Pete Sandoval | |
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Commando, Pete the Feet |
| Born | May 21, 1964 |
| Origin | Santa Ana, El Salvador |
| Genres | Death metal, grindcore, deathgrind |
| Occupation(s) | Drummer |
| Years active | 1986–present |
Pedro Rigoberto "Pete" Sandoval (born May 21, 1964) is a Salvadoran-born American drummer, best known for his work with extreme metal bands Morbid Angel and Terrorizer. [1]
His first significant stint as a drummer was for the grindcore band Terrorizer, formed in 1986, where he began to demonstrate some of his talent. Heavily influenced by the grindcore music around him, Sandoval quickly developed his abilities as a drummer with little formal training or musical education. [2] In 1988, Sandoval was invited to join the death metal band Morbid Angel. Concurrently, the original lineup of Terrorizer was dissolved after the departures of Sandoval and guitarist Jesse Pintado (who subsequently joined Napalm Death).
Sandoval had never used two bass drums before joining Morbid Angel. He had to practice frequently in order to get his feet up to speed, and recorded the Altars of Madness album within only a couple of months of joining Morbid Angel. According to Morbid Angel guitarist Trey Azagthoth, the band would occasionally walk in on Sandoval passed out on the floor in a pool of sweat. After being woken up, he would immediately say, "Time to get back to work!" [3] After mastering the double-bass technique in Morbid Angel, Sandoval also implemented it in Terrorizer's World Downfall album when the band briefly re-united to record it.
According to former singer David Vincent, the band once played a prank on Sandoval by making him listen to a band that used a preprogrammed drum machine, and pretended it was a real drummer who could play faster than he could. Sandoval was gutted, and went on to practice until he managed to play faster than the machine. [4]
In 2010, he had to undergo surgery to repair a prolapsed disc. Not being able to play painlessly for an extended period for up to a year, he was replaced by Tim Yeung for the recording and touring of Morbid Angel's 2011 album Illud Divinum Insanus . [5]
In December 2013, David Vincent stated in an interview that Sandoval was no longer with Morbid Angel, citing incompatibility with the band after Sandoval's conversion to Christianity as the reason. [6]
In a 2014 interview, Sandoval said that his beliefs would not affect Terrorizer's music or lyrical content, explaining that his faith had given him a positive outlook on life. [7]
Sandoval explains that the reason for his split from Morbid Angel was not a religious matter, but having the time to recover from his back surgery which took much longer than he had expected, as the band would not wait for him to recover, thus prompting them to find a new drummer. He also mentioned that after the recording of Terrorizer's 2012 album Hordes of Zombies was when he converted to Christianity and his life started to change, crediting his mother and sister for their encouragement. Sandoval said that he would not have continued to perform in the band after his conversion due to his newfound religious differences with them. When asked if he misses performing with Morbid Angel, he said, "No, I don't. I don't miss it. I don't miss any of that." [8] His relationship with any of the band members has been without any negativity on either side and was non existent for many years until late 2021 when Sandoval reconnected with David Vincent (a few years after his own split from Morbid Angel) in Vincent’s own group I Am Morbid when Sandoval’s other commitments were largely put on hold due to Terrorizer’s temporary hiatus. [9]
The spring of 2022, saw Sandoval and Vincent touring as part of I Am Morbid, with Sandoval taking over from Tim Yeung, who, somewhat ironically, was among the drummers to join Morbid Angel after Sandoval left. [10]
Sandoval cited Clive Burr as a "huge influence" on his first year of drumming. Other significant influences include Dave Lombardo, Gene Hoglan and Neil Peart. [11]
Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida, formed in 1983 by guitarist, primary composer and sole remaining original member Trey Azagthoth, vocalist and bassist Dallas Ward, and drummer Mike Browning. Widely considered one of the most influential bands in the genre and important in the transition of death metal from its thrash metal roots, they were one of the first bands to incorporate guttural vocals, up-tempo blast beats, multiple tempo changes and a dark atmosphere. They have been described as one of "the most influential and emulated bands in death metal", alongside Obituary, Death, Cynic, Autopsy and Deicide, and have been cited as an influence by many later bands. They were also the first death metal band to experience mainstream success in connection with being signed to Giant Records in 1992, heavy rotation of their music videos on MTV, and having the music video for the song "God of Emptiness" shown on an episode of Beavis and Butt-Head. Their first three albums – Altars of Madness (1989), Blessed Are the Sick (1991), and Covenant (1993) – are considered classics in the death metal genre.
Terrorizer is an American grindcore band from Los Angeles, California. It was originally formed in 1985 as Unknown Death by vocalist Oscar Garcia and guitarist Jesse Pintado. They would rename themselves Terrorizer after recruiting drummer Pete Sandoval, who remains the band's sole constant member throughout their discography, in 1986. The band's current lineup consists of Sandoval, bassist David Vincent, vocalist Brian Werner and guitarist Richie Brown. They are currently signed to Earache Records.
Jesus "Jesse" Ernesto Pintado Andrade was a Mexican-American guitarist best known as a guitarist for the British grindcore band Napalm Death.
David Justin Vincent, also known as Evil D, is an American musician who is best known as the former lead vocalist and bassist for the death metal band Morbid Angel, as well as the bassist for Terrorizer and Genitorturers.
Nicholas Howard Barker is an English extreme metal drummer best known for his work in Cradle of Filth from 1993 to 1999, Dimmu Borgir from 1999 to 2004, Brujeria from 2003 to 2005 and from 2016 to 2022, and Shining from 2022 to 2023. Currently he is the drummer for Borstal, Liquid Graveyard, Twilight of the Gods, and United Forces.
Covenant is the third official full-length album by Florida-based death metal band Morbid Angel. It was first released in Europe on June 1, 1993, through Earache Records, and in North America on June 22, 1993, through Giant Records. Covenant was the band's breakthrough album due to their contract with Giant Records and its widespread exposure on MTV's Headbangers Ball, as well as the music video for 'God of Emptiness' appearing on Beavis and Butt-head. It is frequently described as one of the greatest death metal albums of all time, and a landmark album in the genre, influencing countless future metal bands, including Portal and Dead Congregation. According to Nielsen Soundscan, Covenant was the best selling death metal album as of 2003, with sales of over 150,000 in the United States alone. In 2017, Rolling Stone named it the 75th best metal album of all time.
Hate Eternal is an American death metal band from St. Petersburg, Florida. The band currently consists of founding guitarist/vocalist Erik Rutan and bassist J. J. Hrubovcak. To date, Hate Eternal has released seven studio albums: Conquering the Throne (1999), King of All Kings (2002), I, Monarch (2005), Fury & Flames (2008), Phoenix Amongst the Ashes (2011), Infernus (2015), and Upon Desolate Sands (2018). All albums were produced by Rutan.
Altars of Madness is the debut studio album by American death metal band Morbid Angel, released on May 12, 1989, by Combat Records/Earache Records. The album was recorded in December 1988 at Morrisound Recording in Tampa, Florida. The album is one of the earliest examples of death metal and is considered to have helped pioneer the sound along with Possessed's Seven Churches in 1985 and Death's Scream Bloody Gore in 1987, and set a new precedent for heaviness and extremity, both musically and lyrically. It is one of the most celebrated albums in death metal, and one of the most influential heavy metal albums of all time.
World Downfall is the debut studio album by American grindcore band Terrorizer, released on November 13, 1989, through Earache Records. It was produced by David Vincent of Morbid Angel, who also performed bass on the album, and engineered by Scott Burns at Morrisound Recording in Tampa, Florida.
Rune Eriksen, also known by his stage name Blasphemer, is a Norwegian musician best known as the former guitarist and songwriter of black metal band Mayhem. He took his stage name from a Sodom song and joined Mayhem in October 1994, before departing the band in late 2008. Eriksen founded his solo project RUÏM in 2020 and is currently a member of Aura Noir, Earth Electric, and the multinational bands Twilight Of The Gods and Vltimas, the former initially being a Bathory tribute band and the latter being a supergroup with former Morbid Angel vocalist David Vincent and drummer Flo Mounier of Cryptopsy. Eriksen and Mounier has previously been a part of death metal artist Nader Sadek's band along with Steve Tucker of Morbid Angel. Eriksen has also been a live member of Gaahls Wyrd and made guest appearances on recordings by Absu, Negură Bunget and Root. His former bands and projects include Mezzerschmitt and the Portuguese gothic doom band Ava Inferi. Eriksen has resided in Portugal since 2004.
Tim Yeung is an American extreme metal drummer. He currently performs in the band I Am Morbid, which plays Morbid Angel songs and also features Morbid Angel's former vocalist/bassist David Vincent.
Darker Days Ahead is the second album by American deathgrind band Terrorizer. It was released on August 22, 2006, by Century Media, seventeen years after their 1989 debut World Downfall. Darker Days Ahead is Terrorizer's final album recorded with guitarist Jesse Pintado, who died five days after its release due to liver failure.
Temple of Blood is an American Christian metal band based out of Huntsville, Alabama. Musically, they are influenced by the thrash metal music of bands like Annihilator and Megadeth and the traditional heavy metal music by bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. The band's name is derived from 1 Corinthians 6:19 and according to the band's vocalist: "the idea of our bodies being temples of flesh and blood to God".
Illud Divinum Insanus is the eighth studio album by American death metal band Morbid Angel. It was released on June 7, 2011, by independent French record label Season of Mist. It is Morbid Angel's first album since Heretic (2003), the band's longest gap to date between studio albums. This is the only Morbid Angel album to feature guitarist Destructhor and drummer Tim Yeung, making it their first not to feature Pete Sandoval, who was recovering from surgery. It is also the band's only album to feature bassist/vocalist David Vincent since he rejoined in 2004.
Hordes of Zombies is the third studio album by American deathgrind band Terrorizer. It was released on February 24, 2012, through Season of Mist. This is Terrorizer's first album since 2006's Darker Days Ahead and the last album to feature bassist David Vincent.
Trials was an American metal band who formed in Chicago in 2008. They played a blend of groove metal, thrash metal and metalcore and their music also has melodic and progressive elements.
Bill Hudson is a Brazilian-American heavy metal guitarist, currently serving as the main composer, lead guitarist and founder for power metal supergroup NorthTale. He worked with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra as well German heavy metal bands U.D.O. and Dirkschneider, both fronted by former Accept vocalist Udo Dirkschneider and American death metal band I Am Morbid, featuring former Morbid Angel frontman David Vincent and drummer Pete Sandoval. As of 2021, he is the guitarist for German heavy metal legend Doro Pesch, after acting as a fill in guitarist since 2017.
Florida death metal is a regional scene and stylistic subdivision of death metal. Some of the most significantly pioneering and best-selling death metal acts emerged in Florida, especially in the Tampa Bay area. As a result, Tampa is unofficially known by many death metal fans as the "capital of death metal." The scene coalesced in the mid-1980s through early 1990s around the output of bands such as Death, Nasty Savage, Deicide, Monstrosity, Morbid Angel, Atheist, Obituary, and others. The producer Scott Burns and the studio Morrisound Recording were also instrumental in developing and popularizing the Florida scene. Some bands which originated outside of Florida, such as Malevolent Creation and Cannibal Corpse, relocated to the state in order to participate in this burgeoning scene. The Florida bands featured a more technical approach to the evolving death metal sound, a style which spread beyond the confines of the state, and some were instrumental in creating the progressive death metal subgenre. The death metal genre as a whole, including the Florida scene, declined in popularity in the second half of the 1990s, but many bands within the Florida scene persisted and the scene resurged in popularity in subsequent decades.
Kingdoms Disdained is the ninth studio album by American death metal band Morbid Angel, which was released on December 1, 2017 by Silver Lining Music. It is the first album since 2003's Heretic to feature Steve Tucker and the only one to feature former Abysmal Dawn drummer Scott Fuller. It is also the first to not feature David Vincent, Destructhor and Tim Yeung since 2011's Illud Divinum Insanus, as all three members left the band in 2015. A music video was made for "Garden of Disdain".
Media related to Pete Sandoval at Wikimedia Commons| Authority control databases: Artists |
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