Eloy Casagrande Reflects on Slipknot Audition, First Rehearsal: ‘I Was Very Nervous’

Eloy Casagrande was revealed as the new member of Slipknot following Jay Weinberg's departure as a drummer. In a recent interview, the musician reflected on the audition process and his first rehearsal with his new group.

The drummer spoke with Veja Sao Paulo for an interview, during which he shared the timeline of how he officially became a part of Slipknot.

Although the interview was in Portuguese, his answers were translated into English by Reddit fans.

Casagrande opened up by saying that initially, he wanted to balance his time between Slipknot and Sepultura. Still, he was told he needed to be the former's full-time drummer, so he dropped his original band.

He explained that he agreed to audition for Slipknot because Sepultura was already breaking up and didn't want to stop his career at a young age.

"it was my decision to leave Sepultura. It was complicated. I told [Sepultura my decision] when I had closed the deal [with Slipknot] on February 5th or 6th. That very day I called a meeting and explained the situation. That was it, an individual decision," he said.

Since the drummer is based in Brazil, Slipknot asked him if he could send three videos of him playing the drums, and they asked him for three more.

He later found himself rehearsing with the full band in Palm Springs, and the band asked him to extend his stay for five more days so they could record songs, as it was their way of testing him.

He had to wait a while before he received the final decision on whether he was accepted to the group. The band comprised nine members, and there were many "spheres and layers" before he got the approval.

Casagrande finally received the news that he'll be Slipknot's new drummer in February, but the hard part wasn't in the auditions. He must be committed to the band and rehearse with them for future shows.

"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," he gushed.

Although he considered his first rehearsal day "terrible" because he didn't like how he performed, he improved his drumming skills from the second day onward until they became "very smooth." Thankfully, his new bandmates had his back and supported him.

Casagrande went on to perform with Slipknot for the first time at the Sick New World Festival and is also set to join them for several concerts later this year.

Tags

Slipknot, Drummer, Sepultura, Metal, News, Music