Album Review – Aposento / No Safe Haven (2024)

There’s no safe haven when it comes to the brutality blasted by these Spanish Death Metal titans in their pulverizing fourth studio album.

Following up on the brutality and darkness of their 2020 opus Conjuring the New Apocalypse, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain-based Death Metal titans Aposento are back with their pulverizing fourth full-length installment, beautifully titled No Safe Haven. Recorded by Dan Díez at Rock Lab Studios, mixed by Davide Billia at Mk2 Recording Studio, and displaying a gory, devilish artwork by Spanish artist Naroa Etxebarria, No Safe Haven presents a brutal and powerful sound reminiscent of the classic Death Metal era of the early 90’s in Florida, with the band now formed of a returning Carlos Garcia on vocals (who was the band’s frontman from 1993 to 1997), Manolo Sáez and Manu Reyes on the guitars, and newcomers Pablo Vazquez on bass and Raúl Ceballos on drums sounding absolutely ruthless from start to finish for our total delight.

Get ready to be pulverized by the almighty Aposento in the title-track No Safe Haven, where Carlos proves why his return was the right choice for the future of the band, also showcasing decimating Death Metal riffs and crushing beats; and Raúl continues to hammer his drums mercilessly in Tortured and Abused, inviting us all to slam into the pit to the band’s classic, no shenanigans Death Metal attack. There’s no time to breath as the quintet fires another brutal tune titled Uncertain Death, with the riffage by Manolo and Manu sounding incendiary for our total delight. Moreover, it’s impressive how they manage to sound so technical without forgetting their infernal core essence. And this Spanish Death Metal brigade sounds just as infuriated in A Texas Funeral, a lesson in violence and gore where the vocals by Carlos will haunt your putrid souls for all eternity; whereas Raúl takes the lead with his wicked, demented beats and fills in The Bad Seed, keeping the animosity flowing strong in the album.

The band will then break your body in half with their thunderous sounds in Where Darkness Reigns, with Carlos deeply roaring like a demented creature supported by the heavy-as-hell kitchen by Pablo and Raúl, resulting in an amazing Death Metal aria by those Spanish beasts. A sinister start quickly explodes into sheer madness entitled Let it Bleed, where no one will be left alive to the demolishing sounds blasted by Aposento, while Manolo and Manu continue to slash their axes in The Devil’s Bargain, delivering caustic, flammable riffs while Raúl crushes his drums nonstop. Two more songs to go and the band doesn’t slow down at all, offering us absolute hatred and heaviness in As Your Life Ends, a decent Death Metal tune albeit not as good as the other songs, followed by Parásitos, one last blast of insanity and violence by the band where Raúl sounds inhumane on drums as well as Carlos with his deep guttural roars.

If you nurture a deep passion for the heaviest and most aggressive form of Death Metal, you must take a listen at the new demented album by Aposento, obviously grabbing a copy of it from Xtreem Music’s BandCamp page or webstore to show all your support to the underground, and don’t forget to also give the guys from Aposento your best guttural shout on Facebook and on Instagram, staying up to date with everything about the band including their infernal live concerts, and to stream all of their amazing discography on Spotify. There’s no safe haven when it comes to the violence blasted by Aposento in their new album, no way out, nowhere to go, with their demented sounds dragging our putrid bodies into an endless circle pit in the name of old school Death Metal.

Best moments of the album: No Safe Haven, Uncertain Death and Where Darkness Reigns.

Worst moments of the album: As Your Life Ends.

Released in 2024 Xtreem Music

Track listing
1. No Safe Haven 3:40
2. Tortured and Abused 2:59
3. Uncertain Death 3:13
4. A Texas Funeral 3:00
5. The Bad Seed 3:30
6. Where Darkness Reigns 2:42
7. Let it Bleed 4:24
8. The Devil’s Bargain 3:38
9. As Your Life Ends 3:24
10. Parásitos 3:30

Band members
Carlos Garcia – vocals
Manolo Sáez – guitars
Manu Reyes – guitars
Pablo Vazquez – bass
Raúl Ceballos – drums

Album Review – Aposento / Conjuring the New Apocalypse (2020)

Behold the insane new album by one of the biggest names of the underground Spanish scene, featuring ten original tracks of brutal and powerful Old School Death Metal.

Featuring ten original tracks of brutal and powerful Old School Death Metal made in Spain, Conjuring the New Apocalypse is the brand new opus by Logroño-based veteran horde Aposento, their third full-length album following up on the path of sheer devastation, heaviness and obscurity of the excellent Bleed to Death, released in 2017. Crushing the minds and the souls of anyone who dares to cross their path since their inception in 1990, the band comprised of Mark Bersek on vocals, Manolo Sáez and Eduardo Martínez on the guitars, Manu Reyes on bass and Gabri Valcázar on drums (who I believe has just left the band now in 2020) sounds beyond violent in Conjuring the New Apocalypse, a visceral album of Death Metal recorded and mixed by Dan Díez at Track Stereo Studios and mastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound, also displaying a demonic artwork by Naroa Etxebarría and, obviously, being highly recommended for admirers of the relentless music blasted by giants such as Suffocation, Cannibal Corpse, Sinister, Deicide and Malevolent Creation.

Devastation and fury flowing from all instruments in Liber al Vel Legis (or “The Book of the Law”, the central sacred text of Thelema allegedly written down from dictation mostly by renowned English occultist Aleister Crowley), a classic Death Metal tune where Gabri is absolutely infernal with his blast beats and with Mark barking the song’s lyrics rabidly. Then we have Heretics by the Grace of God, as fast and furious as the opening track, with Manolo and eduardo firing their Cannibal Corpse-like riffs while Manu and Gabri keep the atmosphere dense and primeval with their vicious bass jabs and beats, respectively; whereas Kadosh – Spitting on the Trisag is a true headbanging, extreme chant led by the hellish vociferations by Mark supported by Manolo’s and Eduardo’s fantastic guitar work, not to mention Gabri’s intricate and at the same time vile drumming.

Samhain – The Night of Ignis Fatuus beings to our ears more demolishing sounds blasted by the quintet, with Mark’s deep guttural roars adding an extra touch of aggressiveness to the music while Manolo, Eduardo and Manu go utterly mental with their stringed weapons; and once again inspired by the early days of Cannibal Corpse the band offers us all a neck-breaking Death Metal feast titled Akerbeltz, where the riffage and solos by Manolo and Eduardo will lacerate your ears mercilessly. After such Death Metal tempest it’s time for Aposento to hammer our heads ruthlessly in Noli me Tangere (or “touch me not”, the Latin version of a phrase spoken, according to John 20:17, by Jesus to Mary Magdalene when she recognized him after his resurrection), a lesson in old school Death Metal with a modern (and Spanish) twist spearheaded by Gabri and his unstoppable beats and fills, all spiced up by the inhumane growling by Mark. And never tired of bringing forth infernal sounds, they keep the album at a high level of ferocity in Vamachara – The Left Hand Path, a very detailed and well-balanced Death Metal extravaganza showcasing classic riffs and smashing beats for our vulgar delectation.

The insanely heavy (and consequently awesome) shredding by Manolo and Eduardo dictates the rhythm in Revelation777, a lecture in traditional Death Metal featuring the always berserk drums by Gabri and one of the most Stygian performances by Mark, resulting in the perfect choice for crushing your skull into the circle pit, followed by The Dweller on the Threshold, another excellent option to snap your neck headbanging together with those Spanish metallers, with the strident guitar riffs and solos by Manolo and Eduardo bringing even more dementia to their already venomous sound. And last but not least let’s slam into the pit one last time like true metalmaniacs in Doomsday – The Metanoia of Redemption Process, exhaling pure Death Metal with Gabri smashing his drums vigorously while Mark roars in great fashion, pulverizing everything and everyone that’s still alive after such avalanche of heavy-as-hell songs.

In summary, the raw and primeval Death Metal masterfully crafted by Aposento in Conjuring the New Apocalypse will undoubtedly please any diehard fan of the genre, presenting all elements that make such distinct style so extreme, gruesome and violent, and if you want to show your support to underground Death Metal simply follow the band on Facebook and purchase your copy of one of the best Death Metal albums of the year hands down from Xtreem Music’s BandCamp or webstore, as well as from Apple Music or Amazon. Aposento have been nothing but fantastic since their inception 30 years ago, always precise and obstinate in what they do, and if you don’t like what they have to offer you in the vile Conjuring the New Apocalypse, maybe you’re not that “dauntless and extreme metalhead” you’ve always bragged about.

Best moments of the album: Liber al Vel Legis, Samhain – The Night of Ignis Fatuus and Revelation777.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Xtreem Music

Track listing
1. Liber al Vel Legis 3:55
2. Heretics by the Grace of God 3:34
3. Kadosh – Spitting on the Trisag 3:31
4. Samhain – The Night of Ignis Fatuus 2:34
5. Akerbeltz 4:05
6. Noli me Tangere 3:23
7. Vamachara – The Left Hand Path 4:03
8. Revelation777 4:33
9. The Dweller on the Threshold 3:30
10. Doomsday – The Metanoia of Redemption Process 2:48

Band members
Mark Bersek – vocals
Manolo Sáez – guitars
Eduardo Martínez – guitars
Manu Reyes – bass
Gabri Valcázar – drums