Review Of The New Left To Die Album "Initium Mortis".
Band Name: Left To Die
Album Title: Initium Mortis
Tracklist:
Legion Of Doom
Archangel
Power Of Darkness
Zombie Slaughterhouse
Witch Of Hell
Rise Of Satan
Summoned To Die
Mantas
Slaughterhouse
Death By Metal
Running Time: 26:46
Release Date: July 17, 2026
Rating: 10/10
Label: Relapse Records
Version Reviewed: Jewel Case CD
Band Members:
Terry Butler - Bass
Matt Harvey - Guitar, Vocals
Rick “Rozz” De Lillo - Guitar
Gus Rios - Drums
Additional Album Information:
Drums Recorded at Riversound Studios By Gus Rios And Matt Laplant
Guitars And Vocals Recorded At Darker Corners By Matt Harvey
Additional Guitars Recorded By John Sutton At Dutch Oven Studios
Bass Recorded By Ken Andrews Across Europe
Mixed And Mastered By Matt Laplant For Midtown Mix Studio
Artwork By Dan Goldsworthy
Band Photo By George Chalupa
Live Photos By Ervin Novak
Layout By Jacob Speis
I remember being in Jr. High in Caro, Michigan around the time I was 15 or so in 1986. I was already a Metal fiend at the time heavily into Maiden, Priest, Ozzy and even some heavier stuff like Venom, Slayer and Metallica. I used to take Metal ‘zines with me to school and I remember one day reading one in class (oops!) and seeing a full-page ad for Death’s “Scream Bloody Gore”. The artwork enthralled me and I think the ad said “Death - The First name In Death Metal”. I think. It’s been a long time and that may have been an ad for a later Death album, but that’s how I remember it. I bought the cassette later that week at Heavy Metal Unlimited, the greatest stone and mortar Metal store to ever hail from Michigan. Death’s music opened a new world of Metal up to me. It was faster, heavier and musically more professional than most other bands out there at the time. From there I followed the band all the way up to the time Chuck Schuldiner passed away. Left To Die is a “supergroup” of sorts that has the mighty Rick Rozz on guitar. He started with Death on their sophomore effort “Leprosy” and to me it was his addition to the band where they became more Death than Thrash Metal. If you have heard Rick play before, you know he has a style all his own. The band also has Terry Butler amongst its ranks. He came into Death on their third album “Spiritual Healing”. Terry’s bass work on this album is probably the best I’ve heard on any Death Metal album. His bass is so pronounced and, in your face, … I love it. “Spiritual Healing” has always been my favorite Death album. There isn’t a bad or boring second on the album. The two members I’m less familiar with on “Initium Mortis” are Matt Harvey who plays in both Exhumed and Gruesome. Gus Rios is also in Gruesome. I only own one Gruesome album, but it’s great and I need to get more. Okay, I tend to yack about bands, albums and musicians I love as is the case here. On with the actual review!
“Initium Mortis” contains ten old Death tracks that are reworked for the modern age. Don’t let that fool you though as this is still very old school in sound in the 80’s Death/Thrash style. Power cords-a-plenty, great soloing and riffing and a bass sound dragged from the depths of hell. The drums are amazing too and thankfully don’t sound muddy like a lot of other drums on Death Metal albums. While the music here is a bit different and somewhat updated than the early Death stuff, it is still a total homage to the band’s demo and early days. The vocals are very Schuldiner-like and are delivered with evil precision and malice. The lyrics are all about darkness, Satan and all things apocalyptic. I can get behind that! The production on the album is great and is a bit raw but somewhat clean at the same time. It walks that fine line between sounding old school and modern.
The cover art is a new version of the “Scream Bloody Gore” album cover and shows the skeletal figure from the first Death album emerging from his grave with that ever-so-popular red chalice held proudly in his hand. My CD version states that there are ten tracks on the CD, but it has twelve. I did some research and found out that two bonus tracks were recorded by the band for the vinyl version. I don’t know if they just decided to include all the tracks on the CD version too or what, but mine also includes the tracks “Infernal Death” and “Corpsegrinder”.
If you’re a fan of Death, definitely get this. Even if you’re a fan of Death or Thrash Metal in general you still need to get it. This is one hell of an album that is an homage to one, if not the best Death Metal band to ever exist. It’s not even a homage to them really as two of the band members were there towards the beginning of Death, but you know what I mean. My highest recommendation possible!
As always, I like to ask my readers to support the bands, labels and artists by purchasing the physical copies of the albums you love or by visiting their Bandcamp and Facebook pages and supporting them there.
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