1 May 2016

Hell United: "Aura Damage"


There are no breaks on this Polish blackened death metal train
No doubt that Poland has produced its fair share of good metal bands. Apart from the popular choices like Behemoth, Hate and Vader, we have previously also become acquainted with bands like Pandemonium, Centurion, Embrional, Sphere, Stillborn and Empatic at this site. Like most of those bands, Hell United seeks to combine the evil dogmas of black, death and thrash metal alike in one deadly concoction.


With nine tracks of high-tempo metal, entailing vicious tremolo riffing and blasting drums, Hell United's second album - Aura Damage - perfectly showcases a great understanding of compelling material and ferocious blackened death metal. Songs like the sinister Deathlike Cold, the fast-paced Apostle of Plague and the tenebrous album closer Totality of I all demonstrate the many facets that make up the entity collectively known as Hell United.

"...it is an album that is mostly one of those albums where you'll listen with half an ear,"

The Polish quartet shows great craftsmanship, but it's not all fun and games. Aura Damage shows promise, no question, and has great consistency while still utilising a variety of moods and tempos to convey its malevolent destructive force. But with few stand-out tracks, it is an album that is mostly one of those albums where you'll listen with half an ear, if only to drop whatever you're doing when your favourite tracks come on. 

Hell United's Aura Damage has a great, hellish vibe to it. You can almost feel the black fires of the underworld licking at your feet as you let yourself be engulfed in its raw, ichor-like atmosphere. Its oppressing moods and rupturous dynamics, together with the occassional engaging riff, makes for a good blend worthy of repeated listens. It feels like one of the those albums that you'll keep returning to once in a while, even when you thought you had forgotten about it.

7/10


Released in 2012 by Hellthrasher Productions

Links

No comments:

Post a Comment