In a candid interview with Overdrive.ie, Sepultura guitarist Andreas Kisser shed light on the unexpected departure of drummer Eloy Casagrande, who left the band to join Slipknot just weeks before Sepultura’s highly anticipated 40th-anniversary farewell tour. Casagrande’s sudden decision, as Kisser explained, left the band scrambling for a replacement.
“We were very surprised by his decision,” Kisser admitted. “We were working on [the Sepultura farewell tour] for two years—with him—and three weeks before the first show, he decided to leave out of nowhere. It was really weird.”
Casagrande, who joined Slipknot as their new drummer for their 25th-anniversary tour after replacing Jay Weinberg, received a call from Slipknot’s management in December 2023. This call ultimately led to his departure from Sepultura, leaving the band just before farewell tour rehearsals were set to begin.
Enter Greyson Nekrutman
Despite the setback, Kisser and the rest of Sepultura quickly rallied. Kisser recounted how Greyson Nekrutman came to mind as the ideal replacement:
“My son, Yohan, showed me his videos, and Derrick [Green] saw him playing with Suicidal [Tendencies] in L.A. He came to my mind right away. I called him, and 48 hours [later], we were together.”
Nekrutman officially joined Sepultura on February 27, 2024, with the band announcing the lineup change on social media.
Farewell Tour Plans
Sepultura’s farewell tour kicks off on March 11 in Honduras, with stops in Mexico, Chile, and Paraguay, before culminating at Brazil’s Lollapalooza on March 30.
Though Casagrande’s departure was unexpected, Sepultura remains focused on celebrating their four-decade legacy. The addition of Nekrutman has injected fresh energy into the lineup, ensuring fans will witness a proper send-off for the Brazilian metal legends.
