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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.


Initium Mortis by Left to Die

As its creators dare, modern metal music holds the unique position of having decades of realized and celebrated sounds to guide it. Whether it’s the harmonized crunch of Iron Maiden, the forlorn, minor-scale weeping of Paradise Lost, or the twisting, chiming builds of Fates Warning, classic styles like these build a world that transcends the simple attachment of a good chorus or solo. And in the lineage of NWOBHM fury, gothic sorrows, and progressive tinkering, Mark Sugar roots his long-running prog-ish, doom-ish, always heavy Black Sites project. Album after album, Sugar has explored his wide range of musical influences to capture that hard-to-attain feeling of nostalgia without ever being comfortable living in the shadow of any one band. Does For Eternity, then, as installment number five, cement the growing legacy of this recognizable Black Sites synthesis?

Like a worn body, scuffed pickguard six-string, Black Sites has aged with a trustworthy action in its idiosyncratic and progressive foundations. As our beloved DANG once noted, earlier albums like Exile felt like a playlist of Black Sites’ favorite metal songs recreated in the Black Sites fashion—far from a misstep when the material is as quality as Sugar and co. produce. 2021’s Untrue began the path toward a more controlled vision. But then with an extra rhythmic flashiness, 2023’s The Promised Land? saw Black Sites taking greater risks on complex, longer-form tracks contrasted with slower, crowd-ready bangers. On that latter endeavor, For Eternity doubles down and adds an even more ’80s-loaded riff flair. In the construction of tracks like “Giving Up the Ghost” and “Silent Wars,” it doesn’t take much effort to hear the homage to the deadly and moody axe-led precision of classics like Dio’s “The Last in Line” or Ozzy Osbourne’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll Rebel.” Yet in the presence of these touchpoints, Black Sites never loses its course down Sugar’s own expression of heavy metal appreciation.

Throughout For Eternity, a thundering momentum defines the Black Sites attacks. In well-paced bursts of four-to-six-or-so minutes, trademarked open string punctuation in melodies finds weight in power chord progressions, tom-heavy drum drives, and growling, thumpy bass struts.¹ For those desiring a pick scrape to pull-off riff-fest, “Above Soil, Beneath Sky” and “Silent Wars” stand at attention to raised horns. And if it’s Sugar’s nimble fingers ripping between muted crunch and piercing, melodic solo work, “Aquarius Betrayed” and “When Prophecy Fails” provide all the nimble fretboard action one could ask for in this context. Whatever the mass of metal movement, Sugar’s slithering and workmanlike warble push and pull on unexpected beats with a relatable melancholy dressed as attachable choruses. While never as bright and boisterous as new co-conspirator Chris Black and his work in High Spirits, this iteration of Black Sites, no matter the tempo, plows through every bar with heavy metal purpose.

In coordination with this honed songcraft, a touch more production panache helps For Eternity wear a bigger presence than its predecessors. The Dan “The Man” Swanö mix/master effort emboldens Sugar and new axe-partner Lee Smith (Professor Emeritus) to find a warmth in tone and classy fullness in reverb that let precise pedal action and pickup shifts feel swift, seamless, and vibrant (“When It Calls,” “Aquarius Betrayed,” “When Prophecy Fails”). And despite the diversity in total attack that each song presents, a uniformity in staging helps Sugar’s sneaky array of snippy licks stick to memory no matter how intense the main refrain or soaring the solo can be (“Aquarius Betrayed,” “Above Soil, Beneath Sky,” “Silent Wars”). Again, the veteran conductor Chris Black (Dawnbringer, High Spirits, ex-Pharaoh) as a co-producer unlocks fine details like gentle synth backings and sneaky vocal layering that add depth and tension to moody intros and triumphant crescendos (“When It Calls,” “Aquarius Betrayed,” “Unanswered for Eternity”).² Every choice matters, and every choice elevates what For Eternity has to offer.

With this level of calculated prowess, however, For Eternity doesn’t pack any surprises, or rather, doesn’t expand the Black Sites playbook by any significant value. But novelty for the sake of achieving novelty isn’t necessary for an album to succeed. As the fifth step in the Black Sites journey, For Eternity strikes with finesse. And sticking to a tested and refined palette of hooky, hammering, and harmonious heavy metal, Sugar has delivered an experience that, while easy to digest, unfolds new layers with each successive listen.

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Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: PCM
Label: Self-Release
Websites: blacksites.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/blacksites
Releases Worldwide: July 17th, 2026

The post Black Sites – For Eternity Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

On September 8th 2026, Swedish thrashers Xion will put out their second long player dubbed When Stars Collide. The 8-piece outing was produced, mixed and mastered by Jonas Arnberg. Cover artwork was created by Par Olofsson.
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Over the past few years, Devil Master, Blank Spell, and Spiter have crystallised a new wave of black metal-inspired bands in the hardcore scene. But to call them simply black metal is selling them short. While they possess that genre’s banshee screeching and diminished chords, their punk-ified speed metal riffing and erratic structures reveal something foreign and gothic. Zorn show this better than any other. 

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A shadow is cast upon Zorn’s family by the so-called “Japanese punk-metal” sound that G.I.S.M. and Zouo defined in the 1980s. These groups’ Venom-throatedness, buzzing guitars, and driving drum beats were so raw that the line between them and early black metal was but a string. The foundations of Return to Castle Death, Zorn’s latest album, is a modern reinterpretation of this as it incorporates black metal’s later Norwegian developments. 

Through their unconventional vocals, hardcore-focus and manic writing style, Zorn made a name for themselves as the most G.I.S.M.-leaning of their sect. What G.I.S.M. couldn’t predict, however were the elements Zorn takes from deathrock, the punk-indebted, American counterpart to goth. Zorn’s music is littered with the unorthodox chord voicings and sparse, flange-heavy guitar work blazed by Christian Death, Burning Image or Altar de Fey. Hardcore, goth, and black metal have long been intertwining, back to Celtic Frost’s love of Christian Death and Discharge or Mayhem’s Amebix and Dead Can Dance obsessions, but the flanger was overwhelmingly dismissed. Zorn even have a fascinating tendency to pluck characteristically black metal chords in ways that make them more closely resemble those of mainline British goth. 

Zorn feature Cape of Bats live guitarist Eric Teofilak on vocals, a band who, a decade and a half ago, forged this same fusion. Following their hiatus in 2015, they became a phenomenon in their hometown of Philadelphia, in part through guitarist Francis Kano’s labels Grim Wind Records and Bat Magick Productions. If Cape of Bats and Haunter’s split album from last year is anything to go by, it seems to be called “black magick metal”. 

Teofilak has the erratic annunciation and character voices of G.I.S.M.’s Shigehisa Yokoyama but incorporates them into more conventional black metal high-scream techniques. At times he even pushes his voice past ordinary false cord tonality into something based in his falsetto. However, when compared to Zorn’s self-titled, Return to Castle Death tunes down many of their manic qualities. Its song structures and riffs are certainly more predictable, even if that isn’t saying much when put against other bands. We’re still treated to a few maniacal laughs and screams, even gurgling on “Black Dog March”, but they’re less common, and the flanger is less present. Regardless, the organ on closer “Guest of the Mad Prince” is an unexpected treat. 

Zorn’s lead guitars are less menacing than would be expected by the genres they take from. There is simply a level of fun that its parents don’t share. Certainly, Zorn are dark, but perhaps “spooky” is a better description. With the style’s sound and tongue-in-cheek black metal aesthetic spreading to Texas with Haunter and Chile with Sign of Evil, it becomes increasingly obvious that none of these bands are straight-faced. Return to Castle Death‘s artwork presents the band alongside the robed horde of monks that carry Teofilak on stage in a coffin each night. Many carry a Kalashnikov, a callback to the bayoneted demon from their self-titled sleeve. 

The album also features occasional callbacks to post-G.I.S.M. hardcore developments. This is particularly prevalent through grooving mosh parts, such as at the end of “Return to the Castle” or the solo of SansAmp bass tone on “Curse of the Black Witch.” While production is cleaner and instruments are more distinguishable, the self-titled’s raw, cavernous mix played up their rabid qualities in a way Return to Castle Death only grazes. 

To call Return to Castle Death formulaic would be a bare-faced lie, but compared to their previous efforts, it may as well be. Zorn remain consistent in their aim to create high-energy, deathrock-infused punk-black-metal. However, somewhere along the way, they lost focus of a quality that put them a head above the rest. The album proves Zorn have found their identity, but perhaps it is one so manic, even they can’t sustain it.

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Return to Castle Death is available now via Sorry State Records.

Uprising X Announces Black Spikes, Hippotraktor and more.

Uprising X is the events epic tenth edition, new home, same values, same great vibes! Welcome to Uprising X, taking place at KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton, on 9–10 April 2027.

But, who will be joining the line up? 

​Uprising X is officially underway! First up to join the lineup are Lithuania’s own modern metal heavyweights, Black Spikes. Renowned for seamlessly blending their love for all metal subgenres, the band is set to deliver an intense, intricate, and powerful live experience. UK crowds already got a taste of their ferocious stage presence during last year’s tour with Infected Rain and Butcher Babies, and they’re ready for more.

Joining the lineup are Hippotraktor, the Belgian post-metal quintet renowned for delivering deeply emotional performances driven by heavy, polyrhythmic grooves and soaring atmospheric melodies. Their sound is a masterclass in contrast; chaotic and loud, yet packed with massive hooks and brutally crushing breakdowns. As proud members of the esteemed Pelagic Records roster, they are no strangers to UK shores, having crushed sets at ArcTanGent, conquered multiple successful headline tours, and already secured a coveted slot for Damnation 2026.

Making their debut at the festival, Copenhagen’s very own progressive metal outfit Cold Night For Alligators join the lineup. The band has rapidly built a formidable UK reputation following a standout tour with MØL this past February and a highly regarded set at Radar Festival in 2022. Renowned for their precision and fierce energy, they effortlessly balance calculated chaos with sweeping, atmospheric soundscapes.

Joining the bill are fellow Belgian heavyweights Cobra The Impaler. If you were lucky enough to grab a ticket last year, you likely caught them tearing up the UK alongside Hippotraktor or early this year Psychonaut. The band seamlessly fuses raw aggression and thrash-like grooves with enchanting vocal melodies and intense screams. Driven by the critical acclaim of their albums Colossal Gods (2022) and Karma Collision (2024), they have conquered stages across Europe, including standout performances at Graspop and Bloodstock alongside multiple successful UK tours.

Making their highly anticipated debut are Brummie rockers Straight For The Sun. This energetic quintet has built a fierce reputation for delivering massive choruses and lively, unpredictable stage antics. With standout appearances at Call Of The Wild, Planet Rock Winter’s End, and Bloodstock already under their belt, festival-goers can expect a high-octane performance and a massive crowd sing-along.

The final band completing this announcement is Leicester’s own post-hardcore quintet, Reckoner. A must-see for fans of Underoath and Every Time I Die, the band has made massive waves in a relatively short amount of time. They have already earned coveted airplay on BBC Radio 1, crushed sets at Mangata Festival and Call Of The Wild, and shared stages with the likes of Coilguns, Obeyer, and The Five Hundred.

With so much still to announce, Uprising X is just getting started for what will be it’s biggest instalment to date. Grab those tickets to the party of the year!

Line Up So Far: 
BLACK SPIKES | HIPPOTRAKTOR | COLD NIGHT FOR ALLIGATORS | COBRA THE IMPALER | STRAIGHT FOR THE SUN | RECKONER

For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.

The post Uprising X Announces Black Spikes, Hippotraktor and more. appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

Posted on July 17th 2026, 4:15pm

“La Sdrega”, the newest preview tune from Hesperia‘s upcoming full-length effort Picenum (True Marchigian Black Metal Renaissance) (out on August 28), has surfaced online.
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According to the ‘Planet Rock’ news from UK, The Dead Daisies and vocalist John Corabi have parted ways. John revealed that decision to leave the ranks was not mutual.
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For the German heavy metal quintet GENERATION STEEL, the signs are literally pointing to a storm: The band has strengthened its line-up in many areas and is ready to launch a true head-banger – their third studio album, “Steelmachine.” The previously released title track already perfectly showcased the direction they’re heading in. With new members Thilo Herrmann (guitar, […]

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Legendary bassist Billy Sheehan has confirmed that Talas — the classic Buffalo, New York band he fronted from the 1970s into the mid-1980s — will play live shows in 2027 with James Naro on lead vocals. James is the son of the late Phil Naro, who sang on the band’s 2022 reunion album 1985 before his death in May 2021 at the age of 63. Sheehan announced a July 10 appearance on SiriusXM’s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk.”

Sheehan said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): “When we did the 1985 record with Talas, which was everything that was going on with us in 1985 when I left to join David Lee Roth, all those songs, we went back and did them all right, and a singer, Phil Naro, came out and just nailed it. He got up to the mic and knocked it out of the park.

“We didn’t know how ill he was at the time. Now we know even how much greater he was to have stepped up to the mic and done what he did in the condition he was in, and sadly we lost him soon after that record.

“And I’m really, really pleased to announce that his son, James, who has got an amazing voice, much like his dad, has decided to do some shows with Talas. So we’re gonna go out with that lineup, and James is gonna sing. I already had him sing a couple of our songs just to see if it fit, and he sent me his voice, and he’s the spitting image of his dad. Wonderful, sweet kid, on top of it.

“So, we’re very excited. The beginning of next year we’re gonna go out and do some shows as Talas with Phil’s son at lead vocals, and we’re so, so happy about it. He’s such a wonderful young man, and we’re gonna have a blast.”

1985 was released in September 2022 via Metal Blade Records. The album featured Sheehan, Phil Naro, drummer Mark Miller and guitarist Kire Najdovski, collecting material the band had written in the mid-1980s around the time Sheehan departed to join David Lee Roth’s band. Phil’s death from tongue cancer in May 2021 — not long after the album was recorded — gave the project a deeply elegiac quality. The 2022 album also followed a 2017 reunion Talas staged for the “Bands At Barnard” charity event in Greece, after which the band played only sporadic dates.

After his Talas tenure, Phil Naro paired his powerful voice with a number of recording projects involving Kiss co-founder Peter Criss and Canadian rockers Coney Hatch. He also co-wrote several tracks with Rascals founding guitarist Gene Cornish and co-wrote three songs for Canadian artist Lee Aaron’s 1989 album Bodyrock.

Sheehan went on to form Mr. Big in 1989, achieving a Billboard No. 1 single in the U.S. and 14 other countries with “To Be With You” from the band’s second album, Lean Into It.

The post BILLY SHEEHAN Confirms That TALAS Will Play Some Live Dates With PHIL NARO’s Son JAMES On Lead Vocals appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.