Holy Double Bass, Batman! Pete Sandoval Finally Discovers Why He’s So Good at Drumming—Autism!
Move over, Lars Ulrich—there’s a new king of “drumming so fast it sounds like a blender full of marbles.” Former MORBID ANGEL blast-beat legend Pedro “Pete” Sandoval has dropped a bombshell revelation that’s rocking the metal world harder than a dropped cymbal: he’s autistic! Yes, the man who once made drums sound like a caffeinated jackhammer has finally cracked the code to his own brain after 61 years of headbanging and existential confusion.
Apparently, Pete didn’t just wake up one day and think, “Hey, maybe I’m autistic.” No, he went full metal medical mode and underwent the ADOS-2 assessment—a test so intense it probably required him to blast “Angel of Disease” on repeat while solving Rubik’s cubes with his feet. And lo and behold, the results came back: Level 1 autism, baby! Which, for those of you keeping score at home, means Pete is officially certified as a high-functioning metal god.
On Thursday (February 5), Pete took to Instagram to share his epiphany, and let’s just say it was more heartfelt than a ballad from NICKELBACK. “After many years of confusion and misdiagnosis,” he wrote, “I’ve finally been properly diagnosed as autistic (Level 1) ADOS-2 module 4 (and some other tests).” Translation: “I’ve been drumming like a madman for decades, and now I know why my brain works like a double-kick pedal on steroids.”
Pete went on to explain how autism has shaped his life, from his communication style (probably why he’s so good at communicating through blast beats) to his sound processing (which explains why he can hear a snare hit from a mile away). “It was never about not caring, not listening, or not wanting to connect,” he clarified. Nope, it was just Pete being Pete—a drumming savant with a heart of gold and a brain wired for metal.
But here’s the kicker: Pete says this diagnosis has brought him “a lot of peace.” At 61, he’s finally stopped fighting his own mind and embraced the chaos. “I’m still here, still playing, still creating, still grateful,” he declared. And honestly, if you’ve ever seen Pete live, you know he’s not just playing—he’s performing a percussive exorcism.
Now, before you start thinking Pete’s hanging up his sticks to become a full-time autism advocate, let’s set the record straight: he’s still out here shredding with I AM MORBID, the band that’s basically MORBID ANGEL 2.0 but with more existential angst and fewer lineup changes. Alongside bassist/vocalist David Vincent (who, fun fact, once said Pete “found Jesus,” which apparently made them “incompatible”), guitarists Richie Brown and Bill Hudson, Pete is still delivering the kind of face-melting riffs that make your mom question your life choices.
And speaking of MORBID ANGEL, Pete’s return to the fold with I AM MORBID marked the first time he and Vincent shared a stage in 12 years. That’s right—after a decade of silence, these two legends reunited like a double-kick pedal and a bass drum, proving that metal truly is eternal.
But let’s not forget Pete’s other gig: TERRORIZER. That’s right, the man who can’t stop drumming is also terrorizing audiences with his side project. Their latest album, “Caustic Attack”, dropped in 2018, and if the title alone doesn’t make you want to headbang, you might need to check your pulse. And in case you missed it, TERRORIZER made their grand comeback at the SWR Barroselas Metalfest in Portugal in April 2024. Spoiler alert: they destroyed the stage.
So, what’s next for Pete? More drumming, more metal, and probably more revelations about his own brain. But one thing’s for sure: whether he’s blasting through MORBID ANGEL classics or terrorizing crowds with TERRORIZER, Pete Sandoval is a force of nature. And now that he’s embraced his autism, he’s drumming louder, faster, and with more purpose than ever before.
In conclusion, let’s raise our horns to Pete Sandoval—a metal legend, a drumming deity, and now, an autism advocate. Keep on blasting, Pete. The world needs more heroes like you. m/
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
