I AM MORBID frontman DAVID VINCENT's to young metal vocalists: “be unique”
"That's what's worked for me"
24-08-2023
In a new interview with Finland’s Chaoszine, former MORBID ANGEL and current I AM MORBID frontman David Vincent was asked if he had any advice for up-and-coming metal vocalists looking to advance in the music business. He responded: “Have your influences, like what you like. Hopefully try to have a diverse range of things that you like. Don’t be narrow-minded. But more importantly, look in the mirror and make the person that you see in the mirror your best friend. Think about what it is that you are, not, ‘Oh, I want to sound like’ somebody. Sound like you. What do you sound like? I’ve already heard somebody else. I wanna hear you. What do you sound like? If you just sound like somebody else that’s done something 20 or 30 years ago and it’s better than what you’re doing, maybe rethink that. And that’s not a diss — that’s an encouragement to be unique. The more unique you are, the more personality that you have, that’s what’s worked for me, and I encourage everybody to do that.”
I AM MORBID, which also features former MORBID ANGEL drummer Pedro “Pete” Sandoval (drums), along with guitarists Richie Brown (EXMORTUS, THE ABSENCE, TRIVIUM) and Bill Hudson (NORTHTALE, DORO), recently completed a 17-date European tour. Presented by The Flaming Arts Agency, the trek celebrated the 30th anniversary of “Covenant”, MORBID ANGEL‘s third full length album, considered to be one of the greatest death metal LPs of all time and a landmark album in the genre.
I AM MORBID played a combination of festivals and club shows during the tour and will performed material from “Covenant” as well as tracks from other classic Vincent-era MORBID ANGEL albums “Altars Of Madness”, “Blessed Are The Sick” and “Domination”.
Last October, I AM MORBID parted ways with guitarist Kelly McLauchlin (POSSESSED, DIABOLIC, UNHOLY GHOST) and replaced him with Brown.
Brown made his live debut with I AM MORBID at the Grita Fest in Colombia.
I AM MORBID‘s spring 2022 European tour marked the first time Sandoval and Vincent played together in 12 years.
Sandoval, who now lives his life as a born-again Christian, was forced to leave MORBID ANGEL in 2010 after undergoing surgery for a prolapsed disc.
Vincent left MORBID ANGEL unvoluntarily in 2015. He has since been replaced by a returning Steve Tucker, who previously handled bass and vocals on MORBID ANGEL‘s “Formulas Fatal To The Flesh”, “Gateways To Annihilation” and “Heretic” LPs.
In 2019, Vincent released “Something Wicked Marches In”, the debut album from his supergroup VLTIMAS, also featuring guitarist Rune Eriksen (formerly of MAYHEM) and CRYPTOPSY drummer Flo Mounier. Two years earlier, Vincent issued his debut country single, “Drinkin’ With The Devil”.
Two years ago, Sandoval released an Instagram video in which he addressed some of the most commonly asked questions regarding his time with MORBID ANGEL. He said: “I’ve been asked about who’s my favorite singer or which era is my favorite one — the era with David Vincent or with Steve Tucker. Well, I wanna tell you that I love both eras. I had fun. I had a great time working with David Vincent, and I had a great time working with Steve Tucker as well. So, from ‘Altars Of Madness’ (1989) to ‘Heretic’ (2003), they’re all masterpieces for me. We worked hard (on) those albums. So I’m telling you my answer that I don’t have a favorite album, I don’t have a favorite era, I don’t have a favorite singer — I love ’em all. I had a great time in both eras with every album.”
Sandoval added: “And as far as the album released in 2011” — referring to MORBID ANGEL‘s controversial “Illud Divinum Insanus” LP — “please don’t ask me any questions about it, because I have no comments about it — no comments at all, man. I stay what I am, I did what I did, and I am so happy and grateful that I did what I did with these guys.”
In a 2011 e-mail chat with Brazil’s Som Extremo, Sandoval was asked for his opinion of “Illud Divinum Insanus”, which incorporated industrial and electronic elements into MORBID ANGEL traditional death metal sound. “No comment! I don’t play on that album,” he wrote. He was then questioned about what he thought he would have done differently on “Illud Divinum Insanus” had he played on the record. “More extreme deathgrind metal and less DJ, boring awful typical I care less industrial experimental same as everybody boring bull!” he said. “This is not what MORBID has been all about! …Hmmmmmm, and I really care less…!”
Vincent left MORBID ANGEL in 2015. He has since been replaced by a returning Steve Tucker, who previously handled bass and vocals on MORBID ANGEL‘s “Formulas Fatal To The Flesh”, “Gateways To Annihilation” and “Heretic” LPs.
In a May 2019 interview with Jorge Botas of the “Metal Global” radio show, which airs on the Portuguese public TV and radio broadcaster RTP, Vincent said that he had every right to perform MORBID ANGEL‘s classic songs with I AM MORBID.
“Times come and life works the way that it does,” Vincent said. “And there are times when… It’s like a marriage — sometimes they don’t always work forever. But that doesn’t mean that the children that we’ve had together, that I don’t still love my children. Although Trey (Azagthoth, MORBID ANGEL guitarist and sole remaining original member) and I have some irreconcilable differences, that doesn’t in any way preclude me from still having the love and the passion for all of my children.”
Asked what he has to say to people who insist that he should not play MORBID ANGEL‘s early material without the other members of the group’s classic lineup, David said: “There’s examples of this very situation… I mean, when Ozzy (Osbourne) left BLACK SABBATH, that didn’t stop him from playing ‘Paranoid’ every night, even though he didn’t write the song. All of the songs that I’m singing I wrote. So I don’t really understand that. But different people become attached to different things. And they have their opinion and I have mine. And I don’t really consider this kind of negativity. I don’t have it in my life.”
In 2019, Vincent released “Something Wicked Marches In”, the debut album from his supergroup VLTIMAS, also featuring guitarist Rune Eriksen (formerly of MAYHEM) and CRYPTOPSY drummer Flo Mounier. Two years earlier, Vincent issued his debut country single, “Drinkin’ With The Devil”.
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