How to Sound Like Eloy Casagrande — Drum Gear & Setup Guide | MetalForge

Frequently Asked Questions

What drum kit does Eloy Casagrande use?

Eloy Casagrande plays Tama Starclassic Bubinga drums throughout his Sepultura tenure. The Bubinga series uses dense bubinga wood shells that deliver focused, high-attack sound with naturally controlled sustain — well-suited to the riff-locked double bass patterns at the center of his playing. He uses dual 22" bass drums (independent, not a double pedal) for maximum precision at high speeds.

What cymbals does Eloy Casagrande use with Sepultura?

Eloy Casagrande is a Paiste endorser. His Sepultura setup includes 15" Masters Dark Hi-Hats, Paiste Formula 602 Modern Essentials and 2002 Wild crashes, a Masters Dark Crash, a 2002 Novo China, and a 2002 Power Ride. The Masters Dark series gives dark, controlled response for fast patterns, while the 2002 Wild Crash delivers the explosive impact his thrash passages demand.

How does Eloy Casagrande get the Sepultura drum sound?

The Sepultura drum sound in Eloy's era comes from three elements: Tama Bubinga shells (focused attack, natural sustain control), Paiste Masters Dark cymbals (dark but cutting), and Eloy's technique of locking the kick drum tightly to the guitar riff's rhythmic accents. The result is a sound where kick and guitar move as one machine. For recording, medium-high snare tension and a controlled kick with defined attack transient are the key tuning choices.

Does Eloy Casagrande use double bass or a double pedal?

Eloy Casagrande uses two independent bass drums, not a single kick with a double pedal. This eliminates the slight response lag of a slave pedal and allows complete foot independence — important for the precision his riff-locked kick patterns require at 160-210+ BPM. He uses Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide double pedals on each independent kick drum.

What are the best Sepultura songs to learn Eloy's drumming?

Start with 'Means To An End' and 'Isolation' from Quadra (2020) — both showcase Eloy's riff-locked double bass and groove-metal pocket in accessible contexts. Eloy released drum-cam videos for both that make them excellent learning resources. For more technical depth, 'Vandal's Nest' and 'Phantom Self' from Machine Messiah (2017) demonstrate his double-bass complexity. All are available as drum transcriptions and teaching resources online.

How did Eloy Casagrande develop his style?

Eloy grew up in São Paulo, Brazil, and started drumming at age 7. His primary influences are Igor Cavalera (Sepultura's original drummer — whose tribal groove roots are in Eloy's DNA), Dave Lombardo (thrash precision), and Joey Jordison (extreme metal intensity). He joined Sepultura at 19, stepping directly into one of thrash metal's most demanding roles, and spent 13 years evolving his technique through increasingly ambitious material. The viral drum-cam videos he released during the Quadra cycle — showing his technique in real time — accelerated his international reputation significantly.