Slipknot's Eloy Casagrande explains the meaning behind his mask

Slipknot drummer Eloy Casagrande has revealed the meaning and behind his mask.

Speaking to the Modern Drummer podcast, recent recruit to The Nine Eloy shared the story behind his creepy monochrome mask with bloodied headshot bullet wound, which acts not just as a nod to Slipknot's history but also Brazilian culture and a moment that could have spelled the end for the sticksman.

"The mask was something I did with Clown," he says. "The first thing he asked me at the beginning is like, 'Can we have a white mask for you?' The first thing to bring back Joey’s memory. Respect his legacy. And I made the suggestion to have, like, these black lines to remember the Brazilian indigenous people. You know, so it brings with me the Brazilian people, the Brazilian culture. But my expression, my face expression, this was designed by Clown. He was watching me playing without the mask and he said, like, 'That’s the way you look when you’re playing Slipknot music. So we’re going to put that in your mask.'"

He went on to reveal the meaning behind the gruesome bullet hole in the centre of his forehead.

"I came with the idea of the bullet hole. Two years ago, I was robbed inSão Paulo. I was walking in my neighbourhood, it was 9am, I was going to the gym, and two guys on motorcycles stopped me and they put a gun to my head and they asked me to give them my phone and my backpack. That was something that somehow changed a lot inside me. And he decided to not shoot. So I was lucky.

"It’s also from the philosophy that... gives like the feeling of, you’re going to like me, you’re going to love what I do, you’re going to hate what I do, but I have nothing to lose. I’m already dead. That’s a way of feeling that gives me some kind of freedom when I go on stage. It’s very inspirational as well."

Earlier this month, Clown revealed that Slipknot have a new album, telling Knotfest, "We’re gonna start at some point. I just want to roll into that with an energy like it’s all starting again. That’s how I want to approach it."

Catch Slipknot headlining Rock For People in June – get your tickets now.

READ THIS: Slipknot: “Nothing was a certainty back then… It was us against everyone else. In our hearts, it still is”