For former LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler, the opportunity to play with MEGADETH, a band he deeply admired, was nothing short of a “dream come true.”
Adler contributed his drumming prowess to MEGADETH‘s acclaimed 2016 album, Dystopia, and joined them for a significant portion of their live performances in support of the record between January and May of that year. During instances where Adler‘s schedule conflicted with MEGADETH‘s commitments in late 2015 and early 2016, the experienced extreme metal drummer Tony Laureano (formerly of DIMMU BORGIR, NILE, and ANGELCORPSE), who had been the band’s drum technician since 2011, stepped in as a temporary replacement. Since May 2016, MEGADETH has featured the talents of Dirk Verbeuren, a Belgian-born drummer with over a decade of experience with SOILWORK, who now resides in Los Angeles.
In a recent interview with Scott Penfold of Loaded Radio, Adler shared his experience of collaborating with MEGADETH‘s iconic frontman, Dave Mustaine. “[Oh, man. It was a] dream come true. Yeah,” Adler enthusiastically stated. “Everybody loves to pick on Dave, and I feel bad for him. He had a rough time growing up, and I know his whole story, and we spent a lot of time talking about stuff. And Dave‘s a really — he’s a very nice guy. He’s troubled, but in a way that makes him one of the best in the world. And, man, can that guy play guitar — it’s unreal.”
Adler then reminisced about his early exposure to MEGADETH, explaining the band’s profound impact on his musical journey. “When I was a kid, skateboarding or whatever, I got the cassette tape, listened to all this punk rock and all that stuff and I heard that MEGADETH song, and that really set me on the path to do everything that I did,” Chris explained. “So to get that call was a dream come true.”
Reflecting on the recording process for Dystopia, Chris detailed the initial stages of his involvement. “It started with… We met a few times just to see if we’d be able to get along. We had met in 2005 on a tour and got along then fairly well. And so he brought me to Nashville. I think for about two or three months he rented me a house in Nashville near him. And we would get together at a studio that was kind of in the middle and just jam all the time. It was just me and him for, I think, two months, kind of writing the stuff and going over the stuff. They had a great engineer, Chris Rakestraw, that was there helping us put parts together and thinking about stuff. And I was totally wide-eyed, [and it was] like a dream-come-true kind of moment. But I was still professional about it in that I know I’m only here for the session work. But that turned out so well that basically he asked me to be in the band, and two years later we’re touring the world and the thing wins a Grammy, which was insane. [That was] maybe another thing that caused tension in LAMB OF GOD. I had done a record with PROTEST THE HERO that won them a [Canadian] Grammy [equivalent]. Now I go join MEGADETH and that wins a Grammy. What’s going on here? But, yeah, it was a thrill.”
Adler further elaborated on his personal connection with Mustaine, offering a more intimate perspective on the often-misunderstood musician. “Because of really who he is and the attention that he would have in any room that he would walk into, it’s hard to get into that inner circle. But once you’re in, he’s the most generous, nicest, kindest guy. He’s got a beautiful family. They’re all wonderful people. I understand the defenses, the walls that are built up a little bit, just for his own protection, really. Maybe he could have said things differently here and there along the way. It’s not for me to say. But we had a amazing time together, and I still consider him a friend and it was an honor to be a part of that for as long as I was.”
Notably, it was Adler himself who recommended Dirk Verbeuren for the MEGADETH drumming position, describing Verbeuren as “probably [one of the] top three drummers in the world,” further highlighting the camaraderie and respect within the metal community.
Source: metaladdicts.com
