Chris Adler has shared new insight into his 2019 departure from Lamb of God, calling it “devastating“ and reflecting on how the move forced him to reimagine both his life and his playing.
Speaking with Scott Penfold of ‘Loaded Radio’, the former Lamb of God drummer opened up about the personal toll of leaving the band, how health issues played a role, and why he’s finally found peace with it. (Interview transcription via Blabbermouth.)
“If anybody knows Lamb of God from the beginning, I think they know that I put a lot into that band, the first practice ever was at my house, I kind of picked the guys out and I worked really hard for myself and for the guys the entire time. So that became, really, my identity. That was about as personal as it’s ever been.”
He pointed to standout career moments like recording Volition with Protest The Hero and joining Megadeth for Dystopia as major personal achievements, describing them as dream opportunities. But behind the scenes, his health and personal life were spiraling.
He explained:
“My mom passed away. I was in the middle of a terrible divorce. I’d had the motorcycle accident, and 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 went on to describe musician’s dystonia—a neurological disorder causing involuntary muscle contractions and loss of motor control—as a near “death sentence” for musicians. His case affected his right foot, impacting his ability to play double bass patterns. He said:
“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, I did give [the band] the medical paperwork… I think at the time I had also joined Megadeth, so tensions were really high.”
He said discussions were had about adjusting a few songs to accommodate his limitations, but the situation quickly deteriorated.
“It was one of those e-mails, ‘service is 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.”
With no communication since that message, Adler admitted the silence has lasted for years. He mentioned about the contact with the band:
“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.”
As for recovery, Adler said he spent years retraining himself, essentially learning to drum backwards by switching lead feet, an unorthodox but effective way of tricking his brain around the nerve degradation. That rehab, paired with physical and occupational therapy, helped him launch his new band Firstborne. He explained:
“The only way around dystonia is learning to do what you do in a different way, my right foot was the issue, so I really learned how to play drums backwards… to the point where I was able to do the stuff that you’re hearing on the Firstborne record.”
Though things ended on a sour note, Adler says he’s in a better place now—both personally and musically.
“It hurt me a lot. But thankfully things have drastically improved in my life. I’ve gotten remarried, we’ve got three teenagers, I’ve got a nice little house, we’ve got dogs, cats. And now I’ve got Firstborne that is keeping me busy all the time.”
He added:
“Despite where my headspace was at the time, looking back now in a different mindset, it was probably a very good time to walk away.”
Back in 2022, Adler also made headlines after calling Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton a “fucking douche”, reportedly in response to Morton commenting on being blocked on Twitter by politician Lee J. Carter. That public remark marked one of the only public interactions referencing the band since his exit.
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