Covenant Drum Setup: Pete Sandoval's Blast-Beat Masterclass (Morbid Angel, 1993) | MetalForge

Frequently Asked Questions

What drum kit did Pete Sandoval use on Covenant?

Pete Sandoval recorded Morbid Angel's third album *Covenant* (1993) on a Pearl Reference Series kit — a significant departure from the Tama Superstar line he had used on *Altars of Madness* (1989) and *Blessed Are the Sick* (1991). The Pearl configuration featured dual 22x18 inch bass drums (deeper than his previous 22x16 setup), three rack toms (10, 12, and 13 inch), and two floor toms (14 and 16 inch). The Pearl Reference's maple/poplar hybrid shells provided greater mass and resonance than the Tama birch, delivering the heavier, more authoritative drum tone that defines *Covenant*'s sound.

How fast did Pete Sandoval play double bass on Covenant?

Pete Sandoval's double-bass pedal technique on *Covenant* reached sustained speeds of 230+ BPM — the benchmark that defined death metal drumming in 1993. On tracks like "Pain Divine," "Angel of Disease," and "Rapture," Pete maintained independent double-bass patterns at this velocity for extended passages. The key is the word "independent": Pete used two separate bass drums (not a double pedal on one drum), giving each foot maximum mechanical independence and power. This independent approach, refined through the *Altars of Madness* and *Blessed Are the Sick* sessions, allowed him to sustain 230+ BPM without the mechanical limitations of a single-drum double pedal setup.

How does Covenant differ from Altars of Madness and Blessed Are the Sick in terms of drumming?

The three albums represent Pete Sandoval's complete development arc. *Altars of Madness* (1989) was pure aggression — maximum velocity on a Tama Superstar with Paiste 2002 cymbals. *Blessed Are the Sick* (1991) expanded the dynamic range with Egyptian and Middle Eastern rhythmic influences, slower atmospheric passages, and a third rack tom. *Covenant* (1993) completed the trilogy by synthesizing both: the refined speed of the debut and the dynamic intelligence of the sophomore record. The gear transition to Pearl and Sabian reinforced this evolution — heavier shells for greater low-end authority, faster-responding cymbals for precision at 230+ BPM. See [Altars of Madness drum setup](/articles/altars-of-madness-drum-setup) and [Blessed Are the Sick drum setup](/articles/blessed-are-the-sick-drum-setup) for the full arc.

What cymbals did Pete Sandoval use on Covenant?

Pete Sandoval switched from Paiste (used on *Altars of Madness* and *Blessed Are the Sick*) to Sabian for the *Covenant* sessions in 1993. His Sabian AA setup included 14-inch AA Medium Hi-Hats, 16 and 18-inch AA Medium Crashes, a 17-inch AA Rock Crash, a 20-inch AA Metal Ride, and an 18-inch AA China. The Sabian AA series is brighter and faster-decaying than the Paiste 2002 and RUDE series he had used previously — a characteristic that suited the increased tempos on *Covenant*, keeping crash accents cleanly separated and hi-hat articulation defined at 230+ BPM blast sections.

Why is Covenant considered Morbid Angel's commercial breakthrough?

*Covenant* (1993) was the first death metal album to chart in 10 countries simultaneously, selling over 200,000 copies — unprecedented commercial numbers for the genre. Released on Giant Records in the US (in addition to Earache in Europe), the album had mainstream distribution that bypassed the underground-only channels of its predecessors. The songwriting balanced extreme brutality with more accessible song structures, and producer Tom Morris's *Covenant* drum sound — built around Pete Sandoval's new Pearl Reference kit — had a weight and authority that connected with mainstream metal audiences without compromising the extremity that death metal fans expected.