GYAOOOOO!
His iconic kaiju cry inspired by Gyaos, the booming voice of Lord Kaiju typically debuts every single song with a tremendous growl. Front man of Portland-based death metal band, the aforementioned Oxygen Destroyer, the kaiju-inspired band finally came to KU’s Home Base — Salt Lake City, Utah! As part of their “Bigger than a Battleship” Tour, the last leg of the tour brought him right to my home city! Aside from the Lord of Kaiju himself, the band consists of lead guitarist Joey Walker, drummer Chris Chraven of Weaponlord and Infernal Realm, and bassist Paul Wright of Irony. We have done a Featured Musician post on the band in the past, covering a majority of the basic info you need to know, so I will link that HERE.
The night was relaxing as I made my way to the venue. Aces High Saloon is a nice spot for metal enthusiasts. From the historied walls of past tours and bands that have presented themselves on stage to the beautiful heavy metal murals featuring Motorhead and Judas Priest, this is the place in the Salt Lake Metropolitan area to see some shredding guitars. It was a Tuesday evening, so the crowds were nowhere near the levels they could be. Perhaps that made things a little more intimate — only the diehards and regulars were there.
The show opened up with NecroWolf; a local favorite. They’re unrelenting thrash metal, but with a little bit of speed metal thrown in. Lots of energy and adrenaline from them! I had previously seen the band in 2017 for the Warriors of the Salt show, so it was pretty amazing seeing how far this band had come. As a nice tribute for the opener, they dedicated their last song, about a gigantic monstrous wolf beast, to Oxygen Destroyer.
OD hit the stage with no remorse, much like a kaiju attack. When you see a death metal band like that, you typically get what you pay for. They’re really kind, relaxed dudes to hang out with (I had done a few games of pool with Paul before the show), but once those stage lights go up, the kaiju truly comes out!
The set was only about 35 minutes, but it was probably the most energetic, headbanging thirty minutes of my year so far. Lots of old favorites were played, such as The Plague Spreading Horror From 20,000 Fathoms and Cleansing the Earth of Humanity’s Existence, but OD also had a few tricks up their sleeve. As most of the band’s loyal kaiju-obsessed following knows, there is a fourth album, based upon the 1990’s Gamera trilogy of films, that will debut sometime in the summer. They indeed played a few from that upcoming album, and I can say, that one is shaping up to be a super-shredder!
Overall, finally getting to see one of my favorite bands live was well worth it. I know Lord Kaiju personally as a friend, as he is now a frequent flier at G-FEST, but it was so much better getting to hear their music live. If OXYGEN DESTROYER ever rampages into your city, go forth, and witness the mass destruction and atomic mayhem that only they can provide!
