In a recent interview with Revolver magazine, SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor and guitarist Jim Root discussed the recent addition of drummer Eloy Casagrande to the band.
When asked about the decision to reveal Eloy‘s identity shortly after their initial performances with the former SEPULTURA drummer, Corey said: “I think we just kinda went, ‘You know what? Let’s just tell people.’ It was really as simple as that, you know? Eloy was the only one who was brave enough to get in the room with us. There were a handful of other people that we were looking at, and none of them wanted to jam with us. They just wanted to do their own thing and send it in — a very TikTok thing, you know? And we were like, ‘That’s not the way this works, dude.’
“Eloy rearranged his schedule to come see us,” Taylor continued. “He was so hungry to jam and just see what would happen that we were immediately impressed just by that alone. He didn’t get it right away — getting to know him was just as important as jamming with him — but by the time we made that decision, we were, like, ‘Let’s tell the world now. He’s earned it.’ Our audience is so used to us kind of keeping our cards close to our chest, but to me it was more refreshing to just kind of come out and go, ‘Yeah, he’s our dude.'”
Root also praised Casagrande, saying: “Yeah, he’s a super-cool dude. He’s really quiet, but he just lives, eats and breathes drums. If he’s got an idle moment, he’s got a practice pad in front of him or a practice kit. I recently bought a new place that has a little tiny demo studio attached to the garage. I’ve got a drum set in there and a big couch that you can turn into a bed. Eloy and VMan [SLIPKNOT bassist Alessandro Venturella] came to stay here for a week between the Rockville and Sonic Temple festivals, and Eloy was, like, ‘Is it possible that I can stay in the room with the drums?’ [Laughs] At literally seven the next morning, I could hear drums being played out in my studio. He’s like some sort of Jedi drum master, which is inspiring to me. He makes me want to be a better guitar player to match his abilities, you know?”
Casagrande joined SLIPKNOT in February, stepping into the role previously held by Jay Weinberg, who was unexpectedly dismissed in November 2023. His abrupt departure from SEPULTURA in February, just before the band’s 40th anniversary farewell tour rehearsals, hinted at his transition to SLIPKNOT.
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