Chris Adler, known globally for his drumming with Lamb of God, has shared candid details about the end of his long career with the band and the deep personal impact it had. In a new interview with Blabbermouth, Adler revealed that he hasn’t spoken to his brother, Lamb of God guitarist Willie Adler, since receiving an email confirming his dismissal.
The departure in July 2019 followed a difficult period for Adler, marked by a motorcycle accident and a diagnosis of musician’s dystonia, a neurological condition affecting his ability to play drums. He described the news of being let go from the band he co-founded as a profound shock. “It was as big of a shock to me,” Adler stated. “It was, ‘I don’t know how to make this work.’ I wasn’t given much of a choice. It was one of those e-mails: ‘Services no longer required.’”
For Adler, the band’s decision meant facing not only the physical challenges of his condition but also the emotional weight of being cut off from his musical family, especially his brother. When asked directly about his communication with Willie, Chris admitted the ongoing silence. “I guess the best way to put it is that I was sideswiped with the whole thing,” he explained. “I wish him all the best; I’m wishing them all the best, and I think about him all the time, but I would say we are estranged. Since that e-mail that I got, where he was not even willing to talk to me about it, we haven’t spoken.”
He acknowledged the healing process: “At this point, I’ve got to work through resentments and regrets and all that stuff. I’m happy where I’m at. I hope he’s happy where he is. Everything is cool with me.”
Adler outlined a series of personal challenges that led up to his exit. Beyond the motorcycle crash and dystonia, he also dealt with the loss of his mother and a tough divorce. He shared how his dystonia worsened, stating: “It kept getting worse and worse. That happened at the same time that all this stuff did. I took the medical work to the band. They knew I was in the middle of a big divorce.”
Despite his efforts to find solutions, such as focusing on less physically demanding songs, Adler indicated a lack of willingness from the band to adjust. “Nobody wanted to do that. There wasn’t anything I could do about it,” he noted. He also believes that his temporary role with Megadeth, which included winning a Grammy, added to existing tensions within Lamb of God. “I think when I took the Megadeth gig, that really strained things even further. Nobody said, ‘We don’t want you to do it,’ or ‘You’re cheating on us.’ That was still the vibe… when Megadeth won a Grammy, that pushed it further.”
In the years since, Adler has shifted his focus to new musical endeavors, including his project Firstborne. He has also retrained his drumming technique, adapting to his neurological condition by learning to lead with his left foot. “Now, I lead with my left foot, which throws the right foot in a loop mentally. I have to build a different connection for it to work. That connection is now strong.”
Looking forward, Adler expresses contentment with his current life. “Today, I’m grateful and happy for where I am. Like I said, my home life is awesome, and I’m looking forward to doing some shows with these guys [in Firstborne], having more fun and feeling a lot less pressure.”
Lamb of God formally parted ways with drummer Chris Adler in July 2019. He was succeeded by Art Cruz, known for his work with Prong and Winds of Plague, who had already stepped in for Adler during multiple Lamb of God tours throughout 2018 and early 2019.
Last month, Scott Penfold of Loaded Radio asked Chris whether he would ever consider rejoining Lamb of God. His response was: 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.”
