STEVE TUCKER On Songwriting Progress For Next MORBID ANGEL Album: 'It's Much Further Than The Initial Stage'

Metal Wani recently conducted an interview with MORBID ANGEL and WARFATHER frontman Steve Tucker. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTue clip below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the progress of the songwriting process for MORBID ANGEL's next album:

Tucker: "It's much further than the initial stage. But, to be honest with you, I really can't go too much into the MORBID ANGEL thing. There'll be press releases coming soon, and there'll be a lot of news on MORBID ANGEL. But we're much further than the first stages — I mean, we're much further along. As far as exact times, dates and things like that, there's really nothing I can say at this point. As soon as we have that stuff… as soon as things are concrete, it's usually announced with MORBID ANGEL."

On former MORBID ANGEL and current TERRORIZER drummer Pedro "Pete" Sandoval, who now lives his life as a born-again Christian:

Tucker: "As far as all that goes, I think everyone that's ever been involved with MORBID ANGEL loves Pete. Pete Sandoval is a legend himself. I mean, I think he changed drumming. As far as what Pete's doing now and things like that, man… I mean, I'll always think of him as one of my best friends, and I think everybody in MORBID ANGEL feels the same way. But I think what Pete's doing right now in life is really Pete's decision, and anyone that doesn't like it, I think they're a hypocrite. He's a grown man who's been around the world multiple times, and he's well capable of making his own decisions."

On what he thinks went wrong with MORBID ANGEL's controversial 2011 album, "Illud Divinum Insanus", which incorporated industrial and electronic elements into the band's traditional death metal sound:

Tucker: "I really wouldn't know what to say about that. I mean, honestly, I think that they did an album, and I think when you're doing an album, the people that are involved in the album have their input and their say in things, and I think maybe that album is what some people involved actually really wanted. It is who it is. I mean, it's the people that wrote the album together, and that's what the final product was, and, like I said, I don't think that everyone involved with that album was disappointed with the album at all. Maybe some of the fans were, but that's fans, and they have that right — they have that right to like or dislike; that's completely their choice. I mean, if they didn't like it, I wouldn't say they're wrong, I wouldn't say they're right. It's their choice."

"Illud Divinum Insanus" marked the group's first CD to feature bassist/vocalist David Vincent since 1995's "Domination" album.

Vincent confirmed a year ago that he was no longer working with MORBID ANGEL guitarist Trey Azagthoth. His announcement followed the exit of drummer Tim Yeung and Norwegian guitarist Destructhor (a.k.a. Thor Anders Myhren).

MORBID ANGEL has yet to announce replacements for Yeung and Destructhor.

The band is confirmed for next year's edition of Maryland Deathfest, set to take place May 25-28, 2017 in Baltimore.