During an appearance in the last episode of “One Life, One Chance with Toby Morse” Podcasts, SEPULTURA Singer Derrick Green reflected on the departure of the band’s long-time drummer Eloy Casagrande in February, less than a month before the start of the SEPULTURA‘S “Celebrating life through death” Farewell tour. Eloy has since been replaced by Greyson Nekrutmanwho previously Suicidal tendencies.
derrick said (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “We had already announced that we were going to do a farewell tour. In December we announced it. And then, I think it was in February, we started playing shows. And so it was, like, Andreas (Kisser, SEPULTURA When my guitarist called me, he said, “Yeah, we’re going to rehearse. Everything’s set up. Everyone’s ready. You come to Brazil, then we’ll rehearse for a couple of days and then we’ll start the tour.” And I thought, “Great.” I literally woke up and packed my things. I think I literally flew out the next day to start rehearsing. Andreas (contacts me and he) says something like: “Yo…” I was like: “What’s going on?” He was like: “He’s out.” I was like: “What do you mean? What are you talking about? Who’s out?” And then he just said something like: “Yeah, Eloy‘s out.’ And I was kind of like I fell into a black hole and I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’ It was totally surreal. It was literally like slow motion. I was just trying to catch my breath. And he explained everything. (Eloy) wanted to have a meeting with everyone in the band and the managers and everyone, and I wasn’t there. But he came in and it was just, “I’m doing this gig. I signed a contract. And I’m out.” And I was just trying to comprehend that, because I had played with this guy for 13 years. And I was really shocked. I thought, “Dude, what are we going to do now?” And we were in this situation where there were just such crazy changes. I’m sure if Max (Cavalera) left (SEPULTURA), (Andreas) was in this situation and thought: “What should we do now?” And then, when Jean (Dolabella) left and Igor (Cavalera) went, as different people said: “What should we do?” It would not be the first time that there is total chaos… I am on the phone with (Andreas). He said: “My son showed me a video of Greyson.’ I thought: ‘Greysonhe is in SUICIDE. Yeah. I just saw the show.’ And he was like, ‘I was thinking about maybe calling him.’ I was like, ‘Yeah. Call him. Call him and ask what’s wrong with him.’ I was like, ‘You should call him right now.’ He was like, ‘I am. I’m going to get his number. I’m going to call him and ask what’s wrong. Just to see what’s wrong.’ I was like, ‘He’s playing along SUICIDE. Maybe he has some free dates.’ And we just panicked because we had no idea what to do. We weren’t expecting that at all.”
About his involvement in SEPULTURA, Greysonwho turned 22 in June, said “One Life, One Chance with Toby Morse”: “I am at home and get a text message from Chloe Trujillo, Robert‘S (Trujillo, METALLICA bassist) wife, and she says, “Hey, can Paul (Xisto Pinto Jr.) out of SEPULTURA do you have your number?’ And I said, ‘Absolutely.’ About five hours later I get a DM from Andreasand it’s very nice and very direct, and he says, “Hey, man, I love your stuff,” blah blah. “Can I call you? I want to talk to you about something.” And I said, “Hey, man. Absolutely. Here’s my WhatsApp.’ So I tell my parents. My parents say, ‘So what the hell is going on?’ My parents think I’m kidding. So I don’t get ahead of myself. Because I say, ‘I don’t know what it could be,’ whatever. And here’s where it gets funny. And I actually never told derrick that… So Andreas says, “We’ll be talking at 2 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. So I wake up, go to the gym, I’m in the gym and Andreas texts me. He’s like, “Hey, man. My meeting at 12 got canceled. Can I call you at 12?” In my head, I’m like, “Damn, that’s almost like an aggressive girlfriend.” So I was like, “Shit.” And, “All right.” So I was like, “Sure.” So he calls me. And I’m in my room. And he just tells me, “Hey, man, I love your stuff.” He said it exactly like that. He says, “I’m kind of in a situation.” Those are the exact words he said. And I was like, “What’s going on?” And he says, “Eloy stopped yesterday. And we’ve been planning this tour for a long time and it starts very soon. And I have the dates.’ And I remember literally sitting in my room and… It was the strangest feeling… It was a feeling of ‘Oh no,’ but not bad or not good. It was like – you know, when you’re learning to drive and you’re on the highway and you know you have to do this. You have to because you’ve got 50 years to live, 90 years, whatever it is. But it’s like you have to do it. You have no choice. But like, ‘Damn, do I really have to do this?’ So I was like, ‘Okay.’ And again, I still had no idea. I had no idea what he meant, though. I thought he meant maybe doing a show. Because then Andreas was like: “I think (Eloy becomes) SLIPKNOT‘ something like that. He said, ‘Because I don’t know why else he would leave on such short notice.’ I said, ‘Okay.’ So I went on my phone and I remember checking SLIPKNOT appointments while I’m on the phone and I realized they started in April. So I said, “Okay, maybe I’ll start doing this then (SEPULTURA) shows that are happening in April, May.’ So I was a little relaxed. And he was like, ‘If you’re interested, let me know.’ I was like, ‘Dude, I’m interested.’ And I said – this is so funny – I said… I think Andreas laughs every time we talk about it. He says, “So you can do it?” I said, “Yes, I will, but I have to tell my parents.” (Laughs) And Andreas is something like ‘Okay.’ (Laughs)”
Last May Casagrande talked about his decision to leave SEPULTURA and join in SLIPKNOTThe 33-year-old musician, who was a member of the veteran Brazilian-American metal band for 12 years before leaving the group in February to join the masked metallers from Iowa, told Brazil’s Veja São Paulo in an interview that he originally joined the band because of an audition for SLIPKNOT last December by the band’s manager, shortly after SEPULTURA had already announced his 40th anniversary farewell tour. “They asked me to record some videos from here in Brazil and send them,” he explained in comments posted in his native Portuguese but translated into English by fans on Reddit. “Initially it was three songs, then they asked me for three more and asked if I had any plans to go to the United States and I should perform there in January with my instrumental music project, CASAGRANDE & HANYSZ. So they moved my flight up a little bit and I spent five days in Palm Springs rehearsing with the whole band. Then they asked me to extend my stay for another five days so we could record some stuff. I think that was part of the audition process too. They pitched me new ideas to see what my songwriting was like. They wanted to test me in every way.”
Asked when he finally got the confirmation that he was the new drummer of SLIPKNOT, Eloy said: “SLIPKNOT is made up of nine musicians, so there are many spheres and layers, and they needed the approval of all of them before they gave me the OK. I think it was February 5th (or 6th) when I got the confirmation that I had passed the test.”
On the subject of his decision to go SEPULTURA, Eloy said: “I received the invitation to audition (for SLIPKNOT) after (SEPULTURA farewell tour was announced. The big thing, the reason I agreed to audition, was the end of SEPULTURAThe band was about to break up and I didn’t want to stop playing drums at the age of 33. I talked to SLIPKNOTasked about their schedule and if it would be possible to accommodate the two bands, but they said no, that would not be possible, I would be alone. So it was my decision to go SEPULTURA. It was complicated. I said (SEPULTURA my decision) when I had closed the deal (with SLIPKNOT) on February 5 or 6. That same day I called a meeting and explained the situation. That was all, an individual decision.”
Casagrande‘s addition to SLIPKNOT was officially announced on April 30th.
SLIPKNOT had his first festival appearance in 2024 on April 27 as one of the headliners of Sick new world in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show marked SLIPKNOTsecond appearance with Casagrande.
Before Sick new world, SLIPKNOT played an intimate show at Pappy + Harriet’s in Pioneertown, California on April 25th.
After the separation from Jay Weinberg last November, SLIPKNOT teased fans about a new drummer five months ago by posting a photo of a single broken drumstick with the caption “Rehearsal.”
The band explained in a statement that the separation of Vineyard was a creative decision. Jay He then issued a statement saying that he was “heartbroken and completely taken by surprise” by the dismissal.
Vineyard has since joined Suicidal tendencies And INFECTIOUS GROOVES.
