Review: APOSENTO “Bleed to Death”

APOSENTO “Bleed to Death”
Xtreem Music

A fantastic album of old school Death Metal that has all it takes to become an underground classic among metalheads all over the world, taking the name of this ruthless Spanish squad to the four corners of the earth.

Spanish Death Metal squad Aposento might be the absolute personification of underground extreme music. Formed in 1990 by guitarist Manolo Sáez in Logroño, the capital of the province of La Rioja in northern Spain, Aposento refuse to die and keep carrying the flag of old school Death Metal no matter what, despite having been through several lineup changes and a huge hiatus between 1997 and 2012. However, as I said, this roaring entity doesn’t show any signs of giving up, being on a roll since their comeback in 2012 with the releases of an EP titled Retorno a la Muerte that same year, their first full-length album self-titled Aposento in 2013, and now in 2017 their most promising work to date, the berserk and implacable Bleed to Death.

Although Manolo is the only founding member left from the band’s 1990 original lineup, that doesn’t mean they lost their touch in crafting good old Death Metal. Quite the contrary, newcomers Mark Berserk (vocals), Manu Reyes (bass) and Gabri Valcázar (drums) perfectly understood what the music by Aposento is all about, adding their share of hatred, fury and electricity to the band’s musicality. As a result of the band’s reinvigorated attitude, this new lineup was able to play intensively throughout the whole Spanish territory as well as Portugal last year, sharing the stage with renowned bands like Avulsed, Cannibal Corpse and Benediction. And after listening to the ten demolishing tunes found in Bleed to Death, you’ll see this Spanish institution is stronger than ever.

The dirty, raw riffs by Manolo ignite sheer brutality in the form of music in Bleeding Flesh, before Mark joins the feast with his cavernous growling and Gabri begins his onrush of blast beats, turning it into a highly recommended tune for fans of Cannibal Corpse, Six Feet Under and all those old school Death Metal hordes. In Wishing Hell there’s no time to waste with intros or shenanigans, only pure straightforward Death Metal, once again presenting fierce beats and menacing guttural vocals, all enhanced by the album’s fantastic production (without of course losing the band’s crude, primeval core). And Partially Deceased Syndrome, a Cannibal Corpse-inspired creation with Aposento’s own twist, is a visceral, fast-paced hymn showcasing unstoppable drumming and demented growling, with Manolo being a demonic beast with his slashing guitar lines, turning it into a must-listen for diehard fans of old school Death Metal.

Exhaling sheer aggression and hatred from the very first second, Portrait of a Killer is another boisterous composition by this relentless band where Gabri sounds beastly behind his drums, while Mark basically vomits the song’s vile lyrics. In Maleficarvm, featuring additional vocals by guest musician Dave Rotten (Avulsed, Holycide), a very rhythmic and melodic intro slowly grows into a full-bodied sonority thanks to the high level of intricacy found in all instruments, in special the drumming by Gabri, with all its tempo changes keeping the music fresh from start to finish; while the rumbling bass lines by Manu together with the frantic but very harmonious beats by Gabri add a lot of groove to the sick tune entitled Slaughtered, one of those high-octane songs perfect for crushing your spinal cord into the circle pit. And Abandon All Hope presents a sluggish start with bass and drums dictating the rhythm, quickly morphing into sheer devastation with Mark vociferating deeply and darkly like a rabid beast.

The Divine Art of Torture might be considered one of their sickest creations, bringing tons of groove and punch, with Manolo and Gabri making an amazing duo of destruction with their cutting riffs and potent beats respectively, becoming impossible not to slam into the pit to this accelerated hymn. Following a similar pattern as “Abandon All Hope” with a slower-than-usual start and becoming an infernal feast of insane Death Metal after a while, Revenge Against God showcases endless stamina flowing from the drumming by Gabri, with the deep growling by Mark adding an extra touch of obscurity to the chorus. And lastly, Aposento managed to condense all the main elements of Death Metal into less than 30 seconds in Cannibalistic Communion, but of course I wish this brutal chant was a lot longer than this, as I believe that at two or three minutes this would have been simply superb.

You can know more about Aposento, their current and future plans and their tour dates at their Facebook page, and grab your copy of Bleed to Death at Xtreem Music’s BandCamp or webstore. Featuring a diabolical artwork by Spanish designer Mugi (Abigor Artwork), Bleed to Death has all it takes to become an underground classic among admirers of old school Death Metal all over the world, taking the name of Aposento to the four corners of the earth and confirming the undeniable fact that this awesome band still has a lot of fuel to burn and is really far from calling it quits.

Best moments of the album: Partially Deceased Syndrome, Slaughtered and The Divine Art of Torture.

Worst moments of the album: Cannibalistic Communion.

Released in 2017 by Xtreem Music

Track listing

1. Bleeding Flesh 4:51
2. Wishing Hell 3:36
3. Partially Deceased Syndrome 4:32
4. Portrait of a Killer 3:07
5. Maleficarvm (feat. Dave Rotten) 5:37
6. Slaughtered 3:18
7. Abandon All Hope 3:35
8. The Divine Art of Torture 3:36
9. Revenge Against God 4:50
10. Cannibalistic Communion 0:26

Band members
Mark Bersek – vocals
Manolo Sáez – guitars
Manu Reyes – bass
Gabri Valcázar – drums
Guest musician
Dave Rotten – additional vocals on “Maleficarvm”