“We used to play that song faster…”: Slipknot’s Eloy Casagrande reveals the secret lessons he gave his Sepultura replacement

Eloy Casagrande in Slipknot
(Image credit: Eloy Casagrande/Youtube)

Following his departure from Sepultura and appointment with Slipknot (following the departure of Jay Weinberg), man-in-the-hotseat Eloy Casagrande has been dishing some backstory regarding his move and the advice he gave to his next-in-line.

Speaking to Modern Drummer, Casagrande was pressed for his take on how his replacement in Sepultura, Greyson Nekrutman was shaping up.

"When I see him playing, I can remember myself in the same spot,” says Casagrande. “When I joined Sepultura, I was his age… He's a very good drummer. I used to watch him playing [in] videos he posted on social media when he was playing more jazz and drum solos.

"He's a brilliant player and I wish him and the rest of the band all the best. I have a lot of respect for him. I wish I could talk to him more one day. Maybe we could bring all the Sepultura drummers together”

And it appears that the pair have already got up close and personal.

"Greyson came to my studio in São Paulo when he joined the band to do some rehearsals, and we had a very good talk," Casagrande reveals. "He had just two or three weeks to learn all the songs, so I gave him some advice like, 'We used to play that song faster. Be careful with this song because we used to play it slower.'

"I wasn't teaching him how to play the songs because he can play anything he wants to play. He's an incredible drummer."

Casagrande also revealed the backstory as to how he jumped ship, moving on from Sepultura after an incredible 13 years, to one of the most hotly contested, and potentially troublesome seats in rock.

"Everything happened at the end of 2023 when I got a call from Slipknot’s manager asking me if I was interested in doing an audition. That year, Seputura decided to stop playing, so it was a very natural decision for me to keep playing with someone else instead of just retiring.

“I took my drums to a studio in São Paulo and did a proper sound and video recording," Casagrande reveals. "I played six songs, and I sent it to the guys. Then they asked me to play three specific songs. They were Eyeless, Purity and Gematria. My flight was booked to go to the audition, so at the end of January [2024], I flew to Palm Springs, California, and spent ten days with them there.

“The first five days, the whole band was rehearsing like it was a live show. Every day, the guys came with a different setlist, and we just played those songs."

And all the while Casagrande was instructed to keep his induction strictly under wraps.

“The audition was a big secret. Nobody could know about it,” he explains. “Sepultura didn't even know, it was just something between me and the guys from Slipknot. It was my decision to do the audition. I said, 'Okay, I'm interested in doing an audition because Sepultura is going to stop. I have one and a half years left of working with them and I'm going to be done.'

We Are Not Your Kind…

"Through the years, I have played many times with Slipknot," he says. "We shared stages when I was playing [with] Sepultura, and that was the place that I always wanted to be. I grew up listening to their music, so I wanted to have the experience playing live with Slipknot with a mask on my face. In my first show with the band I was thinking, 'Oh, this is really happening. Oh my god. I can't believe it.'

The move hasn’t been without its controversies. Casagrande stepped into his Slipknot role following the unexpected departure of Jay Weinberg from the position.

“​​No one can ever replace Joey Jordison's original sound, style or energy, but Jay honored Joey's parts and contributed to the last three albums and we, the band, and the fans appreciate it. But as ever, Slipknot is intent on evolving. The band has decided to part ways with Jay. We wish Jay all the best and are very excited for what the future holds,” the band wrote at the time.

In reply Weinberg commented: “I was heartbroken and blindsided to receive the phone call… This is not the ending to the journey I’d dreamt of, and committed myself to seeing through – not by a long shot.”

Meanwhile, with the Slipknot seat beckoning, Casagrande left Sepultura prior to their final, 40th anniversary tour, leading to some friction between the various members and the hasty appointment of Nekrutman to fill the gap.

However, with both drummers now sharing notes and praise it appears that it’s water under the bridge for both bands, and Casagrande’s latest ‘drumcam’ video below certainly shows how well he’s settling into his new role.

ELOY CASAGRANDE | EYELESS - SLIPKNOT LIVE AT O2 ARENA - YouTube ELOY CASAGRANDE | EYELESS - SLIPKNOT LIVE AT O2 ARENA - YouTube
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Daniel Griffiths

Daniel Griffiths is a veteran journalist who has worked on some of the biggest entertainment, tech and home brands in the world. He's interviewed countless big names, and covered countless new releases in the fields of music, videogames, movies, tech, gadgets, home improvement, self build, interiors and garden design. He’s the ex-Editor of Future Music and ex-Group Editor-in-Chief of Electronic Musician, Guitarist, Guitar World, Computer Music and more. He renovates property and writes for MusicRadar.com.