To tell the truth, I’ve never been a fan of tribute bands. In such cases, I usually find myself thinking, “Play your own music”. I’ve always preferred listening to the original material, performed by the artists who created it in the first place. Sorry, but I cannot find any magic in bands that exclusively play other people’s songs. Call me dogmatic — I probably am. However, under certain circumstances, I’m willing to make an exception and put my usual way of seeing things aside.
Left to Die were formed recently with the intention of revisiting Death’s pre-debut era, when Chuck Schuldiner, the greatest mastermind of death metal, was laying the foundations of an entire genre. The band features two ex-Death members, Terry Butler (bass) and Rick Rozz (guitars), who respectively played on “Spiritual Healing” and “Leprosy”, alongside Gruesome founders Matt Harvey (vocals, guitars) and Gus Rios (drums). The inclusion of the latter two isn’t coincidental, as they come from a band deeply influenced by Death, both in their more savage and progressive manifestations.
“Initium Mortis” unleashes twelve dynamites from 1984, originally found on Death’s cassette demos that circulated through tape trading. The quartet remains respectful to the original material, performing these classic tracks (most of which never appeared on the subsequent albums, except for “Infernal Death”) with precision and dynamism. Given a modern production treatment, the songs now possess a clear, heavy sound that brings out details previously buried in the raw recordings, while still retaining the necessary rawness.
At the heart of it all are those savage, solid Floridian riffs — so familiar and instantly recognizable — backed by Rios’ aggressive drumming and Butler’s powerful bass lines, which add considerable depth to the album. Furthermore, Harvey’s tone and overall performance are perfectly suited to what a work of this kind demands. His vocal temperament comes close to Chuck’s, adding another layer of brutality and energy to the material.
If you had asked me beforehand what I imagined an album based on Death’s early years would sound like, my answer would certainly have been “Initium Mortis”. I believe this release fulfills every fan’s and collector’s expectations when it comes to production and overall performance. Intense and raw, it leaves no room for resting your neck. It may start with the mid-tempo, crushing rhythm of “Legion of Doom”, but once the highly addictive riffs of sinister classics such as “Power of Darkness”, “Summoned to Die”, “Mantas”, or “Death by Metal” take over, there is little left to say. With such a track list, the album remains captivating from beginning to end.
The production team has worked meticulously to give a new dimension to songs originally recorded with rudimentary equipment in the mid-80s. You may remember the rough, muffled sound and Chuck’s barely audible vocals in these cassettes. Yet, despite their lack of production values, there was something in that embryonic material that “Initium Mortis” cannot quite reproduce: sparkle. Chuck was a restless, revolutionary teenager who, alongside Rick Rozz and Kam Lee, was at the very beginning of a whole movement. That sparkle would eventually become a fire that overwhelmed everything in its path — changing heavy metal and the way we hear this music.
You could hear that genesis happening in Death’s demos. At that early stage, it was impossible to imagine how far Chuck’s talent would eventually evolve. His spirit was unrestrained, breaking through every rule that stood in his way. Death’s energy was unmatched — for instance, just listen to the execution of “Mantas” in “Live Tape #2”, recorded at a concert in Tampa. That level of rawness and malevolence could never be fully captured in “Initium Mortis”.
Left to Die chose not to deviate from the original stuff, delivering a powerful and precise performance. Their sole purpose is to highlight Death’s roots and give fans the opportunity to hear material they may never have encountered before, now presented with modern production. They wanted to pay homage. Nothing more, nothing less. The band took on the task of filling a gap, and they’ve done it splendidly. Perhaps they will inspire a new generation to dig deeper into this old stuff and discover the mind that stood behind this magnificent music — and that’s fine. And, of course, they’ll make money from their tour by playing another man’s work.
Alex Nikolaidis
PS1: I don’t want to hear comments like, “They bring Chuck’s spirit back to life”. Chuck’s spirit lives on through his albums, inspiring countless bands — actually, he never left. He’s still here, regardless of the existence of Left to Die (or any other Left to Die).
PS2: There’s simply no reason to grade a cover band’s work.
