LEFT TO DIE - Initium Mortis Review

Release Date: July 17, 2026

I've had the pleasure of spinning Initium Mortis for the last few months thanks to the band sending me an advance copy, and let me tell you, this thing has been in regular rotation ever since. As a lifelong fan of the early days of DEATH and the entire old school death metal movement, this album hits exactly where it needs to.

From the mind of gore metal pioneer Matt Harvey, LEFT TO DIE continues its mission of paying tribute to the legendary Chuck Schuldiner and the earliest days of DEATH. Featuring original DEATH members Terry Butler and Rick Rozz alongside Harvey and Gus Rios, Initium Mortis brings some of the earliest Mantas and DEATH material to life with modern production while keeping the raw spirit completely intact.

The album wastes no time getting down to business.

"Legion Of Doom" kicks things off with a riff that instantly makes me visualize a circle pit exploding right in front of the stage. It has that whipping, headbanging energy that grabs you immediately and refuses to let go.

"Archangel" picks up the pace with a faster attack that leans further into speed metal territory while still carrying that unmistakable early DEATH vibe.

"Power Of Darkness" throws you straight back into the 1980s. It's one of those fist-in-the-air anthems where you'll find yourself shouting the chorus along with the band. Sometimes the simplest hooks are the most memorable, and this one absolutely sticks.

Then comes "Zombie," opening with clean guitars that give your ears a brief moment to breathe before the band stomps the gas pedal and launches back into fast, ripping death metal mayhem.

One of my personal favorites is "Witch Of Hell." I absolutely love the way the vocals echo across the speakers when Matt screams, "Witch of Hell... Hell!" It's those little production touches that make songs memorable. I've always appreciated details like that. They stick with you long after the album ends.

"Rise Of Satan" is simply badass. No fancy explanation needed.

"Summoned To Die" opens with a cool bass guitar and bass drum stomp before erupting into controlled chaos, while "Mantas" storms in with fury and a huge "Woooow!" scream that sounds like the soundtrack to marching into battle.

"Slaughterhouse" continues the assault with another crushing performance before the album closes with "Death By Metal," which feels like the perfect ending to an absolutely killer record.

The advance version I received also included two bonus tracks.  In my opinion, they're among the standout moments on the entire release. I'm not sure whether they'll appear on a future special edition or another format, but I certainly hope so because they're too good to stay hidden.

Of course, longtime DEATH fans have heard many of these songs over the years through rough rehearsal tapes and demo recordings traded among diehard fans. That's exactly what makes Initium Mortis so special.

As Matt Harvey explains, the goal was to let fans hear these historic songs with the production quality they always deserved. Many of the original demos were recorded on primitive equipment and became nearly impossible to make out after countless generations of cassette tape trading. Here, those same songs finally breathe with clarity while never sacrificing the grit, aggression, or authenticity that made them legendary in the first place.

The production walks a fine line that isn't easy to achieve. It sounds modern enough to satisfy today's listeners while still retaining that unmistakable classic death metal atmosphere. It never feels overproduced or polished to the point of losing its soul. Instead, it sounds exactly how these songs probably lived in the heads of the teenagers who first created them over forty years ago.

For fans of the earliest DEATH recordings, Mantas, or the birth of death metal itself, this album is much more than another tribute release. It's a respectful restoration of an important piece of heavy metal history performed by musicians who genuinely understand and love the material.

As someone whose favorite era of death metal has always been those raw late 80s and early 90s releases, Initium Mortis absolutely delivers. It captures the excitement, danger, and hunger that helped define an entire genre while giving these historic songs the sound they've deserved all along.

Rating: 10/10

If you're a DEATH fan, an old school death metal fanatic, or simply someone who appreciates where this genre began, Initium Mortis is essential listening. LEFT TO DIE didn't just revisit history. They brought it back to life.