‘It Was Devastating To Me’

In 2019, fans of heavy metal were stunned when LAMB OF GOD announced the departure of founding drummer Chris Adler. The move marked the end of an era for the band, with Art Cruz stepping in to fill Adler’s formidable shoes.

Now, in a new interview on Loaded Radio, Adler has opened up at length for the first time about the circumstances surrounding his firing — revealing a mix of personal health struggles and professional tensions that ultimately led to his exit.

One of the most significant factors, Adler revealed, was a debilitating health condition known as musician’s dystonia, a form of focal dystonia that affects motor control. Diagnosed around late 2016 or early 2017, the condition impaired the use of his right foot, a critical tool for any drummer.

“I didn’t want to talk about it at the time because I felt like it would really hinder my career,” Adler admitted (as transcribed by Metal Injection). “But I’ve gone through an incredible amount of work to be able to come back from it.”

He described the condition as “a kind of death sentence” for musicians, comparing his experience to that of other performers who have developed similar issues from decades of repetitive motion. “My foot, when I intended it to depress the pedal, would shoot off to the side or shoot back,” he explained. “It got to the point where I was coming off stage just so depressed with my performance.”

Though Adler provided medical documentation to his bandmates and suggested changes to accommodate the issue, the band ultimately decided to move on without him. The blow was compounded by rising tensions within the group, especially after Adler contributed to high-profile albums like MEGADETH’s 2016 Grammy-winning Dystopia and PROTEST THE HERO’s 2013 release Volition.

“At the time, I had also joined MEGADETH. Tensions were really high,” he said. “We were never the most functional group of people traveling around the world… I think the combination of things got to the point where they didn’t want to deal with it.”

The actual moment of his firing was, as Adler described, cold and abrupt: “It was one of those emails: ‘Your services are no longer required’ kind of thing. And that was devastating. It really was—I felt like it was my baby. It was my project. I put my life into it.”

In the wake of his dismissal, Adler entered a period of soul-searching and emotional recovery. He admitted that the breakup sent him “spiraling,” as he tried to find meaning and a new direction for his musical career.

“I knew that I wanted to play,” he said. “But it would be stupid for me to try to compete with what I had done before, because we really did way more than anybody—including ourselves—thought we could have done.”

Ultimately, Adler has come to terms with the decision and bears no ill will toward his former bandmates. “It was devastating to me—it really was,” he reflected. “But… I understand. I wasn’t capable of playing the songs that we really needed to be playing.”

Now, with the benefit of distance and perspective, Adler has moved past the resentment and feels at peace with how things turned out. “I did take it personally. But I’ve worked through those resentments, and I’ve got nothing but love for them.”