Sepultura vocalist Derrick Green spoke with The Razor’s Edge about drummer Eloy Casagrande‘s abrupt February 2024 departure — an exit that landed barely a week before the start of Sepultura‘s farewell tour. Casagrande has since joined Slipknot, with Greyson Nekrutman, formerly of Suicidal Tendencies, stepping in to drum the remainder of the tour.
Green told The Razor’s Edge (transcribed by Blabbermouth): “Yeah, in the moment [when Eloy told us he was leaving Sepultura], it was shocking because we had no idea [he had auditioned for Slipknot and eventually got the gig]. And it was also a week out, maybe a week and a half, before even starting the tour. I was literally packing my things to go to Brazil to start rehearsals that we had all set up and agreed upon. So, yeah, it sucked. It sucks when anyone decides to leave, and the way that it happened.”
On Casagrande having since landed in Slipknot — a band Eloy had long called the one he always wanted to join — Green said: “I’m happy for him. I understand the opportunity. I think we all did. It was just the fact of how everything really rolled out was not the greatest. These things happen. Now looking back, it’s in the past. It’s, like, everything worked out the way that it was supposed to, honestly. And, of course, it was very difficult to see that at the time. It just seemed like, ‘Oh, man. Here’s another big surprise coming out of nowhere. How are we gonna be able to survive through this?’ We’ve had so many throughout the history of the band.
So, we were able to really push forward quickly. And we’re very lucky and very fortunate, that Greyson was available to do it, and down to do it. And the fact that we got along is another thing, personality-wise. This is also an incredible factor that many people probably don’t think of when it comes to creating a band or keeping a band together — the communication and the ability to get along with another person. So, all those boxes were checked with Greyson, and we were very lucky that we were able to find somebody to fill out the farewell tour at the very last minute — literally. That day we were already searching [for a new drummer] when we found out [that Eloy was leaving]. So, yeah, I think everything worked out the way that it is. I hope Eloy‘s happy where he’s at. I’m sure he is. And we’re definitely happy with the way the tour has been going.”
