After months of speculation, Slipknot has taken to the stage for the first time with a brand new drummer, and while there’s been no official confirmation of the masked sticksman’s identity, nobody on the planet will be surprised to learn that the new drummer resembles, moves and plays like Eloy Casagrande, who has been at the top of the contender list for the job since Weinberg’s departure.
Earlier this week, a keen-eyed Reddit user (thread now deleted) dug around in the source code for Slipknot’s retro youcantkillme website, revealing thumbnails with the filename ‘eloy.jpg’.
Now, in preparation for their headline slot, the nine-piece played a warm-up set at Pappy and Harriet’s - a barbecue restaurant in Pioneertown, California. The drum kit is a huge Tama Starclassic in Piano White, featuring no fewer than four bass drums, and what appears to be a Tama Bell Brass snare drum.
Of course, this is Casagrande’s drum brand, and given the previous evidence of a cryptic post featuring a broken ProMark drumstick, taken during rehearsals in March, as well as the fact that the drummer on stage has the same gear and exactly the same body language, we’re not risking much by putting our money on it being Eloy Casagrande under the mask.
To coincide, percussionists Shawn “Clown” Crahan and Tortilla Man (Michael Pfaff) have also switched brands. While we can’t vouch for the origins of the beer kegs, each member is beating on matching Tama bass drums, with the lugs and spurs clearly visible at certain angles in the fan-filmed footage.
Slipknot’s new drummer: the story so far
It all began when Jay Weinberg was abruptly fired from the band last November, prompting immediate speculation as to who could take over the role in metal’s most prestigious gig. Many names were thrown around, but then-Sepultura drummer, Eloy Casagrande quickly became a fan favourite, with his schedule seemingly clear to play in both bands.
Sepultura announced its farewell tour, then a few weeks later, confirmed that Casagrande would be leaving the band. What followed was a game of Metal Musical Chairs, with former Suicidal Tendencies drummer, Grayson Nekrutman moving to fill Casagrande’s spot in Sepultura; Jay Weinberg – already onboard with Infectious Grooves – joined Suicidal Tendencies, leaving Slipknot as the last band to reveal its hand.
Slipknot played a 15-song set in the lead-up to Sick New World, which you can check out below.
• People = Shit
• Eyeless
• Disasterpiece
• Before I Forget
• Custer
• Psychosocial
• The Devil in I
• The Heretic Anthem
• Unsainted
• Wait and Bleed
• Prosthetics
• Vermilion
(Encore)
• Duality
• Spit It Out
• Surfacing
For a full list of upcoming Slipknot tour dates, click here.
