Controversial Metal Opinions

[Ducky]

I'd enjoy Morbid Angel a whole lot more if Sandoval wasn't such a one trick pony.

He's very good at that trick (going fast as fuck), but it kinda makes all their songs bleed together.

What sort of craziness is  this?

He's got fuck all going for his playing other than speed. Boring as fuck to listen to for extended periods.

Then there's shit like the intro to Terrorizer's "Ripped to Shreds". If I heard a local band playing something like that I'd think they plucked first lad they found at the rehearsal studio to drum for them.

[open face surgery]

Ah, would ya stop!?! Sandoval is a king, he has plenty of dynamic.

[The Wretch]

There's controversial, and then there is just plain wrong. Fantastic drummer. His sense of timing and movement is incredible, even when you listen to their slower stuff, there is an immense sense of groove and dynamic, and unrivaled creativity. And as I've said before, he was a bigger loss musically to Morbid Angel than Vincent leaving ever was.

The difference between MA with Sandoval, compared to Tim Yeung and Scott Fuller is painfully obvious. Which is no knock on those guys, both are hugely accomplished players, but even they couldn't replicate what Pete brought to that band. 

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

There's a good dozen "tricks" in this one track alone, but the way they're combined reveals a further and absolutely integral sense of composition to his playing. Plus, this is a fairly random pick that's come to mind first mainly because it was brought up a few days ago in a different thread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_ixgO00kbc

[Ducky]

The likes of Hoglan and Reinert eat him for breakfast. He's as entertaining as a root canal.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

At a push I probably prefer Hoglan and Reinert myself, but Sandoval wouldn't be far behind them. And objectively no one-trick pony. He may be the drummer who put blast beats at the heart of extreme metal drumming, but he wasn't in any way limited to them.

[Sworntothecans]

Aw c'mon: Pete's a legend.

[Eoin McLove]

His drumming is integral to the MA sound but I think there's a spikiness to his playing. I don't think he's always completely fluid, which might be what Ducky is getting at. But then, that slightly jarring style is an important part of the viciousness of MA's core sound. There are perhaps more technically accomplished players out there, more slick and so on, but it's that jagged edge he brings, along with much of the jarring, jagged playing by Azagthoth that is the extremity at the core of Morbid Angel. They move from those slower lava- like parts to cutting harsh chaotic segments. That's just classic MA to me.

[Bürggermeister]

All the early MA bits fit together perfectly, particularly with Brunelle. However it was they did what they did, it all fucking worked in the context of what the rest of them were doing.

[Mithrandir]

I'd enjoy Morbid Angel a whole lot more if Sandoval wasn't such a one trick pony.

He's very good at that trick (going fast as fuck), but it kinda makes all their songs bleed together.

🤯I can't believe what I'm reading🤯

[Sworntothecans]

All the early MA bits fit together perfectly, particularly with Brunelle. However it was they did what they did, it all fucking worked in the context of what the rest of them were doing.

Sandoval practising double kicks and blasting while the rest of the lads were at work when he originally joined MA is a good one from Choosing Death.

[Ducky]

Yeah like I'm not saying he's bad at what he does, just that he doesn't do a lot other than that and it brings a sameyness to the albums.

I'm sure hearing his playing on Altars in 1989 was mind-blowing, but that's part of it too - he arrived with his sthick fully formed back then, and didn't really evolve it much over the years. His playing on Altars could be easily transplanted to Heretic (not that I've listened to the latter much because it's, well, Heretic), whereas the rest of music evolved along the way.

And McLove touches a bit of what I'm saying - there's a lack of fluidity at times (outside of the straight blasting and slower bits) that makes me think he's trying to be more creative but lacks the chops to do so.

[Sworntothecans]

Well he was high as fuck for most of it too so that might influence things😂

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

I see people saying things and I understand the words but I've no idea what they're supposed to be referring to in the music itself. Can you give examples of this "lack" of fluidity in Sandoval's playing? Personally, even though I might prefer them abstractly, I can't imagine Hoglan or Reinert achieving better alchemy if Trey had been coming to them with his batshit compositions.

[Circlepit]

The likes of Hoglan and Reinert eat him for breakfast. He's as entertaining as a root canal.

No no no no no no no no.
He is far superior to Hoglan and completely different to Reinert. He's like a punk, almost jazz drummer that plays death metal.