Who is Slipknot’s new drummer? Fans think they know

26 April, 2024

lipknot performs on the Pandaemonium stage during the heavy metal music Festival Copenhell, in Copenhagen, Denmark, on June 16, 2023. (Photo by Helle Arensbak / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP)

Slipknot fans believe that they have figured out who the band’s new drummer is following their most recent intimate performance.

The Nine played an intimate club show last night (April 25) at the Pappy + Harriet’s barbecue bar in Pioneertown, California. They were dressed in their self-titled era masks and distinctive red boiler suits. The surprise gig had been announced one day prior to the show date on April 24.

The intimate gig marked Slipknot’s first concert with their new drummer – who is still unnamed – following the shocking firing of Jay Weinberg late last year. Their new drummer is heavily speculated to be former Sepultura percussionist Eloy Casagrande, thought the band have yet to confirm his identity.

Fan captured footage from the gig showed the brand new drummer wearing a white mask, sitting behind a smaller kit than Weinberg was usually seen playing. Fans are convinced that Casagrande is the new drummer after noticing that the new drummer sports a shaved head and the arrow tattoos on his forearms match the same ones Casagrande is known to have.

Previously, the metal icons hinted at the latest addition to the line-up with a post last  November, sharing a picture of a single broken drumstick with the caption ‘Rehearsal’.

Eagle-eyed fans pieced together that the Promark brand of the drumstick pictured on Slipknot’s post is the same type used by Casagrande. Back in February, it was announced that the drummer had parted ways with Sepultura ahead of their final world tour.

Casagrande said that the decision “needed to be made thinking about new cycles that will come” following the band’s impending split after four decades.

In a since removed Reddit post, a user by the name of tmt1983 appeard to have used simple coding methods to look into the source code of Slipknot’s “You Can’t Kill Me” website and revealed a list of image files with every band member’s name on it, with one titled “eloy.jpg”.

There was another image found that was named “jeff.jpg” which is believed to be Jeff Karnowski, who’s involved in a side project with Shawn “Clown” Crahan called Dirty Little Rabbits. Karnowski is also believed to be the replacement for the band’s of longtime keyboard player and sampler Craig Jones after his abrupt departure.

Sepultura's Brazilian drummer Eloy Casagrande performs during the concert
Sepultura’s Brazilian drummer Eloy Casagrande performs during the concert. CREDIT: MAURO PIMENTEL/AFP via Getty Images

Besides debuting their new drummer, the band also reverted to their classic 1999 jumpsuits, with frontman Corey Taylor donning a replica mask from their debut era.

Other original members in the band have also incorporated elements of their 1999 masks into their modern looks, while newer members are rocking their own looks. All of this ties into Slipknot celebrating their 25th anniversary this year.

Taylor said onstage mid-performance: “Tonight it doesn’t matter where you came from, it doesn’t matter when you were born. This year is 19-fucking-99. We’re going to play you some songs from beyond that year, but god damn it, it all started in ’99 and it is starting again here tonight.”

The intimate gig comes after percussionist and founding member Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan told NME that the band are “going back to basics” this year to celebrate their 25th anniversary. “We’re going back to basics. I’m ready to kick everybody in the face again! I’m ready to do a 100-person venue again! I’m ready to do a 500-person venue…”

They will also be returning to the UK this winter to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their self-titled debut album. Visit here for remaining tickets.

Speaking to NME about what Slipknot have planned for 2024, Crahan said: “I’m ready to move on from what has been, and move onto a world that I know needs to be. For instance, normally we’d have about two years on and one-and-a-half years off — we’re not doing that anymore.”

The post Who is Slipknot’s new drummer? Fans think they know appeared first on NME.