CHRIS ADLER Is 'Excited' To Hear New LAMB OF GOD Album, Says He Left His Drum Throne 'In Good Hands' With ART CRUZ

Chris Adler opened up about his exit from LAMB OF GOD during a live interview this past Thursday night (June 18) with AndrewHaug.com, Australia's first-ever dedicated 24/7 rock and metal online radio station. The chat coincided with the release of the self-titled new album from LAMB OF GOD, which officially parted ways with Chris last July. His replacement is Art Cruz, who has previously played with PRONG and WINDS OF PLAGUE, and filled in for Adler on several LAMB OF GOD tours in 2018 and 2019.

Chris said (hear audio below): "I think everybody parted on good terms. I'm really excited to hear their new record, which also happens to be coming out today. So I'm thrilled to hear what's going on with them. I'm sure they're doing very well.

"I left my drum throne in good hands with Art, who has been a friend," he continued. "I think I met Art when he was 17 years old — I've got a picture of me and him standing outside the bus when he stood there waiting for an autograph. So he and I have been friends for a long time. And, obviously, the guys in the band are not only family," referring to the fact that his brother Willie plays guitar for LAMB OF GOD, "but became great friends over 25 years. And it was quite a career that we had. It didn't end — I don't think anybody from either side would say it ended really particularly well in that I think we all hoped and dreamed and wanted all the same thing but just couldn't seem to get ourselves on the same page, for whatever reason.

"As much as I loved doing what I was doing, it certainly seems like it was kind of a good time to maybe step away," he added. "And I think everybody wins in that regard. And I wish the best for them, and I'm sure they do… You have to speak to them — I'm not sure — but I hope they do for me.

"I didn't leave because I didn't want to be involved with music or play the drums. [And] I didn't leave the band because I was wanting to do something too heavy or too light or anything like that. It was just kind of a mutual crossroads… The shoe didn't fit anymore on either side.

"I'm happy to have had been a part of it. I think if I was [still] in that band, I would be pushing even further than what we've ever done before."

Regarding what he has been doing since his departure from LAMB OF GOD, Chris said: "It's been a great time for me to settle back into normal life, if you will, and explore some other things. I've done some clinic tours, and I've connected with other artists and just kind of been really connecting at home with my family. I missed a lot of birthdays and a lot of barbecues over those 25 years, so it's been great to be home. I've done a lot of volunteer work around the area. I've really just kind of kept myself busy. And then, of course, as we're all kind of subjected to, dealt with this coronavirus and then [watched] all this incredible movement around the world of people rise," apparently referring to mass protests which broke out after George Floyd's killing in police custody.

"I have done some other projects," he continued. "I worked with the band HAIL!; I've done some independent recording here and there and definitely [been] keeping my chops up and doing stuff at home. But one of the things that I think really came about during this whole thing has been an incredible opportunity for me to kind of reach out and branch out and take things more as they come instead of kind of working with the same machine — seeing what else is out there and collaborating with people that I wouldn't have had the chance to, necessarily, with LAMB OF GOD.

"LAMB OF GOD is its own thing," Adler added. "I'm very, very proud of not only what we accomplished but my part that was played in that band and what we were able to accomplish together and certainly with each other's help in doing it. I'm very proud of that — I don't think there's anything anybody anywhere that could take away from that. And going forward, I think a lot of people would expect me to jump into something very similar to LAMB OF GOD or some sort of METALLICA-versus-MEGADETH kind of vibe. And that's not really in the cards for me. I would love to do something exactly the same as LAMB OF GOD, but I don't imagine that can fill my creative interests at this point. That is what it is."

This past Friday, Adler announced the formation of a new project called FIRSTBORNE, also featuring fellow MEGADETH alum James LoMenzo.

FIRSTBORNE's self-titled debut EP marks the acclaimed drummer's first dedicated band release since his departure from MEGADETH and LAMB OF GOD.

FIRSTBORNE features Girish Pradhan on vocals and guitar, Myrone on guitar, LoMenzo on bass, and Adler on drums.

The debut EP from FIRSTBORNE is now available at Bandcamp and across all streaming services.

When Adler's absence from LAMB OF GOD's summer 2018 tour was first announced, he released a statement saying that he had been undergoing physical and occupational therapy for injuries he sustained in a motorcycle accident in late 2017. Chris later said that he was "unwilling to paint by numbers," explaining in an interview: "I had a dream when I was 14 years old, and I've been very fortunate to go around the world several times, and we've played the arenas, we've had the headline slots, we've kind of done everything there is to do, and I just don't really feel the need to continue to do it and miss time from my family."

In addition to LAMB OF GOD, Adler has played drums with a number of metal artists, including MEGADETH, NITRO, BLOTTED SCIENCE and PROTEST THE HERO.

In 2018, Adler launched a management agency, Kintsugi Management.