Eloy Casagrande
Pull a thread
Eloy Casagrande: the Brazilian drummer who left Sepultura's farewell tour and now drives Slipknot's "Arsenal"
Slipknot released “Arsenal” on 9 September 2026, its first new song in more than three years. The man behind the kit spent thirteen years in the seat Igor Cavalera made famous, and he left it days before Sepultura’s last rehearsal.
This is about the chair
Most of what got written about Eloy Casagrande in 2024 was about the exit. Fair enough. Walking out on a farewell tour is a story. But the exit is the least interesting thing about him, and it is over. What is still running is a line that starts in Belo Horizonte in the mid eighties, passes through São Paulo, and now sits in Iowa’s most famous band at the exact moment that band is rebuilding itself.
Brazilian Metal Drummers: Why Gojira, Slipknot and the World Keep Calling São Paulo
When Gojira lost their drummer to a US immigration problem in July 2026, they called a 21-year-old Brazilian. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it keeps happening, and this piece is about the pattern.
The news, in sixty seconds
Mid-July 2026, Gojira had three American festival dates on the calendar and a serious problem: Mario Duplantier, the drummer, one half of the Duplantier brothers and arguably the most recognizable rhythmic voice in modern metal, couldn’t get into the country. The band’s statement kept it short: “Mario is dealing with an immigration issue that has made it impossible for him to travel to the US in time for our shows” (Loudwire, July 16, Lauryn Schaffner).