Chris Adler Says He Hasn’t Spoken To Brother Willie Adler Since LAMB OF GOD Firing: “We Are Estranged”

Former Lamb Of God drummer Chris Adler has opened up about the personal and professional fallout following his firing from the multi-platinum groove metal band in July of 2019 — including the revelation that he hasn’t spoken to his brother, Wille Adler, since.

As previously reported, Chris was let go after a tumultuous period in his life that included recovering from a motorcycle accident, the death of his mother, a divorce, and rising tensions within the band. One major factor in his departure was a diagnosis of musician’s dystonia, a rare neurological disorder that forced him to relearn how to play drums.

Speaking with Blabbermouth.net, Chris explained that the condition first appeared around 2003, though its severity increased over time:

“Like I said, we were dysfunctional. We weren’t always best friends. It was strained. Whoever was not in the room was getting picked on. I was the guy out of the room.”

Chris believes taking a short-term gig with Megadeth — which later led to a GRAMMY win — caused further strain with his bandmates:

“I think when I took the Megadeth gig, that really strained things even further… then when Megadeth won a Grammy, that pushed it further.”

He also recalled approaching the band about working around the dystonia during performances:

“I went to them and said, ‘This doesn’t happen all the time. It happens on these particular songs. Can we work around it?’… Nobody wanted to do that. There wasn’t anything I could do about it.”

The fallout was devastating:

“That was very difficult for me. In many ways, that band was my identity. It’s everything that I worked for. I spiraled.”

“It did take a while, to be honest. Maybe about a year into that, I was just trying to find myself and even define what chapter two would look like.”

Chris went on to detail how he reworked his drumming technique to lead with his left foot — a process that’s allowed him to perform again, though not with the same style or complexity as during his LAMB OF GOD tenure.

Later in the interview, when asked if he and Willie have kept in touch, Chris responded:

“I guess the best way to put it is that I was sideswiped with the whole thing. 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.”

“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.”

Chris Adler is now drumming for Firstborne, whose debut album Lucky is due out July 18th.

---

Do you love independent bands, or are you in one? The Mosh Network is not just a rock/metal news website, but it doubles as an independent band directory, designed so that visitors can browse independent bands by not just subgenre, but location as well. It’s perfect to keep your finger on the pulse of your area’s hottest and newest bands or if you’re in a band, it’s a great way to find bands to network with! Click the banner below and start discovering bands all over the world, now!