Former Lamb Of God drummer and co-founder Chris Adler recently addressed the lingering question of a potential return to the iconic metal band, likening the prospect to a fraught encounter with a former spouse. In a candid and extensive interview with Scott Penfold of Loaded Radio, Adler delved deep into the complex reasons behind his 2019 departure—confirming he was fired—and shared his current feelings about rejoining the group he helped build.
When asked if he would ever step back in with Lamb Of God, Adler responded thoughtfully (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): “Um, would I step in to do it again? Oh, man. I don’t know that I would. It feels like it would be like, would you go on a date with your ex-wife that you still kind of pine for? And I don’t think that would be a very good idea for either of us. I’ll take the memories and the plaques and Grammys that I can show my parents or whatever, and we’ll let it rest.”
Lamb Of God officially parted ways with Adler in July 2019, with Art Cruz (formerly of Prong and Winds Of Plague), who had filled in for Adler on previous tours, taking over permanently. Adler explained that his exit was the culmination of several challenging factors, most notably a debilitating medical condition.
“I haven’t talked about this before, but at the same time, in 2016, ’17, right at the end of ’16, I was diagnosed with something called musician’s dystonia,” Adler revealed. “I didn’t wanna talk about it at the time because I felt like it would really hinder my career, but I’ve gone through an incredible amount of work to be able to come back from it.” He described dystonia, a neurological disorder affecting motor control, as “kind of a death sentence” for musicians, detailing its impact on his right foot: “I would be playing a song, and my foot, when I intended it to depress the pedal, would shoot off to the side or shoot back. And that was at the point where I was coming off stage just so depressed with my performance.” He noted that other musicians, like Alex Webster of Cannibal Corpse and Daniel Adair of Nickelback, have faced similar conditions.
Adler stated he provided medical documentation to his bandmates and suggested accommodations for certain songs, but mounting frustrations and other pressures complicated the situation. His successful collaborations outside Lamb Of God, including drumming on Megadeth‘s 2016 Grammy-winning album Dystopia and Protest The Hero‘s 2013 award-winning Volition, also contributed to internal friction. “I think at the time I had also joined Megadeth, so tensions were really high,” he said. “And we were never like the most functional group of people… I think the combination of things got to the point where they didn’t wanna deal with it and I wasn’t happy with my performances, so that kind of stopped the train.”
The end came via an impersonal email. “It was one of those e-mails, ‘Your services are no longer required’ kind of thing, and that was devastating, ’cause I felt like it was my baby, it was my project and I put my life into it. It was my identity,” Adler shared. This, coupled with other personal hardships around that time including his mother’s passing and a divorce, sent him “spiraling.”
In the years since, Adler has focused on recovery, both physically and emotionally. He underwent intense therapy to manage the dystonia, learning to play drums “backwards” by leading with his left foot, a technique he applied to his post-Lamb Of God project, Firstborne. Reflecting on the split, he now sees it with a different perspective. “It was devastating to me. It really was… But from my side of the street, I understand. I wasn’t capable of playing the songs that we really needed to be playing.” He acknowledges that while he took the firing hard and personally, “I’ve worked through those resentments, and I’ve got nothing but love for them continuing on and for each one of them.”
He even views the timing of his departure, in retrospect, as potentially for the best. “I do feel like we achieved more than we ever set out to do… I didn’t feel like there was much higher to go… looking back now in a different mindset, it was probably a very good time to walk away.”
Despite this hard-won peace, Adler revealed there has been no contact between him and his former bandmates since his dismissal. “There hasn’t been any… since that letter — I believe it was in 2018 — or the e-mail, there’s been absolutely no communication whatsoever from either side.”
While a reunion seems unlikely based on his current feelings, Chris Adler looks back on his extensive career with Lamb Of God with pride, cherishing the “memories and the plaques and Grammys” from a significant chapter in metal history.
