THE INKOS Featuring Ex-DEATH ANGEL Drummer: New Song Posted Online

THE INKOS, the new San Francisco Bay Area band featuring Andy Galeon (DEATH ANGEL, SWARM, THE O, BIG SHRIMP) Jose Santana (nephew of guitar legend Carlos Santana),Hadi Droubi (FOGTOWN) and Larry Santiago (PSYCHOMATIC),has posted a new song, "Zombie", at this location.

THE INKOS made its live debut on January 29 at Blakes On Telegraph in Berkeley, California.

THE INKOS is:

Jose Santana - Vocals
Hadi Droubi - Guitar
Larry Santiago - Bass
Andy Galeon - Drums

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/theinkos.

In a September 2009 interview with Metal Rules! Radio, Andy Galeon stated about his departure from DEATH ANGEL, "We had a tour booked, and basically, I had personal things I had to deal with — I had a newborn baby — and I just was like, 'Well, I've gotta do stuff at home.' We [the members of DEATH ANGEL] weren't communicating well or nothing. I wasn't about to ask them to not go [on the road], so I just said, 'I'll just leave then.' I even pointed out a few [other drummers] from the [San Francisco] Bay Area that could be a fill-in or a replacement, whatever you wanna call it. I mentioned Chris Kontos [MACHINE HEAD, TESTAMENT], I mentioned Will Carroll [OLD GRANDAD, SCARECROW, VICIOUS RUMORS, MACHINE HEAD], and I think there was another guy... I know they were gonna go with Will, because Ted [Aguilar], the rhythm guitar player [for DEATH ANGEL], has played with him in a bunch of bands — he even plays with him in SCARECROW, so I knew it would be easier. They went and did the tour and they also went to Mexico, and that's where it stands now."

Regarding whether he envisioned his departure to be temporary or permanent, Andy stated, "Well, I just quit. There were things that weren't dealt with when Den [former DEATH ANGEL bassist Dennis Pepa] quit, and we were trying to deal with it, but you know how communication is. It's like with a marriage — some people don't see the same page. Everyone is looking at one piece of paper and everyone has a different idea about it. I mean, it is what it is. And I don't know what's gonna happen in the future, but we'll see what happens." He added, "I've been recording with people and doing some production stuff here and there, and working on some CDs and stuff... Giving drum lessons and everything. [But] you never know what the future holds."

Q: You guys are family. You would think you guys could work it out [among yourselves]?

Galeon: "Yeah, you would think. [laughs] Everyone always says that but, to me, sometimes being family, it makes it harder for some reason. I don't know why, but it's just that way sometimes. Imagine being in a band with your brother for over 20 years, jamming with the same guy. You know every little quirk, you know every little thing that pisses him off, and you press those buttons when you have to, and he presses your buttons when he has to... I don't know what it is, man. You'd think we'd communicate more, but at times it's not that way. Musically, we always communicate pretty well; I mean, everything goes smoothly, [and] we push each other musically. I'm on every song that D.A. has ever released, as well as written."