Trey Azagthoth Announces New Morbid Angel Drummer, Gives Album Update
In June of 2015, it was announced that Morbid Angel had undergone a massive lineup change, shedding every member (David Vincent, Tim Yeung, Destructhor) save for founder and guitarist Trey Azagthoth, bringing back bassist / vocalist Steve Tucker in the process. Last year, the death metal icons promised to return in 2017 and now more details have finally come to light.
Posting on Facebook (seen below), Azagthoth finally lifted the veil on who would be behind the kit with Morbid Angel. While fans had hoped this would mark the return of iconic drummer Pete Sandoval, it appears the band is heading further into new territory, tapping Scott Fuller of the brutal death metal outfit Annihilated as their new skinsman.
All of the drums have already been tracked for the forthcoming Morbid Angel record. The axeman also stated that they "will soon start on the guitars, vocals and bass" and that "it has been awesome working with Erik Rutan and Mana Studios," adding, "We have a really cool collection of new material." Morbid Angel inked a deal with UDR Music last year with an expected 2017 release for the new album with a title presumably starting with the letter "K" given the band's titling history.
There is still no word on whether Morbid Angel will bring in a second guitarist. Rutan (Hate Eternal) was a member of the band between 1993 and 1996 and once again from 1999 through 2002, playing on the Domination and Gateways to Annihilation albums.
When we asked Rutan if he would consider rejoining the group shortly after the 2015 dissolution, he stated, "I never say to never to anything that has to do with two of the most important bands in my career that I love so much. If I could clone myself I would still be in Morbid Angel! I would have loved to have released more Ripping Corpse albums back in the day as well. You just never know what might happen someday. I never close the door on any opportunities that may present themselves."
See Morbid Angel + More in the Most Anticipated Hard Rock + Metal Albums of 2017
See Morbid Angel in the 10 Greatest Death Metal Bands