Oh, you didn’t know? Death metal’s back, and it’s brought a casket of nostalgia, a few riffs, and absolutely zero original ideas. Welcome to LEFT TO DIE, the band that’s not dead at all — it’s just really, really good at pretending to be. In a recent interview with the legendary (and slightly unhinged) “Reckless” Rexx Ruger of the Pod Scum podcast, former DEATH/MASSACRE guitarist Frederick “Rick Rozz” DeLillo casually dropped the bombshell that his current project, LEFT TO DIE, might — just *might* — release some original music. “I don’t know,” he said, like he was confessing to accidentally eating the entire pizza. “We talked about doing some originals. Maybe an EP. Who knows? Only time will tell, man. For real.”
Now, if you thought this was a groundbreaking revelation, prepare to have your existential dread confirmed: LEFT TO DIE is the band where classic DEATH members Rozz and Terry Butler (also of MASSACRE and currently in OBITUARY) team up with GRUESOME founders Matt Harvey (EXHUMED) and Gus Rios (ex-MALEVOLENT CREATION). And what do they do? They play *covers* of DEATH’s early albums. Like, *all* of them. Not just a few songs. Not a greatest hits. They play “Leprosy” and “Scream Bloody Gore” in full. Yes, the ones with the title tracks that sound like a chainsaw got into a fight with a corpse. And now they’re thinking about adding *original* songs? To a band named LEFT TO DIE? The horror.
When asked if releasing an EP makes more sense than a full album, Rozz responded with the enthusiasm of a man who’s just been told he has to relearn guitar after a 35-year hiatus. “I don’t know,” he said. “We just thought it would be a good idea. If it happens. It’s talk right now.” Classic. It’s not a plan. It’s not a vision. It’s a *talk*. Like “We talked about going to the store. Never happened. Still talking. Maybe tomorrow? Who knows?”
His idea? Each member writes a song. Four originals. Plus a couple of covers. Six songs total. “My idea,” he clarifies, “but I’m not speaking for the other guys.” Of course not, Rick. You’re just the guy with 20 riffs on your phone. You’re not a *leader*. You’re a *riff collector*. A guy who records himself playing guitar into his phone like he’s auditioning for a podcast called “Acoustic Death Riffs.” He said he just picks up his guitar, plays a riff, hits record, and saves it. “I have probably 20 riffs on my phone,” he admitted. “Just little snippets. So I don’t forget.” Oh, Rick. You’re not a metal god. You’re a guy who saved “Power Chord #4” on his iPhone. With a ringtone.
And get this: he misses jamming with people. “It’s so much cooler to play riffs with a drummer,” he said. But then he laughed. Why? Because he knows he’s 60 years old, hasn’t written a death metal song since 1989, and now he’s trying to *jam* again. Like he’s in a boy band. “You know when a riff is cool,” he said, “but then maybe somebody else might not like it.” Oh no. The horror. The *subjectivity*. What if Gus says, “Dude, this riff sounds like a dying hamster”? Then what? Do you scrap it? Do you compromise? Do you just play it slower and call it “funeral doom”?
Meanwhile, the Riff Crew YouTube channel dropped a full video of LEFT TO DIE’s March 9, 2025 show at Melbourne Dethfest. And guess what? They played every single song from “Leprosy” and “Scream Bloody Gore.” No setlist surprises. No encores. Just 50 minutes of pure, unfiltered death metal nostalgia. The setlist reads like a greatest hits *if* DEATH only had two albums and one of them was called “Regurgitated Guts.” Highlights include “Infernal Death,” “Sacrificial,” and the ever-popular “Evil Dead.” Yes, that one. The one where the lyrics are just “dead dead dead dead dead.” But hey, it’s *metal*.
Back in November 2023, Rozz told BLABBERMOUTH.NET that performing these songs was “an honor.” And terrifying. “I had my taste of anxiety,” he said. “I was like, ‘Holy crap. I have to learn all these songs.’” But then he shrugged it off. “It’s pretty cool.” Of course it is. You’re playing the songs that made you famous. You’re not writing new ones. You’re not innovating. You’re just… *existing*. Like a museum exhibit that plays music.
And when asked if he’s come “full circle,” he said, “There’s nothing full circle about it.” Oh, but there is, Rick. There’s everything full circle. You were in DEATH. You got kicked out. You formed MASSACRE. You tried to restart DEATH. You failed. You formed LEFT TO DIE. You’re playing DEATH songs. You’re not full circle. You’re a hamster on a wheel named “DEATH.” And you’re *proud* of it.
He also praised the fans. “There’s increased fan support for DEATH, especially these first two records,” he said. “It’s an honor. It’s flattering. It’s a blessing.” And honestly? He’s not wrong. Fans love this stuff. They love the raw, gory, corpse paint-free death metal of the late ‘80s. They love the bad production. They love the bad mixing. They love the bad everything. Because it’s *authentic*. It’s *real*. And LEFT TO DIE is giving it to them. Not with new songs. Not with innovation. Just with *more* of the same.
Founded in 1984 by Chuck Schuldiner under the name MANTAS, DEATH was one of the pioneers of death metal. Alongside POSSESSED, they helped define a genre that would one day be played in high school parking lots by kids with bad haircuts. And now, decades later, LEFT TO DIE is keeping the spirit alive. Not by evolving. Not by experimenting. Just by *replaying* the old stuff. With slightly better gear. And a few new members who can still play in tune.
In late 2023, LEFT TO DIE even had Chris Reifert (AUTOPSY) sit in for a few songs. And guess what? He played the *same* parts. No improvisation. No solos. Just the original drum parts. Because why change anything? It’s not like the song needed a *new* vibe. It needed a *new* reason to exist.
LEFT TO DIE completed its first U.S. tour in 2022. Then Europe in 2023. And they’re still talking about an EP. “We’ll see,” Rozz said. “Only time will tell.” Oh, Rick. Time has already told. Time says, “You’re not making new music. You’re just recycling. And we’re tired of it.” But hey, at least you’ve got riffs. And a phone full of them. Maybe one day, you’ll turn those 20 snippets into a full album. Maybe.
In the meantime, fans can buy the biography “Born Human: The Life And Music Of Death’s Chuck Schuldiner” from Decibel Books. Because nothing says “respect for the legacy” like buying a book about the guy who actually *started* it all. While Rozz sits on his couch, recording 30-second guitar loops into his iPhone, thinking he’s a songwriter.
So here we are. LEFT TO DIE: a band that’s not dead. A project that’s not original. A tribute that’s not even trying to be subtle. And yet, they’re *talking* about an EP. With *original* songs. Maybe. If the riffs are good enough. If Gus likes them. If Terry doesn’t hate them. If Matt doesn’t say, “Nah, this sounds like a death metal version of ‘Happy Birthday.’”
But hey, at least they’re *trying*. And isn’t that what matters? After all, in the world of death metal, *trying* is half the battle. The other half is *not dying*. And so far, LEFT TO DIE is winning that one. Barely.
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
