Francis Cassol

Francis Cassol is a Brazilian Rock and Heavy Metal drummer based in Los Angeles, CA. With over 20 years of experience as a professional drummer, he has had the opportunity to play and record with Grammy Award, America’s Got Talent, and Gold and Platinum Record-winning artists.

He is currently the official drummer for the Graham Bonnet Band (Graham Bonnet – former Rainbow, Alcatrazz, and Michael Schenker Group) and has also been touring with the Marco Mendoza Trio (Whitesnake, Dead Daisies, Journey, Thin Lizzy) in the US. From 2009 to 2014, he served as the official drummer for Paul Di’Anno (former Iron Maiden). Francis is a founding member of the Heavy/Power/Prog Metal bands Scelerata and Rage In My Eyes, through which he has released five albums worldwide, as well as Rocket Queen, a Hollywood-based female-fronted Guns N’ Roses tribute band.

Since arriving in Los Angeles in the summer of 2017, Francis has been performing extensively. In 2018, he was part of Bianca Ryan’s band, including performances in Los Angeles. Bianca is the very first America’s Got Talent winner and, in 2019, was part of the show America’s Got Talent: The Champions.

In 2019, Francis had the opportunity to perform with the legendary three-time Grammy winner Bobby Kimball (former Toto), with two shows in Los Angeles.

His résumé also includes live performances and/or recordings with Grammy winner Kiko Loureiro (former Megadeth and Angra), two-time Latin Grammy nominee Renato Borghetti, Gold Record winner Andi Deris (Helloween), award winner Roy Z (Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden, Rob Halford from Judas Priest), and Gold Record winners Rafael Bittencourt and Edu Falaschi (Angra).

In 2005, he was voted Best Heavy Metal Drummer of Rio Grande do Sul, his home state, by HeavyRS.com.

In 2011, Francis recorded Scelerata’s third album in Germany, at the studio of the legendary German band Blind Guardian, with one of the most prestigious Heavy Metal producers in the world, Charlie Bauerfeind. The result was the album The Sniper, which received worldwide acclaim from fans and specialized media.

In 2017, he recorded Rage In My Eyes’ album Ice Cell in Los Angeles with Brazilian producer Adair Daufembach (Kiko Loureiro, Tony MacAlpine, Dirk Verbeuren, Aquiles Priester). This album was released in 2019 and received top reviews globally. In 2021, Rage In My Eyes released the album Spiral.

With Scelerata and Rage In My Eyes, Francis has had the opportunity to open for bands such as Rock n’ Roll Hall of Famers Deep Purple, Edguy, Kamelot, Angra, Shaman, Viper, and Gamma Ray. In 2019, the band opened for British Heavy Metal legends Iron Maiden, performing for 40,000 fans in a soccer stadium.

In 2022, Francis recorded the album Chronos by the Symphonic Metal band Heaven’s Guardian, with producers Roy Z. (Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford) and Addasi Addasi (Bruce Dickinson, Los Lobos) at Fuel Music Studio in Fullerton,
Orange County, CA.

Francis also conducts drum clinics. Among them, in 2014, he performed at an event alongside two-time Grammy winner and drummer Dave Lombardo (former Slayer, Suicidal Tendencies). In 2016, he gave a drum clinic with current Heavy Metal superstar Eloy Casagrande (Slipknot, former Sepultura).

Alongside his performing career, Francis is also a music educator. He has been teaching private drum lessons since 2002 and graduated in Music Education in 2017 with Honors and Academic Merit. He is also a graduate in Drum Performance from the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, where he was awarded two scholarships. He currently
teaches at four different music schools in the Los Angeles and Orange Counties, in addition to his private students, totaling over 40 students.

Francis is currently endorsed by some of the most important companies in the drumming world, including Paiste Cymbals, Aquarian Drumheads, Orbian Drums, C. Ibañez Drumsticks, and Urbann Boards Drummer Shoes.

He has been featured multiple times in the Brazilian issue of Modern Drummer magazine, the world’s most prestigious drum-related publication, including a five-page interview where he shared his experiences as a performer and teacher.

In 2021, Francis was invited to join the Recording Academy as a Grammy Awards Voting Member, an honor he is extremely proud of. That same year, he was one of the winners of the “Prêmio Trajetórias”, a prestigious award comparable to a Lifetime Achievement Award, granted by the government of Rio Grande do Sul, his home state.

Francis is currently touring the world with the Graham Bonnet Band. In August 2024, they recorded a live DVD at the Whisky a Go Go, in Los Angeles, which will be released in 2025, and started working on a new album. He is also performing in the US with the Marco Mendoza Trio.