Former Lamb Of God drummer Chris Adler recently opened up about his impactful period with thrash metal legends Megadeth, describing the opportunity to play with a band he deeply admired as nothing short of a “dream come true.” Adler‘s drumming was a key component of Megadeth’s acclaimed 2016 Grammy-winning album, Dystopia, and he toured extensively with them in support of the record.
Speaking with Scott Penfold of Loaded Radio, Adler shared his enthusiasm and respect for Megadeth and its iconic frontman, Dave Mustaine. The connection to Megadeth‘s music began early for Adler. “When I was a kid, skateboarding or whatever, I got the cassette tape, listened to all this punk rock and all that stuff and I heard that Megadeth song, and that really set me on the path to do everything that I did,” Chris explained. “So to get that call was a dream come true.”
Recalling the experience of working with Mustaine, Adler said, “[Oh, man. It was a] dream come true. Yeah. Everybody loves to pick on Dave, and I feel bad for him. He had a rough time growing up, and I know his whole story, and we spent a lot of time talking about stuff. And Dave‘s a really — he’s a very nice guy. He’s troubled, but in a way that makes him one of the best in the world. And, man, can that guy play guitar — it’s unreal.”
Adler detailed the initial stages of creating Dystopia, which involved an intensive period of collaboration in Nashville. “He brought me to Nashville. I think for about two or three months he rented me a house in Nashville near him,” Adler recounted. “And we would get together at a studio that was kind of in the middle and just jam all the time. It was just me and him for, I think, two months, kind of writing the stuff and going over the stuff.” Working alongside engineer Chris Rakestraw, Adler described himself as “totally wide-eyed.” He initially approached it as session work, “But that turned out so well that basically he asked me to be in the band, and two years later we’re touring the world and the thing wins a Grammy, which was insane.” Adler also noted that this success, along with his work on Protest The Hero‘s award-winning album Volition, may have contributed to tensions within his then-band, Lamb Of God.
Offering a more personal perspective on Mustaine, Adler acknowledged the frontman’s complex persona. “Because of really who he is and the attention that he would have in any room that he would walk into, it’s hard to get into that inner circle. But once you’re in, he’s the most generous, nicest, kindest guy. He’s got a beautiful family… I understand the defenses, the walls that are built up a little bit, just for his own protection, really,” Adler shared. “Maybe he could have said things differently here and there along the way… But we had a amazing time together, and I still consider him a friend and it was an honor to be a part of that for as long as I was.”
During periods in late 2015 and early 2016 when Adler‘s schedule conflicted with Megadeth‘s commitments, veteran drummer Tony Laureano (formerly of Dimmu Borgir, Nile) filled in. When Adler‘s time with Megadeth concluded, it was Adler himself who recommended his successor, Dirk Verbeuren (formerly of Soilwork), whom he described as “probably [one of the] top three drummers in the world.” Verbeuren has been Megadeth‘s drummer since May 2016.
Chris also recently revealed a true reason behind his departure from Lamb of God, revealing that he was actually fired from the band.
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