Greyson Nekrutman recently opened up about his challenging transition into Sepultura. He shared insights about his unique approach to learning the band’s demanding repertoire in a remarkably short timeframe. His comments were featured in an interview with El Estepario Siberiano.
Nekrutman discussed the intense pressure and time constraints he faced when offered the opportunity to replace Eloy Casagrande as Sepultura’s drummer. He explained his strategic approach to mastering the band’s complex songs under extreme time pressure.
“The funny thing you say like it was the most intelligent and dumb thing ever. I was explaining it cuz like I couldn’t say no,” Nekrutman said. “I mean like everybody would be like, ‘Are you crazy to say no to the opportunity?’ But at the same time, I knew the amount of responsibility I was taking on and the amount of shoes I was filling and the amount of work I’d have to put in and had I had no clue how different my life would be and the path of my life.”
The drummer revealed the daunting timeline he was working with. He also shared the fear that accompanied this career-defining moment.
“And it was crazy. I had like less than two weeks to learn the songs. I had less than like 12 I think it was around 12 days before I was leaving to a new country that I’d never been to in my life. Played songs I never knew in my life. Knew nobody in that country. It was terrifying. It was absolutely terrifying,” he continued.
Nekrutman then detailed his practical approach to overcoming these challenges. He focused on efficiency over traditional skill-building methods.
“And I remember in my mind, there was two schools of learning something. The school, first school would be if I want to play, okay, I want to play your song. Am I gonna mentally in my head get all my skills independently, independence, speed, coordination, blah blah blah, up to the level where I can now perform your song, or am I going to take your song, I’m going to break it down and just either make it really slow and repetition and speed it up and then play it exactly like you played it,” he explained.
He emphasized how this strategic thinking saved his career transition. It allowed him to focus on immediate needs while planning for long-term improvement.
“So, I kind of did the same thing. Like, I wasn’t going to sit there and go, ‘Oh my gosh, now in 12 days, I need to get my double bass. I need to start working on my double bass drum chops as I should have been for 10 years or whatever like you know exercises.’ No, I’m going to play the songs really slow and work on those specific parts and the coordination to then be able to at least get by and then when I had time off tour it’s like the first shows it was like six or seven shows in a row and then I had like a few weeks off and then like a month off and then I had like three months straight,” Nekrutman said.
“But it was like those breaks is when I can now add the practice regiment of like a metal drummer would be doing to maintain that. So it was it was kind of a mindset because I knew like if I took it from the approach of trying to build all my skills to be able to then play it, it’s too late. It’s not enough time. But if I just learn how to play the parts and then when I can refine things, make them more comfortable, make them cleaner, and then practice to build my bell strum chops like in my own realm, I’ll be fine. So that was the approach I took,” he concluded.
Nekrutman’s rapid learning approach proved essential given the dramatic circumstances surrounding his recruitment to Sepultura. The American virtuoso drummer found himself thrust into one of metal’s most demanding positions under extraordinary pressure.
Louder Sound reported that Eloy Casagrande abruptly quit Sepultura in February 2024. This happened just days before the band was scheduled to begin rehearsals for their farewell tour. The timing of Casagrande’s departure created an urgent need for a replacement. Sepultura’s official website confirmed that Casagrande informed the band on February 6, 2024, that he was leaving to pursue another project.
The band expressed their shock at the sudden departure. They stated they were “taken by surprise” and that Casagrande “immediately left the band, abandoning everything related to Sepultura.” This left Sepultura scrambling to find a replacement for their “Celebrating Life Through Death” farewell tour. The tour was designed as an 18-month run celebrating the band’s 40th anniversary before their planned breakup in 2025.
Nekrutman was previously the drummer for Suicidal Tendencies. He stepped into this challenging role with remarkable speed. MetalSucks noted that his first shows with Sepultura began on March 1, 2024. This gave him exactly the timeframe he described in his interview. The pressure was immense, as he was replacing a drummer who had been with Sepultura for 13 years. Casagrande was considered one of the most technically proficient players in extreme metal.
The departure also had significant ripple effects throughout the metal community. In a separate development that added context to the urgency of Nekrutman’s situation, Revolver Magazine later confirmed that Casagrande joined Slipknot as their new drummer in April 2024. This revealed the “other project” that had prompted his sudden exit from Sepultura.
