Christopher James Adler (born November 23, 1972) is an American drummer, best known as a member and founder of the groove metal band Lamb of God, and Grammy Award winning member of Megadeth. He became a member of thrash metal band Megadeth from 2015-2016, playing on their fifteenth album Dystopia and performed most live touring dates in support of that album. In his 5th Grammy nomination, "Dystopia" won Chris his first Grammy Award for the Best Metal Performance at the 59th Grammy Awards. In 2006 Adler collaborated with revered progressive guitarist Ron Jarzombek beginning the project Blotted Science. In 2013, Adler moved to Toronto, Canada for 6 weeks and recorded and helped write the album "Volition" with the progressive metal band Protest the Hero. The album went on to win and provide Chris his first Juno Award (Canadian equivalent to the US Grammy) In 2014 he contributed several drum tracks to the Testament album Dark Roots of the Earth. In 2016 Adler recorded three songs with Jim Gillette, Michael Angelo Batio, and Victor Wooten in a California studio for a Nitro reunion album. As of October 2017, he left the Nitro reunion project to focus on a mid-2018 release and tour with Lamb of God. He is the elder brother of Lamb of God bandmate and guitarist Willie Adler. Chris played in several local bands including Calibra, Jettison Charlie, and Grouser before founding Lamb of God in 1994. Adler is pescatarian and has worked with PETA. He is recognized by his left-handed playing on a right-handed kit, his use of the heel-toe technique,[1] his unusual approach to the drum kit.
According to DRUM! Magazine, Adler describes his first drum kit as a disaster:
"The bass drum legs were different lengths so they wouldn't touch the ground at the same time. Every time I would hit it, it would wobble from left to right. The cymbal stands were duct taped together, and I think after two or three times playing the kit, the pedalboard actually broke in half because it was made of that crappy old fake metal."[6]
He played on Megadeth's 2016 studio release Dystopia and on all live shows during the following world tour, juggling his time between Lamb of God and Megadeth. On July 1, 2016 Adler left Megadeth due to continued pressure to join full-time and leave Lamb of God. In lieu of leaving the band he started, Adler recommended his friend Dirk Verbeuren to Megadeth main man Dave Mustaine who accepted his recommendation. Verbeuren took over the throne for Megadeth at that time after agreeing to quit Soilwork as well as his other projects. On 12 February 2017 Adler won his first Grammy award for Dystopia which won the Best Metal Performance category at the 59th Grammy Awards.[7] As he was no longer a band member he did not attend the ceremony with current Megadeth drummer Verbeuren attending with the band instead.
According to an interview with Peta2, Adler is currently a vegetarian.[8][9]
Chris Adler's equipment
Adler uses Saturn Mapex Drums, his own signature Black Panther 12x5.5" snare, and Gibraltar Hardware. He also uses and endorses Evans Drumheads, Pro-Mark signature Sticks, Trick Pedals and Meinl Cymbals. Chris helped Meinl produce the 24" MB20 Pure Metal Ride for him and helped with the creation of the 12" Soundcaster Custom Distortion Splash. He also uses a Roland pad and two Roland trigger Modules linked to a Roland TR-808 Drum machine. He also uses a Roland TD30k Kit at home and for warmups on tour.
Current tour kit
Drums - Mapex Saturn in Satin Black Maple Burl[10]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
