Chris Adler on his Lamb of God departure: “It felt like my child was taken away”

Former Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler has opened up about the painful circumstances surrounding his exit from the band — and the cold way it all went down. For Adler, the group wasn’t just a job or a creative outlet. It was his identity. So when he was let go via email, it hit hard.

Adler had been there since day one. He hosted the band’s first rehearsals at his house and helped build Lamb of God from scratch. So when the end came — unexpectedly and, in his view, unfairly — it felt like a betrayal.

Several factors led to the split: the death of his mother, a divorce, a serious motorcycle accident, and a rare neurological disorder called musician’s dystonia, which affected his right foot and made playing the bass drum unpredictable. Despite providing medical documentation and suggesting setlist adjustments, Adler now sees that the situation was tough for everyone involved.

Tensions were further strained by his side projects with Megadeth and Protest the Hero, which didn’t sit well with the rest of the band. According to Adler, Lamb of God wasn’t the smoothest touring unit to begin with, and the overall atmosphere had grown tense. So when that fateful email came, it felt — in his words — like someone had taken his child away.

Still, Adler refused to stay down. Over the years, he worked tirelessly to adapt to his condition, learning to play drums “backwards” by using his left foot in place of his right. That led to a fresh start with his current project, Firstborne.

He says he’s long since made peace with the past. Although there’s been no contact with his former bandmates since 2018, he’s proud of what they accomplished together and wishes them well.

That said, there’s been some public tension. In 2022, Adler called out guitarist Mark Morton in a fiery tweet, though Morton later clarified that he still respects Adler’s talent and the music they made together.

In the end, Adler believes the timing may have been right. These days, he’s happily remarried, living a fulfilling family life, and finding new meaning in music — even if it looks a little different now.