# Sepultura "Machine Messiah" Drum Setup: Eloy Casagrande's 2017 Debut with Sepultura

> Complete breakdown of Eloy Casagrande's drum kit on Sepultura's Machine Messiah (2017): Tama Starclassic Walnut/Birch shells, Meinl Classics Custom cymbals, Tama Iron Cobra 900 pedals, and the debut performance that launched his arc toward Metallica.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Eloy Casagrande](/llms/drummers/eloy-casagrande.md)
**Band / Album:** Sepultura — Machine Messiah (2017)
**Genre:** Thrash Metal / Heavy Metal / Progressive Metal
**Label:** Nuclear Blast
**Studio:** Fascination Street Studios, Örebro, Sweden
**Producer:** Jens Bogren
**Release Date:** January 13, 2017

## Overview

When Sepultura released *Machine Messiah* on January 13, 2017, it marked the full-time studio debut of Eloy Casagrande — one of the most gifted drummers of his generation — as the band's recorded drummer. At 24 years old, Eloy had joined Sepultura in 2011 at age 19, and *Machine Messiah* became his definitive first major document with the band. The album debuted at number one in Brazil and charted across Europe, putting Eloy's playing before an international metal audience for the first time at album scale.

Recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden — the same room Jens Bogren would use again for *Quadra* three years later — *Machine Messiah* placed Eloy's drumming in a world-class recording environment from the very start of his Sepultura recording career. Tracks like "Phantom Self" and "Iceberg Dances" became the earliest major showcases of his blast-beat precision and polyrhythmic intelligence: the technical vocabulary he would refine through *Quadra* (2020) and ultimately export to Metallica's M72 World Tour stage in 2023.

This is the foundation of the arc. For the evolution of Eloy's setup after Machine Messiah, see the [Sepultura Quadra drum setup (2020)](/articles/quadra-drum-setup). For his complete drummer profile, see [Eloy Casagrande](/drummer/eloy-casagrande). For the Metallica chapter, see the [Eloy Casagrande M72 drum setup](/articles/eloy-casagrande-m72-drum-setup).

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Walnut/Birch (twin 22"×18" bass drums, 10"/12"/14" rack toms, 16" floor tom)
- **Cymbals:** Meinl Classics Custom series (B10 alloy)
- **Pedals:** Tama Iron Cobra 900 (×2, independent — one per bass drum)
- **Sticks:** ProMark Eloy Casagrande Signature TX5BW
- **Batter heads:** Remo Powerstroke 3 (bass), Remo Emperor Clear (toms), Remo Coated Ambassador (snare)
- **Resonant heads:** Remo Powerstroke 3 (bass), Remo Ambassador Clear (toms)

### Tama Starclassic Walnut/Birch

Eloy's debut Sepultura recording kit was the Tama Starclassic Walnut/Birch — Tama's premium hybrid shell series pairing walnut's natural warmth and low-end resonance with birch's focused projection and attack definition. This construction suited both Eloy's playing style and Jens Bogren's production approach: warmth and body in the attack, brightness and clarity in the definition needed to cut through Sepultura's dense guitar arrangements.

Twin independent 22"×18" bass drums (not a double pedal) maintained Eloy's bilateral foot independence throughout the album's most demanding passages. Independent pedals give each foot a fully resonant instrument with balanced tone from both sides — eliminating the mechanical compromises that affect double-pedal configurations at high tempos. The four-tom configuration gave Eloy the melodic range Sepultura's arrangements demanded.

### Meinl Classics Custom Cymbals

Eloy's Meinl Classics Custom series brought a bright, cutting character to *Machine Messiah* — the B10 alloy construction delivers assertive attack presence in dense guitar contexts. The setup included 14" Medium Hi-Hats, 16" and 18" crashes, 20" Ride, and an 18" China. The china cymbal continues a Sepultura sonic tradition from the Igor Cavalera era: aggressive, trashy punctuation at riff transition points throughout the album.

By *Quadra* (2020), Eloy had upgraded to Meinl Byzance Traditional B20 bronze — a move toward warmer, more complex overtones that suited *Quadra*'s more compositionally ambitious material and Bogren's dynamic-preserving production philosophy.

### Tama Iron Cobra 900 Pedals

Eloy's independent twin pedal setup relied on Tama Iron Cobra 900 pedals — one per bass drum. The Iron Cobra 900's cam-driven mechanism delivers controlled acceleration through the stroke, providing consistent speed and power at the high tempos Sepultura's catalog demands. "Phantom Self" showcases this capability: even, powerful, and consistent double-bass patterns throughout the track's sustained intensity.

## Recording Context

Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden provided Eloy with his first world-class recording environment at full Sepultura album scale. Jens Bogren's production philosophy — preserve natural acoustic character, maintain dynamic range, no electronic triggers or samples — established the sonic foundation of Eloy's Sepultura era from his very first record.

Bogren's engineering captured the Starclassic Walnut/Birch's hybrid character faithfully: the walnut warmth and birch attack that make the kit distinctive in a playing context came through in the recording, giving *Machine Messiah* a drum sound that is both aggressive and tonally rich. The same philosophy produced even more sophisticated results on *Quadra* three years later, when the recording environment and Eloy's musical maturity both reached their Sepultura peak.

## Key Facts

- Tama Starclassic Walnut/Birch: walnut/birch hybrid shells for warm attack and focused projection
- Meinl Classics Custom cymbals: B10 alloy for bright, cutting presence in dense arrangements
- Tama Iron Cobra 900 twin independent pedals — one per bass drum
- Recorded at Fascination Street Studios, Örebro, Sweden with producer Jens Bogren
- No triggers or samples — complete acoustic performance from Eloy's debut
- Debuted at #1 in Brazil; charted in Germany and across Europe
- "Phantom Self" and "Iceberg Dances" are the primary drumming showcases
- Eloy was 24 years old — first full studio album as Sepultura's established drummer
- Estimated kit value: $3,000–4,500 (2017 Starclassic Walnut/Birch configuration)
- Foundation album of the arc: Machine Messiah (2017) → Quadra (2020) → Metallica M72 (2023)

## FAQ

**Q: What drums does Eloy Casagrande use on Machine Messiah?**
A: Eloy Casagrande recorded Machine Messiah (2017) using a Tama Starclassic Walnut/Birch kit — twin 22"×18" bass drums, 10", 12", and 14" rack toms, 16" floor tom. Cymbals were Meinl Classics Custom series. Bass drum pedals were Tama Iron Cobra 900 (independent pair, one per kick). Recorded at Fascination Street Studios, Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren producing. No electronic triggers or samples — complete acoustic performance.

**Q: When did Eloy Casagrande join Sepultura?**
A: Eloy Casagrande joined Sepultura in 2011 at age 19, replacing Jean Dolabella. Machine Messiah (January 2017) was his first major full-length studio recording as the band's established drummer. He remained with Sepultura until 2023 — a 12-year tenure — before departing to join Metallica's M72 World Tour. His complete Sepultura recording arc: Machine Messiah (2017) → Quadra (2020). Machine Messiah is the definitive opening statement of that tenure.

**Q: What is Eloy Casagrande's drum setup on Machine Messiah?**
A: On Machine Messiah (2017): Tama Starclassic Walnut/Birch shells (twin 22"×18" bass drums, 10"/12"/14" rack toms, 16" floor tom); Meinl Classics Custom cymbals (14" hi-hats, 16" and 18" crashes, 20" ride, 18" china); Tama Iron Cobra 900 pedals (independent pair); ProMark Eloy Casagrande Signature TX5BW sticks. Produced by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios, Örebro, Sweden.

**Q: How does Eloy's Machine Messiah setup compare to his Quadra setup?**
A: Full evolution between albums. Machine Messiah (2017): Tama Starclassic Walnut/Birch shells, Meinl Classics Custom cymbals (B10 alloy), Tama Iron Cobra 900 pedals. Quadra (2020): Pearl Master Maple Reserve shells, Meinl Byzance Traditional cymbals (B20 bronze — warmer, more complex), Tama Speed Cobra pedals (lighter footboard). The changes reflect career growth and the sonic demands of Quadra's more compositionally ambitious material. Full Quadra breakdown at [/articles/quadra-drum-setup](/articles/quadra-drum-setup).

**Q: What tracks on Machine Messiah best showcase Eloy Casagrande's drumming?**
A: "Phantom Self" (lead single) showcases blast-beat precision and sustained double-bass at high tempos. "Iceberg Dances" demonstrates polyrhythmic intelligence — overlapping metric layers that go beyond typical thrash execution. Both tracks are on Machine Messiah (Nuclear Blast, January 2017) and represent the earliest major recorded evidence of the technical vocabulary Eloy refined on Quadra (2020) and brought to Metallica's M72 World Tour (2023).

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/machine-messiah-drum-setup

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*Last updated: 2026-06-27 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*