Your God Is Too Small

Deadly Avenger (AKA Damon Baxter) returns to the world of the kaiju with YOUR GOD IS TOO SMALL, the prequel to 2018’s long sold-out I AM GODZILLA, YOU ARE JAPAN, both issued on special-edition vinyl via Burning Witches Records. On YGITS Deadly Avenger blends the electro-minimalistic explosions of IAGYAJ with a deeper, richer Japanese influence in a more cinematic way. The LP opens with the prog-rock splash of the title cut’s drum section, paving the way to an intricate onslaught of driving rhythms and compelling melodies. Deadly Avenger sets the stage for his propulsive magnum opus to double-down on his study of film’s most famous destructor. “Destroy All Humans” is a blast of dark synthwave, illuminated with coarse minor-key arps and ominous, Carpenter-esque piano runs that provide an ideal backdrop for pure destruction. Cuts like “The Promise For Komiko,” “Skit_Legend of Opal Moon” and “Myuki my Love” showcase Baxter’s ability to cultivate beautifully tender moments with ambient soundscapes and delicate melodies as effectively as he documents infrastructural oblivion. The economical electro/hip-hop of “Phantoms” offers a throughline to IAGYAJ, erupting with an unbridled kinesis of impassioned synth arps and ecstatic percussion. The sparse and tight “Tears in a Demons Eye” is disco vitality splashed with radioactive light, a crescendo of barely controlled chaos. It’s a monstrous strut that’s too big to contain and too uplifting to ignore. Deadly Avenger’s 14-cut, instrumental kaiju tale is crucial listening for fans of synth music and monster films. Longtime collaborator and visual artist Luke Insect provides the evocative visual backdrop for the album. The vinyl versions of the album have a classic 3D theme, bundled with art and glasses to augment the experience. Aaron Vehling.