Metal band Slipknot has officially confirmed the identity of their new drummer following many months of speculation.
Previous drummer Jay Weinberg left the group last year, tying his departure to an internal “creative decision”. Weinberg joined the band after Slipknot announced their split with longtime drummer Joey Jordison in December 2013, after he left under contentious circumstances.
The statement the band uploaded to social media following Weinberg leaving the group read: “We would like to thank Jay Weinberg for his dedication and passion over the past ten years. No one can ever replace Joey Jordison’s original sound, style or energy, but Jay honoured Joey’s parts and contributed to the last three albums and we, the band, and the fans appreciate it.”
Now, in a rather cryptic social post, Slipknot revealed information about Weinberg’s replacement. They uploaded an image of all nine members of the band, tagging former Sepultura drummer Eloy Casagrande as their new drummer.
The only band member yet to be tagged and confirmed is the musician who will be replacing Craig Jones, but Casagrande’s addition has sparked newfound excitement among fans about the new line-up.
Prior to this announcement, Casagrande had performed with the band twice, once during an intimate performance in California, and a second time while headlining Sick New World in Las Vegas.
During both performances, the band adorned a traditional Slipknot look, sporting their 1999 red jumpsuits as they gear up to celebrate their 25th anniversary this year. The social post also includes an image of the band wearing similar attire, with elements of their classic masks included in reference to their beginnings.
Casagrande left Sepultura a few months back, and the band teased their new drummer recently by uploading a picture of a broken drumstick set to the caption: “Rehearsal.” Casagrande was a part of Sepultura for 13 years, and left shortly before the band was scheduled to begin rehearsals for their 40th anniversary farewell tour.
Commenting on his departure, the band released a statement, saying he had decided to “pursue a career in another project”.
Meanwhile, the estate of the late Jordison recently filed a lawsuit against the band and claimed they “callously” used his death as a marketing tool for their most recent album The End, So Far.
Jordison was a founding member of the metal giants, but departed the group under unknown circumstances in 2013. While no reason was provided for his exit, the drummer later made it clear that it wasn’t his decision to leave. Now, it has been alleged that he found out about his firing “abruptly” over e-mail.
Slipknot have yet to publicly comment on the case.