Pete “Commando” Sandoval has announced that he is no longer a member of I Am Morbid and will not take part in the band’s upcoming tour.
The former Morbid Angel drummer explained that while he became seriously ill with the flu during his last tour with I Am Morbid, his health was not the reason behind his decision to leave.
“The truth is that, for some time now, I haven’t been feeling the same connection with these songs anymore,” Sandoval said. “I Am Morbid has focused on the material from Altars of Madness through Domination. I am very proud of those records and everything I created and contributed to during those years, but my history with Morbid Angel continued far beyond Domination.”
Sandoval said he feels there is a larger part of his musical history that he has not been able to represent through I Am Morbid and that he now needs to step away from that chapter.
“I feel that I’ve given the fans everything I could through I Am Morbid over these past years, and now I need to take a break from this chapter and move forward,” he said.
In a follow-up statement, Sandoval clarified that he had told the band before his previous tour that he intended for it to be his last and needed a break. However, after receiving messages from fans hoping to see him on the upcoming European run, he began considering returning for one more tour.
Sandoval said he planned to resume rehearsing and assess whether he was physically ready to perform before approaching the band about returning, but learned that another drummer had already been hired for the tour.
“So I want you to know that I did think about coming back for these shows because of you, the fans,” he wrote. “It simply didn’t work out that way.”
Sandoval also stressed that there is no bad blood with his I Am Morbid bandmates Richie Brown and Bill Hudson, saying he would be happy to work with them again in the future.
“You will see me again—just under different circumstances,” Sandoval said.
