Slipknot drummer Eloy Casagrande discussed the band’s approach to writing and recording their new album in an interview shared via Radiónica. He emphasized that the group is in a positive mood and focused on making authentic music rather than commercial considerations.
Casagrande spoke about how Slipknot is working on new material and the creative atmosphere within the band. He explained the mindset the members are bringing to the studio and how their approach has changed.
“Right now, we are recording the new album,” Casagrande said. “We are doing the new record… We are doing a lot of songs — many, many songs. So I cannot talk a lot about them very much. I cannot explain for you what we exactly we are doing in the studio right now.”
“But what I can say is that the band is really happy with the music that we created so far, we did so far. Everyone’s in a very good vibe. And we are being very honest to our fans. We are doing what we wanna do. We are doing what feels right for us to do at the moment, and we are being very honest to all the fans. That’s it. We are making real music.”
“We are not thinking about business. We are not thinking about if the people are gonna like it or not. We are doing what we believe is right to do… It’s a very chill, very good process, very natural process, easygoing. So we are enjoying to play music, and that’s the most important.”
Casagrande elaborated on how he and the other band members are handling the writing and recording work. “We believe in music. And now that I’m here, having my first experience doing a record with the band, I’m also really glad to see, to be able to experience that situation, that we are in the studio making real music. We are not thinking about business. We are not thinking about selling our music. We are just thinking about art in the most pure way, the most honest way of respecting what we wanna do right now and being honest, being truthful, being transparent with our fans. So we are doing real music, and that’s it.”
“Nowadays you see a lot of artists thinking about the future, if they’re gonna sell well or not, if they’re gonna be able to play in huge arenas or not, and no — that’s the opposite that we’re doing here. We are focusing on doing something that we like, that we feel proud of what we are doing.”
The drummer described his own concerns before joining the band and how the current environment has addressed them. “Before I joined the band, of course, that was something that I had in mind. I was concerned if I would be able to be myself, to play the way I like to play, to be able to do real things, real music. And to be here inside and see everybody enjoying what they are doing and see that we are being very honest with the art, with our instruments, with the music, that makes everything special.”
“That’s the biggest goal in any musician’s life, to be able to just play your instrument the way you wanna play, to be true to your fans. We are in a very good moment. That’s what I can tell you. The feeling inside the band, inside all the members, it’s really good. So we’re just having fun to play music.”
These comments came as Slipknot works on new material following the release of the “Arsenal” single in September, with the departure of former DJ Sid Wilson creating space for the band to focus on its core sound. Casagrande’s remarks offer a picture of the current mood and creative direction within the group.
Sid Wilson departed from Slipknot on August 14, 2026, after being part of the band since 1998. His exit came after other recent changes in the band’s lineup, including the departures of Craig Jones in 2023 and Chris Fehn in 2019, as well as the dismissal of former drummer Jay Weinberg in November 2023.
Casagrande joined Slipknot in February 2024 as Weinberg’s replacement. The Brazilian drummer left Sepultura earlier that year to join the metal group. In 2024, he was voted Best Metal Drummer in Modern Drummer magazine’s Readers’ Poll, a recognition of his skill and standing in the metal community.
Arsenal, released in September, marked the band’s first new material in over three years and their first song since the recent lineup changes. The track is being released on the band’s own (sic)est Records label, following the end of their two-and-a-half-decade partnership with Roadrunner. According to guitarist Jim Root, Arsenal will not appear on the upcoming album and was finished and released separately.
The new album is being produced by Matt Wallace, known for his work with Faith No More and Maroon 5. The band tracked songs live on the floor with Casagrande on drums, an approach they had not used in a long time. This method of recording reflects Casagrande’s description of the honest, natural creative process the band is embracing as they move forward with their new sound.
