Hell United: Aura Damage (2012)

More Polish Death? Yes!

Just when I start to think that the Polish death metal scene has nothing different to offer, I come across something like Hell United. I’m not so sure about their name (is that the soccer team who play at Pandemonium?) but I’m quite sure about their music.

Let’s get this out of the way first: Yes, they do sound a bit like Behemoth. There are only two death metal licensing authorities in Poland, and that’s the one where these guys registered. But their sound is much more colorful than being mere Behemoth clones. Firstly, their sound is much more raw than your typical Polish death (and that hi-hat sound is beautiful). But their musical variety is more extensive as well.


Often, they will play death/doom (e.g. “Deathlike Cold”) as well as blackened doom (e.g. “Red Limitations”). They’ll splash a tremolo riff here or there, more as accent than as driving force. Then they’ll lurch and lumber (“Maelstorm’s Gravity” [sic]). And then throw in a sparse mood piece for an interlude (“Hinterland”).

The vocals and guitar tone do indeed sound a lot like a raw Behemoth. Hey, death metal is a fairly restrictive style, and most death fans don’t give you bonus points for being revolutionary. But with this much variety in songwriting and tempo, it’s tough to fault anything about Aura Damage.

The Verdict: 3.5 out of 5 stars



Hellthrasher Productions