Kaiju movies have always seemed like perfect subject matter for metal bands, as the idea of a giant monster steamrolling cities and fighting other creatures is well suited for death metal or thrash. Fortunately, Seattle’s Oxygen Destroyer had that exact idea and have been offering up a blistering combo of death, black, and thrash for the better part of seven years. Their latest effort Sinister Monstrosities Spawned by the Unfathomable Ignorance of Humankind comes about three years after the band’s full-length debut and finds them leaning even further into the thrash for a sound that’s somewhere between death/thrash and black/thrash. It’s a fast paced and unrelenting album that still manages to have more distinguishable riffs before, showcasing just how much Oxygen Destroyer has grown since their earlier days.
The instrumentals pull from a wider range than you might initially expect, as there’s a regular shift between black and death metal tonality while thrash rages underneath of it. If you’re looking for material that shreds and blasts in a concentrated manner that’s exactly what you’ll find here but compared to 2018’s Bestial Manifestations of Malevolence and Death the individual songs stand out a lot more rather than the entire album blurring together. Sometimes Oxygen Destroyer captures the raw and unhinged early thrash of Kreator, while in the next minute they might sound more like Vader or Nifelheim. Admittedly given the straightforward blitzkrieg of instrumentals there are still a handful of moments that do sound very similarly constructed, but songs like “Slaughtering the Guardian Monsters” and “As Big of a Battleship” stand out in my memory after repeated listens. What’s also worth mentioning is how well balanced the production is here, letting the bass break through at some points and giving the drums a crisper, analog sound not unlike what you’d hear on-stage. Sometimes metal of this type lets either the drums or guitar dominate at the expense of everything else, so this approach works to Oxygen Destroyer’s advantage.
Given how many bands go for the standard lyrical themes, the fact that this band’s material centered around various Kaiju and other monsters was quite appealing. Sinister Monstrosities Spawned by the Unfathomable Ignorance of Humankind is split between classic Japanese Kaiju and American monster movies depending on what half of the album you’re on, and there are some well-placed samples that tie into this. Oxygen Destroyer doesn’t go overboard with the samples, instead using them strategically to break up the attack. The appropriately named Lord Kaiju delivers all of this monster worship through raspy screams that bring in a bit more black metal influence, sometimes sounding more like Black Witchery or Nifelheim than thrash or death metal bands. It mixes well with what the band is going for though, and the intensity is always at a peak level which ensures that these songs leave behind a trail of destruction.
They may still be pulling from some familiar influences and those looking for something beyond all out shredding and blasting may find that this doesn’t leave an impact on them the same way it did for me. If your tastes are like mine though and you love the most rabid death/thrash and black/thrash, then you’ll find Oxygen Destroyer’s latest to have some killer tracks and a bit more stand out riffs and solos than some of the other recent albums of this type. I also can’t think of too many other bands that can remind me of Nifelheim one moment and Vader the next, as most tend to pivot towards one variant of thrash. Either way, this is a noticeable step up from their debut and while there remains room to take it even further Oxygen Destroyer is already showcasing their A-game. Sinister Monstrosities Spawned by the Unfathomable Ignorance of Humankind is available from Redefining Darkness Records and Headsplit Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to share it with others to help us grow. You can also like and follow us on the social media of your choice with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and support us on Patreon.