In a new interview with Jack Bergin of Australia’s Triple J, SLIPKNOT‘s British-born bassist Alessandro “VMan” Venturella spoke about last year’s addition of drummer Eloy Casagrande to the group’s ranks. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “That guy, he’s brought a whole new lease of life… It’s to the point where sometimes you’re, like, ‘Man…’ I start ad-libbing now ’cause he has started adding some stuff in, and then all of a sudden that will spawn Jim [Root, SLIPKNOT guitarist] to do a little thing like that. And that kind of thing is so refreshing to me. Even songs like ‘Unsainted’, we’re bringing that back and he’s adding his own flair to that, which then [is] just really making it fun to be on stage.”
After parting ways with Jay Weinberg in November 2023, SLIPKNOT teased fans with a hint about a new drummer a year ago, posting a photo of a single broken drumstick online with the caption “Rehearsal.”
The band explained in a statement that the split with Weinberg was a creative decision. Jay followed up with a statement of his own, saying that he was “heartbroken and blindsided” by his dismissal.
Weinberg has since joined SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and INFECTIOUS GROOVES.
Casagrande abruptly quit SEPULTURA in February 2024, shortly before he was supposed to begin rehearsals for the band’s 40th-anniversary farewell tour.
Venturella began working with SLIPKNOT during the recording of 2014’s “.5: The Gray Chapter” album, contributing bass tracks along with guitarists Jim Root and Mick Thomson and former touring bassist Donnie Steele. He made his live debut with the band in 2014 at the first annual Knotfest.
In 2019, Alessandro told Bass Guitar Magazine that he landed in SLIPKNOT after getting a phone call from Root while working with MASTODON as guitarist Brent Hinds‘s tech.
“Me and Jim became friends while I was teching,” Venturella said. “He was asking if I knew any bass players. When I found out what for, I put my hand up right away. He pointed out, ‘But you don’t play bass?’ and I said something to the effect that I could do whatever he needed from me. Then I just had to make sure it was true.”
According to Venturella, his role early on in SLIPKNOT was to “fill a great man’s shoes and do him justice,” referring to original bassist Paul Gray, who passed away in 2010. “My approach isn’t the same as Paul‘s. I can’t be him and never will be; every player is ultimately born different. That said, if you listen to Paul‘s note choices on ‘Vermilion’, he was all over the shop and it sounded great. I wanted to try things like that.
“After listening to his stems, I honestly looked at bass in a different light and understood how to support everything as the backbone,” he continued. “Take the bass out of the mix and everything will fall flat on its arse — and equally, if you mix too bass-heavy, you’re not going to get your point across either. Lead guitarists, on the other hand, always need to cut through because that’s what the job entails. As the rhythm section, we’re there to hold the fort.”
Gray passed away from an accidental overdose of drugs.
Source: blabbermouth.net
