Sepultura drummer Eloy Casagrande has shocked metal fans by suddenly quitting the band in the midst of their global farewell tour.
What’s more, the Brazilian metal icons’ official statement announcing their longtime drummer’s surprise exit has sent tongues wagging that Casagrande may have left the band to join Slipknot, who’ve been down a drummer since they unceremoniously ousted Jay Weinberg late last year.
“Eloy Casagrande… has decided to leave Sepultura”
According to Sepultura, they were “taken by surprise” when their iconic drummer “abandoned everything related to Sepultura” to pursue “another project”.
Hmmm….
They also revealed that Suicidal Tendencies’ beatman Greyson Nekrutman would be filling in behind the kit for the next leg of their big farewell tour.
“Welcome Greyson Nekrutman to Sepultura who replaces Eloy Casagrande who has decided to leave Sepultura,” wrote the band, alongside a longer statement which you can read in the tweet above. “Greyson’s first shows with us starts March 1 as we kick off the Celebrating Life Through Death Farewell Tour.“
Hot on the heels of wrapping up their 2023 Australian tour around Good Things Festival back in December, Sepultura announced a dramatic plan to call it quits after 40 years, following one final, monumental world tour.
“Sepultura has reached the end of the road and has chosen to depart via a conscious and planned death,” the band posted in a big statement on their social pages.
“Throughout the next 18 months we will celebrate 40 years of existence together along with our loyal fans on a farewell tour across the entire globe. It will be a celebration of the past and the present for one final time.”
The Brazilian act have already announced a stack of final dates for the UK and Europe to kick-off 2024. No word yet if one final Australian tour will figure onto their final ever global itinerary, but given their long history of touring here, we reckon the odds should be in our favour.
As for Slipknot, their own branded Knotfest event will be hitting Australia’s east coast next month with a controversially dude-stacked lineup featuring Pantera, Disturbed, Lamb of God and more. Sadly, Slipknot themselves will not be appearing.
However, their ex drummer Jay Weinberg will be visiting us this March and April, playing for US funk-metal supergroup Infectious Grooves alongside Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo and, to bring it all full circle, some other members of Suicidal Tendencies.
Further Reading
Sepultura Are Calling It Quits, Tease 2024 Farewell Tour
Jay Weinberg on Slipknot Sacking: “I Was Heartbroken and Blindsided”
