# Sepultura "The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must Be the Heart" Drum Setup: Eloy Casagrande's 2013 Debut

> Complete breakdown of Eloy Casagrande's drum kit on Sepultura's The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must Be the Heart (2013): Tama Starclassic Bubinga shells, Paiste RUDE/2002 cymbals, and the raw Ross Robinson sessions that introduced a 21-year-old prodigy to thrash metal's biggest stage.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Eloy Casagrande](/llms/drummers/eloy-casagrande.md)
**Band / Album:** Sepultura — The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must Be the Heart (2013)
**Genre:** Thrash Metal / Groove Metal / Heavy Metal
**Label:** Nuclear Blast
**Studio:** Ross Robinson's studio, Venice, California
**Producer:** Ross Robinson (co-produced by Steve Evetts)
**Release Date:** October 25, 2013 (Europe) / October 29, 2013 (US)

## Overview

When Sepultura released *The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must Be the Heart* on October 25, 2013, it introduced the world to a 21-year-old drummer who would go on to anchor the band for over a decade: Eloy Casagrande. Eloy had joined Sepultura in 2011 at age 19, but *The Mediator* — the band's thirteenth studio album — was the first full-length record to capture his playing in the studio, four years before *Machine Messiah* became his definitive international statement.

The album reunited Sepultura with Ross Robinson, the producer behind their landmark 1996 record *Roots*. Robinson's intensely raw, emotionally driven production philosophy — live takes, minimal overdubbing, performances captured in the moment — made the sessions a trial by fire for a 21-year-old recording his first album with one of thrash metal's most important bands. The album's title is drawn from a line in Fritz Lang's 1927 film *Metropolis*.

This is the true opening chapter of the arc. For the evolution of Eloy's setup after *The Mediator*, see the [Sepultura Machine Messiah drum setup (2017)](/articles/machine-messiah-drum-setup) and the [Sepultura Quadra drum setup (2020)](/articles/quadra-drum-setup). For his complete drummer profile, see [Eloy Casagrande](/drummer/eloy-casagrande).

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Bubinga (twin 22"×18" bass drums, 10"/12" rack toms, 16" floor tom)
- **Snare:** Tama S.L.P. Big Black Steel, 14"×6.5" (1.2mm steel shell)
- **Cymbals:** Paiste RUDE / 2002 series
- **Pedals:** Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide (×2, independent — one per bass drum)
- **Hi-Hat Stand:** Tama Iron Cobra Hi-Hat Stand
- **Throne:** Roc-N-Soc Original Nitro
- **Sticks:** ProMark TX5B Hickory
- **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 Bubinga

Eloy's first major endorsement-level kit was the Tama Starclassic Bubinga — the Bubinga/Birch hybrid construction pairs the dense, exotic hardwood's powerful low frequencies with birch's focused attack, a combination built for cutting through aggressive, distortion-heavy mixes. Twin independent 22"×18" bass drums gave the 21-year-old the foot independence that would define his playing for the rest of his career. The compact three-piece tom configuration — two rack toms and a single 16" floor tom — reflected a leaner setup than the expanded rig he would later use with Slipknot.

### Tama S.L.P. Big Black Steel Snare

A deep, dark-finished 14"×6.5" steel snare built for maximum crack and projection. Deeper than the 5.5" snares Eloy favored in later years, it delivered a fuller body alongside the steel shell's characteristic bite — establishing his presence immediately on his first major recording.

### Paiste RUDE and 2002 Cymbals

Eloy's first major cymbal endorsement paired Paiste's RUDE and 2002 series. The RUDE line's unlathed "Wild" cymbals deliver bright, cutting overtones suited to Ross Robinson's philosophy of unpolished, visceral performance. The setup included 14" RUDE Hi-Hats, a 17" 2002 Crash, a 19" RUDE Wild Crash, a 22" 2002 Power Ride, and an 18" RUDE Wild China. This RUDE/2002 pairing later gave way to the warmer Meinl Classics Custom and Byzance series Eloy adopted as his career matured.

## Recording Context

*The Mediator* was recorded over 40 days in June 2013 at Ross Robinson's own studio in Venice, California, with Steve Evetts co-producing. Robinson's reputation is built on an emotionally confrontational, live-take-driven production style: bands record together in the room, often without a click track, chasing a performance rather than assembling one from comped takes. For a 21-year-old making his recorded Sepultura debut, this was an unusually demanding introduction to studio work — and the result is a drum sound that favors raw power and immediacy over the polished, layered production Eloy's later albums with Jens Bogren would pursue.

The album was mixed at Omen Room Studios in Anaheim, California, and mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Studios in New Windsor, New York.

## Key Facts

- Tama Starclassic Bubinga: Bubinga/Birch hybrid shells — Eloy's first major endorsement-level kit
- Tama S.L.P. Big Black Steel snare, 14"×6.5" — deeper shell than his later-career snares
- Paiste RUDE / 2002 series cymbals — raw, unlathed brightness suited to Ross Robinson's production style
- Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide twin independent pedals — one per bass drum
- Recorded over 40 days in June 2013 at Ross Robinson's studio in Venice, California
- Produced by Ross Robinson (Roots, Korn, Slipknot), co-produced by Steve Evetts
- Mixed at Omen Room Studios, Anaheim; mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Studios
- Eloy Casagrande's first full-length studio recording with Sepultura, joined the band in 2011 at age 19
- Title drawn from a quote in Fritz Lang's 1927 film Metropolis
- Estimated kit value: $2,800–4,000 (2013 Starclassic Bubinga configuration)
- Opens the arc: The Mediator (2013) → Machine Messiah (2017) → Quadra (2020)

## FAQ

**Q: What was Eloy Casagrande's first studio album with Sepultura?**
A: Eloy Casagrande's first studio album with Sepultura was The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must Be the Heart, released October 25, 2013 (Europe) / October 29, 2013 (US) via Nuclear Blast. Eloy had joined the band in 2011 at age 19, but this was the first full-length record to capture his playing in the studio. It was produced by Ross Robinson (who also produced Sepultura's 1996 album Roots), co-produced by Steve Evetts, and recorded over 40 days in June 2013 at Robinson's studio in Venice, California.

**Q: What drums did Eloy Casagrande use on The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must Be the Heart?**
A: Eloy Casagrande recorded The Mediator (2013) using a Tama Starclassic Bubinga kit — his first major endorsement-level setup. His configuration included twin 22"×18" bass drums for independent double-kick, 10" and 12" rack toms, and a 16" floor tom. His snare was a Tama S.L.P. Big Black Steel, 14"×6.5". His cymbals were Paiste RUDE and 2002 series. His bass drum pedals were Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide (one per kick drum).

**Q: Who produced Sepultura's The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must Be the Heart?**
A: The Mediator (2013) was produced by Ross Robinson, who also produced Sepultura's landmark 1996 album Roots, alongside Korn, Slipknot, and At the Drive-In. Steve Evetts co-produced. The album was tracked over 40 days in June 2013 at Robinson's own studio in Venice, California, mixed at Omen Room Studios in Anaheim, and mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Studios in New York.

**Q: How does Eloy's Mediator setup compare to his Machine Messiah setup?**
A: Between The Mediator (2013) and Machine Messiah (2017), Eloy's setup evolved substantially. Shells: Tama Starclassic Bubinga → Tama Starclassic Walnut/Birch. Cymbals: Paiste RUDE/2002 → Meinl Classics Custom. Pedals: Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide → Tama Iron Cobra 900. The production context changed just as much: Ross Robinson's raw, live-take Venice sessions gave way to Jens Bogren's polished Fascination Street Studios approach. Full Machine Messiah breakdown at [/articles/machine-messiah-drum-setup](/articles/machine-messiah-drum-setup).

**Q: When did Eloy Casagrande join Sepultura?**
A: Eloy Casagrande joined Sepultura in 2011 at age 19, replacing Jean Dolabella. The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must Be the Heart (October 2013) was his first full-length studio recording with the band, recorded when he was 21. He remained with Sepultura until 2023 before departing to join Metallica's M72 World Tour, and later Slipknot. His complete Sepultura recording arc: The Mediator (2013) → Machine Messiah (2017) → Quadra (2020).

## Internal Links

- [Eloy Casagrande drummer profile](/drummer/eloy-casagrande)
- [Sepultura Machine Messiah Drum Setup (2017)](/articles/machine-messiah-drum-setup)
- [Sepultura Quadra Drum Setup (2020)](/articles/quadra-drum-setup)
- [What's In Eloy Casagrande's Kit (Slipknot 2026)](/articles/whats-in-eloy-casagrandes-kit)
- [Eloy Casagrande M72 Drum Setup (Metallica 2023–2024)](/articles/eloy-casagrande-m72-drum-setup)

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/the-mediator-between-head-and-hands-drum-setup

**More LLM resources:** [Site index](/llms.txt) · [Full database](/llms-full.txt) · [Master FAQ](/llms/faq.md) · [Drummer index](/llms/index.md)

*Last updated: 2026-07-01 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*