darkness and Annihilation," Guardian of the Universe is a destructive good time carried forth by fast and furious metal. With less than serious subject matter, Oxygen Destroyer manage to keep their craft serious but still have that sense of fun without pandering to anything goofy or trite - even their Kaiju samples are kept at a very minimum. This and their skilled writing and playing leave the listener with a very excellent and replayable album.