Morbid Angel just wrapped up touring on the 20th anniversary of their seminal album Covenant. One noticably missing ingredient was longtime drummer Pete Sandoval. In a recent interview with frontman David Vincent, he reveals the reason for this is simply because the satanic message of Morbid Angel no longer flies with the newly-born again views of the band's former drummer.
Speaking with Invisible Oranges, Vincent reveals:
Only you and Trey remain from the Covenant lineup. You’re touring with Thor on guitar and Tim on drums. Is it weird to play this album without Pete Sandoval?
Nope. Not at all. Tim’s an excellent drummer. He handles the material very well. He was a big fan of the record when it came out, too. He’s a couple years my junior, but it’s cool. He feels the songs really well, and it’s fun.
Is Pete still an official member of the band? He’s still listed as one in various places online.
Pete’s no longer in Morbid Angel.
I know he publicly said some unkind things about the last record after it came out.
Well, his whole way of life has changed. He’s in a different spot, and the spot that he’s in right now, Pete Sandoval and Morbid Angel are not compatible.
How so?
Well, he has found Jesus. You can see where the incompatibility comes from.
It's always interesting to read about musicians who spend their whole life denouncing Christ only to find Jesus later in life. I wonder what sparked the sudden discovery.
For those worried about Vincent ever "finding Jesus," he assured us in our recent interview on the RIP a Livecast that would never happen!
