# Eloy Casagrande vs Mario Duplantier — Drum Kit Comparison

> Side-by-side gear comparison between Eloy Casagrande (Slipknot) and Mario Duplantier (Gojira).

**Category:** Progressive Metal · **URL:** https://metalforge.io/vs/eloy-casagrande-vs-mario-duplantier

Slipknot/Sepultura's Eloy Casagrande vs Gojira's Mario Duplantier — Brazilian thrash power vs French tribal progressive death metal compared. Gear, technique, and influence analyzed.

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## Eloy Casagrande Setup

- **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Bubinga (22"x16" & 24"x14" Bass Drums, 10", 12", 13" Toms, 16" & 18" Floor Toms)
- **Cymbals:** Paiste (15" Masters Dark Hi-Hats, 20" Masters Dark Ride, 20" & 20" 602 Crashes, 10" Rude Splash, 20" Masters Dark Crash, 20" 2002 Heavy Ride, 20" 2002 Novo China, 10" 2002 Mega Bell, Symphonic Gong)
- **Snare:** Tama Bell Brass 14x5.5" (BB146)
- **Pedals/Hardware:** Tama Iron Cobra Double Pedal, Yamaha DTX Electronic Pads
- **Sticks:** Promark Eloy Casagrande Signature

## Mario Duplantier Setup

- **Drums:** Tama Starclassic Bubinga (22"x18" Bass Drums x2, 12"x9" & 13"x10" Toms, 16"x16" Floor Tom)
- **Cymbals:** Zildjian (14" K Sweet Hi-Hats, 14" A Custom Hi-Hats, 18" K Custom Hybrid Crash, 19" A Custom Crash, 20" K Sweet Crash, 21" Z Custom Mega Bell Ride, 18" & 20" Chinas)
- **Snare:** Tama S.L.P. 14x6.5" G-Maple
- **Pedals/Hardware:** Tama Iron Cobra 900 Power Glide Double Pedal, Tama 1st Chair Ergo-Rider Throne
- **Sticks:** Tama Mario Duplantier Signature

## Playing Style

Eloy Casagrande joined Sepultura at just 19 in 2011, spending 13 years driving the band's thrash engine before joining Slipknot in 2024 to replace Jay Weinberg, and was voted the #1 metal drummer in Modern Drummer's 2024 Readers' Poll. Mario Duplantier co-founded Gojira with his brother Joe in Bayonne, France, in 1996, building a progressive death metal style defined by tribal, ceremonial grooves layered over crushing double bass on albums like "From Mars to Sirius" (2005) and "Magma" (2016).

## Technique

Eloy's São Paulo upbringing brought samba and bossa nova influences into his playing — even at blast-beat velocity his double kick breathes with a natural swing rather than mechanically alternating, and he uses two independent bass drum pedals for complete foot independence. Mario's technique blends raw power with polyrhythmic, tribal phrasing that treats toms as a melodic instrument, building dynamic contrast between whisper-quiet passages and crushing full-kit assaults rather than relying on constant aggression.

## Key Differences

Eloy plays a Tama Starclassic Bubinga kit with dual 22"x18" bass drums and Bubinga/Birch hybrid shells, a Tama S.L.P. Sonic Steel 14"x6" snare, and Paiste RUDE/2002/PST X cymbals, driven by twin Tama Speed Cobra 910 pedals and Promark signature sticks. Mario also plays a Tama Starclassic Bubinga kit with dual 22"x18" bass drums, paired with a Tama S.L.P. G-Maple 14"x6.5" snare and a Zildjian K Custom/A Custom hybrid cymbal setup anchored by a 21" Z Custom Mega Bell Ride, powered by Tama Iron Cobra 900 Power Glide pedals and his own Tama signature sticks. Eloy's São Paulo upbringing brought samba and bossa nova influences into his playing — even at blast-beat velocity his double kick breathes with a natural swing rather than mechanically alternating, and he uses two independent bass drum pedals for complete foot independence. Mario's technique blends raw power with polyrhythmic, tribal phrasing that treats toms as a melodic instrument, building dynamic contrast between whisper-quiet passages and crushing full-kit assaults rather than relying on constant aggression.

## Influence & Legacy

Eloy's 2024 Modern Drummer #1 ranking validated over a decade of thrash pedigree with Sepultura before he stepped onto one of metal's biggest stages with Slipknot. Mario has spent nearly three decades shaping progressive death metal's tribal, dynamics-first sound with Gojira, earning multiple Grammy nominations for "L'Enfant Sauvage," "Amazonia," and "Fortitude" along the way.

## Verdict

Both drummers build their sound on a Tama Starclassic Bubinga kit with dual 22"x18" bass drums, yet arrived there by very different paths — Eloy Casagrande through thirteen years of Sepultura thrash before Slipknot's stadium stage, Mario Duplantier through thirty years of building Gojira's tribal-progressive death metal identity from the ground up. Eloy brings Brazilian swing to extreme speed; Mario brings ceremonial dynamics to crushing power. Two of modern metal's most technically gifted drummers, separated by genre but united by a shared Tama foundation.

## FAQ

**Q: What are the main differences between Eloy Casagrande's and Mario Duplantier's drum kits?**
A: Eloy Casagrande plays Tama Starclassic Bubinga (22"x16" & 24"x14" Bass Drums, 10", 12", 13" Toms, 16" & 18" Floor Toms) with Paiste cymbals, while Mario Duplantier uses Tama Starclassic Bubinga (22"x18" Bass Drums x2, 12"x9" & 13"x10" Toms, 16"x16" Floor Tom) with Zildjian cymbals. Eloy plays a Tama Starclassic Bubinga kit with dual 22"x18" bass drums and Bubinga/Birch hybrid shells, a Tama S.L.P. Sonic Steel 14"x6" snare, and Paiste RUDE/2002/PST X cymbals, driven by twin Tama Speed Cobra 910 pedals and Promark signature sticks. Mario also plays a Tama Starclassic Bubinga kit with dual 22"x18" bass drums, paired with a Tama S.L.P. G-Maple 14"x6.5" snare and a Zildjian K Custom/A Custom hybrid cymbal setup anchored by a 21" Z Custom Mega Bell Ride, powered by Tama Iron Cobra 900 Power Glide pedals and his own Tama signature sticks.

**Q: What drums does Eloy Casagrande play vs Mario Duplantier?**
A: Eloy Casagrande plays Tama Starclassic Bubinga (22"x16" & 24"x14" Bass Drums, 10", 12", 13" Toms, 16" & 18" Floor Toms). Mario Duplantier plays Tama Starclassic Bubinga (22"x18" Bass Drums x2, 12"x9" & 13"x10" Toms, 16"x16" Floor Tom).

**Q: Who is the better progressive metal drummer, Eloy Casagrande or Mario Duplantier?**
A: Both are legends in their own right. Both drummers build their sound on a Tama Starclassic Bubinga kit with dual 22"x18" bass drums, yet arrived there by very different paths — Eloy Casagrande through thirteen years of Sepultura thrash before Slipknot's stadium stage, Mario Duplantier through thirty years of building Gojira's tribal-progressive death metal identity from the ground up. See the full analysis at [metalforge.io/vs/eloy-casagrande-vs-mario-duplantier](https://metalforge.io/vs/eloy-casagrande-vs-mario-duplantier).

**Q: What cymbals do Eloy Casagrande and Mario Duplantier use?**
A: Eloy Casagrande uses Paiste (15" Masters Dark Hi-Hats, 20" Masters Dark Ride, 20" & 20" 602 Crashes, 10" Rude Splash, 20" Masters Dark Crash, 20" 2002 Heavy Ride, 20" 2002 Novo China, 10" 2002 Mega Bell, Symphonic Gong). Mario Duplantier uses Zildjian (14" K Sweet Hi-Hats, 14" A Custom Hi-Hats, 18" K Custom Hybrid Crash, 19" A Custom Crash, 20" K Sweet Crash, 21" Z Custom Mega Bell Ride, 18" & 20" Chinas).

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*Full comparison: [metalforge.io/vs/eloy-casagrande-vs-mario-duplantier](https://metalforge.io/vs/eloy-casagrande-vs-mario-duplantier)*

*[Eloy Casagrande drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/eloy-casagrande)*
*[Mario Duplantier drummer profile](https://metalforge.io/drummer/mario-duplantier)*

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*Last updated: 2026-07-08 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*