# How to Sound Like Eloy Casagrande — Sepultura Drum Sound Guide

**Drummer:** Eloy Casagrande  
**Band:** Sepultura (2011–2024) / Slipknot (2024–present)  
**Genre:** Thrash Metal / Groove Metal  
**Guide URL:** https://metalforge.io/guides/how-to-sound-like-eloy-casagrande

## Overview

Eloy Casagrande (born August 25, 1991, São Paulo, Brazil) joined Sepultura in 2011 at 19 and spent 13 years driving the band through its most technically ambitious era. Named the #1 metal drummer in Modern Drummer's 2024 Readers' Poll, he bridges Sepultura's Brazilian thrash legacy with the explosive precision of modern extreme metal. His viral drum-cam videos on Quadra (2020) tracks like "Means To An End" cemented his global reputation: controlled power, where every fast figure is played with even dynamics and immaculate timing. The result sounds heavier than uncontrolled speed, which is the central lesson of his playing.

## Kit Setup

Eloy plays **Tama Starclassic Bubinga** drums with dual independent 22" bass drums:

- **Kick Drums:** 22" x 16" (x2, independent) with Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide Double Pedals
- **Snare:** 14" x 5.5" Tama Bell Brass (BB146)
- **Rack Toms:** 10" x 8", 12" x 9", 14" x 11"
- **Floor Toms:** 16" x 14", 18" x 16"
- **Cymbals:** Paiste — 15" Masters Dark Hi-Hats, 20" Formula 602 Modern Essentials Crash, 20" 2002 Wild Crash, 20" Masters Dark Crash, 20" 2002 Novo China, 20" 2002 Power Ride
- **Sticks:** Promark Eloy Casagrande Signature (5B weight, wood tip)
- **Heads:** Evans G2 Coated (snare/toms), Evans EQ4 Clear (kick)

## Tuning & Setup

Bubinga shells naturally deliver focused attack with less sustain than maple — tune to reinforce that quality:

- **Kick:** Medium-low tension with Evans EQ pad touching the outer edge of the batter head; ported resonant head. Target: defined thump with controlled sustain, not pillow boom. The attack transient is what locks the kick to the guitar riff.
- **Snare:** Medium-high batter tension on the Bell Brass shell — enough for a cutting crack that projects over dense guitars. One Moongel at the edge for recording; none for live.
- **Toms:** Medium tension, minimal muffling. Bubinga provides natural sustain control, so let the toms ring more open than you might expect. Even dynamics across all toms matter more than muffling.

## Technique Tips

Eloy uses **matched grip** with a powerful, upright technique that balances speed and impact. His defining quality is controlled power: he hits hard without sacrificing timing or evenness.

**Signature patterns:**

- **Riff-Locked Double Bass (130–170 BPM, Intermediate):** The kick mirrors the guitar riff's rhythmic accent points rather than running constant 16th notes. Learn the guitar riff first, identify its hardest accent points, then map the kick to those positions. Once locked, the kit and guitar sound like one instrument.
- **Explosive Blast Beats (180–210 BPM, Advanced):** Even-velocity alternating hits between snare and kick. Build from 120 BPM with matching volumes between hands and feet before increasing speed. Every note must be distinct — blur means the dynamics are uneven.
- **Brazilian Groove Pocket (100–140 BPM, Intermediate):** Heavy, deliberate kick placement with syncopated snare accents. Focus on weight of each hit rather than tempo. Record yourself: the groove should feel physical, not merely metronomic.

**Key songs to study:** *Means To An End* (Quadra, 2020) · *Isolation* (Quadra, 2020) · *Vandal's Nest* (Machine Messiah, 2017) · *Phantom Self* (Machine Messiah, 2017) · *Alethea* (Quadra, 2020)

## Gear Shopping List

| Item | Eloy's Spec | Budget Alternative |
|------|-------------|-------------------|
| Drum Kit | Tama Starclassic Bubinga | Tama Superstar Classic (~$1,500) |
| Snare | Tama Bell Brass BB146 14"x5.5" | Ludwig Acrolite or Pearl Steel Sensitone |
| Hi-Hats | Paiste 15" Masters Dark | Paiste 900 Series 14" Hi-Hats (~$200) |
| Crashes | Paiste 2002 Wild Crash 20" | Paiste PST 8 Crashes (~$150 each) |
| Pedals | Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide Double | Tama Iron Cobra 200 Double (~$200) |
| Sticks | Promark Eloy Casagrande Signature | Promark 5B or Vic Firth 5B |
| Kick Heads | Evans EQ4 Clear | Remo Powerstroke P3 Clear |

**Starter budget path (~$1,200):** Tama Imperialstar + Paiste PST 8 + Iron Cobra 200 Double. See [/brands/tama](https://metalforge.io/brands/tama) and [/brands/paiste](https://metalforge.io/brands/paiste).

## Practice Routine

1. **Riff-Lock Kick Training (20 min/session):** Pick any Quadra riff, learn its accent points, map them to your kick. Record and compare against the original. Goal: kick-guitar lock at 130–160 BPM.
2. **Dynamic Blast Builder (15 min daily):** Blast at 120 BPM with matching hand/foot velocities. Add 10 BPM per week only when the recording sounds even. Target: 190+ BPM clean blasts.
3. **Brazilian Groove Pocket (15 min daily):** Play at 110 BPM and focus on weight of each kick. Record: does it feel physical? Increase commitment before increasing tempo.
4. **Even Tom Fill Drill (10 min daily):** Single strokes around all toms at consistent volume. Use a DB meter app. Speed comes last — evenness first.

**Common mistakes:** Kick patterns that ignore the guitar riff (the riff-lock IS the technique); chasing blast speed before even dynamics; over-muffling Bubinga/substitute shells; under-committing on the mid-tempo groove — each hit should feel physically weighty.

## FAQ

**Q: What drum kit does Eloy Casagrande use with Sepultura?**  
A: Eloy Casagrande plays Tama Starclassic Bubinga throughout his Sepultura tenure. Bubinga shells deliver focused attack with naturally controlled sustain — ideal for riff-locked double bass patterns. He uses two independent 22" bass drums rather than a double pedal for maximum precision at speed.

**Q: What cymbals does Eloy Casagrande use?**  
A: Eloy is a Paiste endorser. His Sepultura setup includes 15" Masters Dark Hi-Hats, Paiste Formula 602 and 2002 series crashes, a Masters Dark Crash, a 2002 Novo China, and a 2002 Power Ride. The Masters Dark hi-hats define the dark, controlled high-end of his sound, while the 2002 Wild Crash delivers explosive impact for thrash passages.

**Q: How does Eloy Casagrande get the Sepultura drum sound?**  
A: Three elements combine: Tama Bubinga shells (focused attack, controlled sustain), Paiste Masters Dark cymbals (dark but cutting), and the technique of locking the kick tightly to the guitar riff's accent points. For recording, medium-high snare tension and a kick with a defined attack transient (not excessive muffling) are the key choices.

**Q: What are the best Eloy Casagrande songs to learn first?**  
A: Start with "Means To An End" and "Isolation" from Quadra (2020). Eloy released drum-cam videos for both — excellent for watching his technique in real time. For more technical depth, "Vandal's Nest" from Machine Messiah (2017) demonstrates double-bass complexity in a groove framework.

**Q: Does Eloy Casagrande use double bass or a double pedal?**  
A: Two independent bass drums — not a double pedal. This eliminates slave-pedal response lag and allows complete foot independence, critical for precision riff-locked patterns at 160–210+ BPM. He uses Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide pedals on each kick.

**Q: How can I develop the Sepultura drum groove without the exact gear?**  
A: Focus on technique first: the riff-locked kick placement and even-dynamic playing are gear-independent. Any Tama kit (even entry-level Imperialstar) shares the brand's attack focus. For cymbals, Paiste at any tier shares the company's projection character — PST 8 or 900 Series are accessible starting points.

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**Full interactive guide:** [https://metalforge.io/guides/how-to-sound-like-eloy-casagrande](https://metalforge.io/guides/how-to-sound-like-eloy-casagrande)  
**Drummer profile:** [https://metalforge.io/drummer/eloy-casagrande](https://metalforge.io/drummer/eloy-casagrande)  
**Licks & patterns:** [https://metalforge.io/drummers/eloy-casagrande/licks](https://metalforge.io/drummers/eloy-casagrande/licks)  
**Related guides:** [Igor Cavalera](https://metalforge.io/llms/guides/how-to-sound-like-igor-cavalera.md) · [Dave Lombardo](https://metalforge.io/llms/guides/how-to-sound-like-dave-lombardo.md) · [Jay Weinberg](https://metalforge.io/llms/guides/how-to-sound-like-jay-weinberg.md)

*Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io) · Last updated: 2026-06-24*