"It was complicated" — Eloy Casagrande opens up about his decision to leave Sepultura and join Slipknot

Eloy Casagrande, who joined Slipknot last month, was previously a member of the heavy metal band, Sepultura. During an interview with Brazilian news magazine Veja Sao Paulo on May 10, 2024, the drummer addressed the reasons behind leaving Sepultura, saying that the group was "ending."

The musician also described it as an "individual decision" and added—

"The band was going to break up, and I didn't want to stop playing drums at 33 years old. There was a chat with Slipknot, I asked about their schedule, if it would be possible to combine the two bands, but they said no, there was no way, I would be exclusive. So it was my decision to end Sepultura. It was complicated."

Eloy Casagrande additionally recalled his time at Sepultura, saying that he had the best journey and had a "feeling of great gratitude" for the time he spent with the band. He stated that he got the opportunity to travel to several countries and mentioned—

"It was, without a doubt, the greatest school of my life."

Notably, Slipknot shared an Instagram post on May 1, where they confirmed that Eloy is joining their band.

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Eloy Casagrande reveals more details on how he auditioned for Slipknot: Interview statements explored

While speaking to Veja Sao Paulo, the Santo Andre native said that he received the invitation in December 2023 and he sent a few of his recordings to Slipknot. He went through a few more tests for around 10 days and his work was approved by February 2024.

Eloy Casagrande also spoke up on the time when he was preparing for an audition and said—

"I learned the repertoire, prepared myself, and, with four days left before the trip, they sent a list of 32 songs that it would be important for me to know. Many of the ones I was learning weren't on that list, so I started looking for sheet music."

Furthermore, the 33-year-old praised the members of Slipknot by describing them as "respectful and calm." He said that he was feeling better after joining the band despite knowing that it is hard to adjust to a group that has several members.

Casagrande told the magazine how he prepared for his first show with Slipknot, saying that they were able to make changes as per requirement.

He further stated—

"These are the songs, you play them, but you can always change and improvise, as long as you don't bring down the band. And this is something that I have always prioritized in my life: musical freedom. I had freedom in Sepultura, and I still do in Slipknot."

He said that he ended up breaking around 10 or 15 drumsticks when he first played for Slipknot. He continued by saying that the group had to undergo a few more technical issues and although he was frustrated at one point, he decided not to stop since his debuts were never perfect.

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Eloy Casagrande speaks up on his musical career and early life

During his conversation with Veja Sao Paulo, Eloy Casagrande said that he was interested in Brazilian music in childhood. He stated that he was only 14 years old when he first saw Slipknot and more genres were introduced by the next few years. He added—

"At the first show, when I was sixteen, I remember that halfway through I was no longer able to reason. Completely exhausted, arms hurting. I had no physical preparation, because it's technique, but it's also strength. You have to have muscular endurance to have longevity in your technique."

Eloy Casagrande mentioned the later part of his career, saying that he slowly started to work on his energy and stage appearances. He said that while he began his career as a musician, his family was dealing with some financial problems and although he was never pressured to earn, he joined different bands.

He added—

"I never looked for music thinking about getting rich, you choose music to have the pleasure of doing what you like, and expressing yourself. The musician must always be in need, otherwise the flame will go out. Be it a financial, spiritual, or expression need. And, at that moment, my need came from all sides."

Before Slipknot, Eloy Casagrande was a member of Sepultura since November 2011. The group has released 15 albums until now and is known for their singles such as Arise, Choke, and Phantom Self.