Left To Die sign to Relapse and announce their debut album ‘Initium Mortis’

LEFT TO DIE has signed to Relapse Records and announce their debut full-length Initium Mortis, set for release on July 17, 2026. Listen to the band’s lead single “Archangel” and pre-order Initium Mortis here.

Death alumni Rick Rozz and Terry Butler join forces with gore metal pioneer Matt Harvey and Gruesome drummer Gus Rios to form LEFT TO DIE. Their new album, Initium Mortis, pays homage to the brutal beginnings of Death.

Initium Mortis sees the supergroup—including original Death members Terry Butler (Obituary) and Rick Rozz (Massacre)—joining Matt Harvey (Exhumed, Gruesome) and Gus Rios (Gruesome) to capture the morbid depths of Death‘s early catalog.

See LEFT TO DIE live throughout Europe this Summer & Latin America in September! A full list of confirmed tour dates is available below. Stay tuned for more tour announcements. 

Members of LEFT TO DIE comment on the new album:

Terry Butler: 

“Left To Die went from a thought to doing a full US tour in about 3 months! Pretty remarkable. We wanted to play the early material for the fans that weren’t able to see the first albums in a live setting. There are many young fans at our shows that are hearing the foundation that Death stands on to this day live for the first time! 

Rick Rozz: 

“First, I would like to thank Gus, Matt, and Terry for making LEFT TO DIE happen. It’s been an honor and pleasure working with them for the past few years and beyond. It’s really cool to be able to hear these tunes from 1984 properly! The old school Death fans are going to dig this release.”

Matt Harvey: 

“For Initium Mortis, we wanted Death fans who never heard these demo songs to hear them with good production. Most of these early demos were recorded on a boom box, so by the time someone got their demo through tape trading it was almost inaudible! We think these tracks are a good representation of the birth of Mantas/Death. This is ground zero – where it all started: three 15 year-old kids creating death metal history, and even within these choice cuts from the demo days you can hear the evolution of the music.”

Gus Rios: 

“The band started simply because Rick called me and asked if I’d be into it… Which I very promptly replied by referencing bears, shit, and woods. I then called Matt and Terry and the rest is history. To be given this unbelievable opportunity to play those songs with Rick and Terry across the globe is an honor and a blessing I find hard to put in words. Matt and I are living our 14-year-old selves’ death metal fantasy!

Featuring tracks like “Archangel,” “Witch of Hell,” and “Legion of Doom” expertly executed in the now, Initium Mortis is a must-have for Death fans and collectors alike. Ultimately, LEFT TO DIE celebrates a seminal band and the camaraderie of the genre’s most extreme corner of music. 

LEFT TO DIE EU live dates: