LEFT TO DIE

Common sense suggests that Chuck Schuldiner's towering legacy will never fade, but there is certainly no harm in reminding multiple generations of death metal fans of its gargantuan importance. After paying tribute to various parts of the great man's career with the relentlessly stellar GRUESOME, underground powerhouse Matt Harvey (EXHUMED / POUNDER) has stepped up again here. While the first couple of GRUESOME albums focused on mirroring the extreme metal revolution that transpired on DEATH's "Scream Bloody Gore" and "Leprosy" records, LEFT TO DIE — featuring Harvey alongside drummer Gus Rios and two authentic DEATH alumni, bassist Terry Butler and guitarist Rick Rozz — exist to celebrate the pioneering clangor of Schuldiner's formative years, prior to signing with Combat Records in 1987. Taken from the assorted demos and live recordings that DEATH (and former incarnation MANTAS) released between 1983 and 1986, these ten songs amount to an exhilarating trip back in time: in essence, a resurrected prequel to "Scream Bloody Gore" and, more importantly, a chance for devoted DEATH fans to hear this material in a less primitive form (or, of course, for the first time). Adorned with spectacular new artwork from the inestimable Dan Goldsworthy, "Initium Mortis" is an unexpected but very welcome blast from the past, executed by elite experts in their deathly field.

Obsessive death metal nerds will doubtless know all of these songs inside out, but for the majority of listeners, "Initium Mortis" will be a largely fresh experience. Bolstered by a big, brutal sound that deftly echoes the style and savagery of those early MANTAS and DEATH lineups while adding enough contemporary heft to emphasize the timeless nature of Schuldiner's songcraft, this is an exercise in elevated old-school purity. Death metal has evolved many times over in the decades that have passed since DEATH (and others) kick-started a global revolution, but "Initium Mortis" goes right back to the bloody roots of the genre and illuminates those tentative endeavors with true-to-the-bone performances. For death metal fans of a certain age, this will resonate with such force that it may outstrip any other album released this year. LEFT TO DIE plainly feel this shit in their bones and blood, and every song feels like a venomous salute to the ancient way of doing things. From the bombastic viscera of the opening "Legions Of Doom" onwards, the band's devotion to honoring the unholy past is absolute and genuinely overwhelming. Previously only heard as scratchy, sonically impoverished demo recordings, the likes of "Archangel", "Power Of Darkness" and "Summoned To Die" are now reborn as bona fide anthems, full of scything riffs, psychotic drumming and Matt Harvey's inch-perfect vocal tributes to the late, great Floridian. A determinedly all-killer-no-filler affair, "Initium Mortis" takes 27 minutes to confirm what sensible death metal fans already know: there is no school like the old school, and Chuck Schuldiner was a fucking genius. Play it loud or be left for dead.