Former Sepultura drummer Eloy Casagrande and Slipknot have joined forces for what may be the most potent version of Slipknot in a long time. But how did the two parties come together? In a translated interview with Veja São Paulo, Casagrande said it all started in December 2023.
"The invitation came in December, through [their] manager," he said. "He asked if I was interested in auditioning first. I accepted. They asked me to record and send them some videos from right here in Brazil. Initially there were 3 songs, then they asked me for 3 more, and asked if I had any plans to go to the United States, and I was scheduled to perform there in January with my instrumental music project, Casagrande & Hanysz.
"So they moved my flight up a bit, and I spent 5 days in Palm Springs, rehearsing with the full band. Then they asked me to extend my stay by another 5 days, so we could record some things. I think that was also part of the audition, they threw new ideas at me to see what my songwriting was like. They wanted to test me in every way."
Casagrande said he was formally invited to join the band in February, but that the audition process was pretty brutal.
"At first, they didn't explain what we were going to do. It was all kind of in the dark. The first thing they sent was a NDA document, so I couldn't discuss it with anyone. I learned the setlist, prepared myself and, 4 days before the trip, they sent me a list of 32 songs that it would be important for me to know. Many of the songs I was learning weren't on that list, so I started looking for sheet music.
"When I got there, they gave me a setlist on the first day, which had some songs I didn't know either, but we went out playing. On the first day, I was very nervous, because the band was complete, and it's quite an impact to see the guys there in front of you. It's a band I've been listening to since I was a teenager, and followed on TV.
"On the first day I was terrible, I didn't like my performance, but from the second day on I improved. Each day they played a different setlist in the morning, so I had a few hours to learn a song or two that was missing. Overall, it was very smooth. I had everyone's support."
Casagrande later revealed that he's on good terms with both current Sepultura drummer Greyson Nekrutman and former Slipknot drummer Jay Weinberg. As for the future of Casagrande-knot, all he mentions is that there's some new stuff in the works.
"I'm still trying to understand how the dynamics of the band work, it's not so clear yet how things work in terms of records and new songs. We've written a few things, and they're shelved for the time being. We have a gig on the 12th and we're going to spend a few days there, exchanging musical ideas. For the time being, I don't think there's any pressure to record new material. But I'm sure they want to, I don't know when, because right now the band is focused on celebrating its 25th anniversary."
