There are a few Death tribute bands floating around the metalverse, but my favorite has always been Left to Die. Left to Die captures that OG Death sound, and I think that’s primarily because of Rick Rozz and Terry Butler. This lineup focuses on Death’s first four albums during their live shows. They emphasize the raw, brutal death metal feel rather than the more polished, guitar-virtuosic era of the band.

It must be an incredible honor for a tribute band to release a full-length album based on Death's demo material but Left to Die has done just that with its standout debut release, Initium Mortis. When you listen to "Legion of Doom," the opening track on Initium Mortis, you instantly feel like you're listening to Death reincarnated. Part of that impression may come from the fact that one of the riffs is deliberately borrowed from "Spiritual Healing," the title track from Death's 1990 album of the same name. More than anything, though, it's the band's ability to capture that unmistakable essence of Death, something they also execute exceptionally well during their live shows.

Chuck Schuldiner had an unmistakable, commanding voice that helped define the death metal genre, and Matt Harvey (Exhumed/Gruesome) replicates it with remarkable precision throughout Initium Mortis.

Then there's Rick Rozz. He is unequivocally the master of Death's guitar sound during the band's most brutal era. His signature whammy bar dive bombs are so distinctive that they've become part of the band's musical DNA. Terry Butler's (Death/Obituary/Six Feet Under/Massacre) thunderous bass playing belongs in that same DNA profile. It's simple yet effective, with nothing flashy to distract from the ferocity of the music. Behind the kit, Gus Rios (Gruesome/Knights of Unicron) keeps his drumming straightforward, memorable, and hard-hitting, a hallmark of old-school death metal bands from the late '80s and early '90s.

Rick Rozz & Matt Harvey of Left to Die at Brutal Assault 2024

While listening to the album, I found myself having fun imagining which Death album each track might have ended up on. For example, "Witch of Hell" sounds like it could have been a B-side from Spiritual Healing. "Summoned to Die" channels the spirit of Scream Bloody Gore at times. The majority of the tracks on Initium Mortis feel like a mashup of Death's first three releases. "Mantas," inspired by Chuck Schuldiner's pre-Death band of the same name, is the most atavistic track on the entire album.

The simplicity of Initium Mortis is almost a forgotten trait in today's death metal landscape. Just about every death metal band is trying to outdo the others technically. They can have at it, because only bands like Left to Die can truly nail that classic sound without coming across as juvenile or amateurish.

Initium Mortis might sound like "dad death metal" to anyone under 40, but for true connoisseurs of the genre, this album is something special, a resurrection crafted for the discerning ears of OSDM (old-school death metal) fans. Not only does it keep Chuck Schuldiner's legacy alive, but it also pays tribute to pioneers such as Possessed, Master, Massacre, Sadus, and countless others. To rip a line from Game of Thrones, one quote perfectly captures the spirit of this album: "What is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger."