Randy Blythe Offers Very Brief Comment on Chris Adler’s Departure from Lamb of God
Both Lamb of God and longtime drummer Chris Adler have been remarkably quiet about parting ways. To anyone paying attention, it’s all too obvious that there’s a lot both sides aren’t saying publicly. And it seems as if that trend will continue into at least the immediate future, if an interview with frontman Randy Blythe is any indication.
Before the split was announced, Blythe offered the following when asked in an interview about Adler, who had already been absent from the band for some time: “It’s hard to say what’s gonna happen with Chris Adler. I have no comment on him.” The band’s eventual announcement was factual in nature, simply introducing Art Cruz as their new, full-time drummer, thanking Adler for his service and wishing him well.
Three months later, Adler make a big to-do about “address[ing] the many questions being asked about my departure from Lamb Of God” with an official statement, but that statement hardly answered any of those questions, instead making vague reference to general dissatisfaction such as “I am unwilling to paint by numbers” and “being trapped in a ‘creative’ formula.” Those gripes certainly makes sense, especially in reference to Lamb of God in particular, but they do little to illuminate what actually transpired behind the scenes.
That brings us up to today. Radio personality Eddie Trunk took a break from complaining about rock n’ roll’s demise and stuck it to Randy directly last week by asking if the situation with Adler had been resolved. Randy’s answer? “The way it’s been resolved is that Chris Adler is no longer in Lamb of God — that’s been publicly said — and Art Cruz is our new drummer. And that’s about all we have to say about that.” Well then!
I certainly understand why Blythe wouldn’t want to say anything more, especially if there are deeply personal issues in play regarding the split (I’d venture that there are). His reply could be as much out of respect for Chris as for him and his bandmates, for what it’s worth, and is likely also borne of wanting to look towards the future (new album coming!) instead of digging into the past. But unless fans learn more about what really happened, that question is gonna dog him (and Chris) in interviews for years to come. It’s not gonna go away, even if the band’s people sternly warn press that the topic is off limits. Adler was a BIG part of Lamb of God, moreso than most drummers in their respective bands, and the whole thing just feels, well, weird. And incomplete.
Elsewhere in the chat, Blythe also spoke highly of Cruz, who recorded with Lamb of God for the first time on their forthcoming self-titled album:
“It was interesting to watch him go through it, because writing a Lamb of God record, even though it was pleasant this time, is generally not a pleasant experience to undergo; it’s just not, because we are so fucking brutal on ourselves. That’s why it doesn’t fucking matter to us, really, if a song comes out and a few people are, ‘That sucks. I wish it sounded more like As The Palaces Burn, or whatever. I don’t give a fuck what you think, because we have put ourselves through absolute hell already to make this. We are our own worst critics by far — it’s ridiculous how hard we are on ourselves.
“That being said, it doesn’t make for a very pleasant writing and recording experience sometimes. And watching him kind of step into this world… I’m sure he was nervous, because it’s your first record with a band, and we are a 25-year established band with a large fanbase. I’m sure he was nervous, but he handled it — he did a really good job. It was definitely the longest time he’d ever had to record a record, ’cause he’s recorded with Prong, he’s recorded with his other band, Winds of Plague. And I think a lot of it was get in there, get it done, ’cause the budget isn’t there for you to take all day. And I think he was a bit more directed by his bandmates in those other projects: ‘We want you to do this. We want you to do that.’ With this, we were, like, ‘Okay, kid. Let’s see what you’ve got.’ And he just did a fantastic job.”
Lamb of God comes out May 8. Catch the band on tour with Megadeth, Trivium and In Flames all summer and fall:
6/12 – Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live [tickets]
6/13 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion [tickets]
6/14 – Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheater [tickets]
6/16 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater [tickets]
6/17 – Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater [tickets]
6/18 – Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavilion [tickets]
6/20 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center [tickets]
6/21 – Boston, MA @ Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion [tickets]
6/23 – Syracuse, NY @ St. Joseph’s Heath Amphitheater at Lakeview [tickets]
6/24 – Providence, RI @ Bold Point Lake Amphitheater [tickets]
6/28 – Burgettstown, PA @ S&T Bank Music Park [tickets]
6/29 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage [tickets]
7/1 – Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theater [tickets]
7/2 – Mount Pleasant, MI @ Soaring Eagle Casino Amphitheatre [tickets]
7/3 – Indianapolis, IN @ Ruoff Music Center [tickets]
7/5 – Atlanta, GA @ Ameris Music Center [tickets]
7/7 – Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion [tickets]
7/8 – Cleveland, OH @Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica [tickets]
7/10 – Chicago, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre [tickets]
7/11 – St. Louis, MO @ Chicago, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre [tickets]
7/12 – Nashville, TN @ Nashville Municipal Auditorium [tickets]
7/14 – Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP [tickets]
7/16 – Austin, TX @ Germania Insurance Amphitheater [tickets]
7/17 – Houston, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion [tickets]
7/18 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory [tickets]
7/20 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater [tickets]
7/21 – Phoenix, AZ @ Isleta Amphitheater [tickets]
7/23 – Irvine, CA @ FivePoint Amphitheatre [tickets]
7/25 – Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre [tickets]
7/26 – Portland, OR @ Moda Center [tickets]
7/29 – Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre [tickets]
7/30 – Pocatello, ID @ Portneuf Health Trust Amphitheatre [tickets]
8/1 – Concord, CA @ Concord Pavilion [tickets]
10/2 – West Palm Beach, FL @ iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre [tickets]
10/6 – Birmingham, AL @ Oak Mountain Amphitheatre [tickets]
10/7 – New Orleans, LA @ UNO Lakefront Arena [tickets]
10/9 – Corpus Christi, TX @ American Bank Center Arena [tickets]
10/11 – El Paso, TX @ Don Haskins Center [tickets]
10/14 – Springfield, MO @ JOH Arena [tickets]
10/16 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center [tickets]
10/21 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center [tickets]
10/23 – Huntington, WV @ Mountain Heath Arena [tickets]
10/24 – Bethlehem, PA @ The Wind Creek Event Center [tickets]
10/27 – Quebec City, QC @ Centre Videotron [tickets]
10/28 – Laval, QC @ Place Bell [tickets]
10/30 – St, Paul, MN @ Armory [tickets]
10/3 – Green Bay, WI @ Resch Center [tickets]
11/2 – Omaha, NE @ Baxter Arena [tickets]
11/3 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford PREMIER Center [tickets]
11/5 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center [tickets]
11/7 – Las Vegas, NV @ Mandalay Bay Events Center [tickets]
11/10 – Spokane, WA @ Spokane Arena [tickets]
11/11 – Nampa, ID @ Ford Idaho Center Arena [tickets]
11/13 – Reno, NV @ Reno Events Center [tickets]
[via Blabbermouth]
