Over the past ten years I have certainly been turned on to a number of great hard rock and heavy metal bands from every corner of the earth but very few of them leave the impact on me that Richmond, Virginia metallers Lamb of God have! Discovering Lamb of God five years ago, itís clear to me that this aggressive metal band picked up where Pantera left off... Eye-opening, Brutal, Aggressive and inspirational to metal fans across the globe! The band formed way back in 1990 under the name Burn the Priest and spent the next five years writing, rehearsing and securing the bands line-up. By 1997 the band had released their self-titled album and added Chris Adlerís brother Willie to the group's ranks. A year later the band were forced to change their name to Lamb of God as venues across North America were banning the group claiming the band possessed an "evil" name! Now known as Lamb of God the band hit the recording studio to begin work on 'New American Gospel', the band were instantly compared to Pantera and metal fans in North America and Europe were sitting up and taking notice of this new powerful breed of metal! As the years rolled on Lamb of God's popularity has shot to an all-time high, the bands album successes with 'Ashes of the Wake' and 'Sacrament' has seen the band added to major festival bills like Ozzfest and The Unholy Alliance tour, the band also jetted across the globe stopping in New Zealand, Australia, Japan and South America. Last year Lamb of God released an amazing 2 disc David set titled 'Walk with me in Hell' which featured over five hours of footage showcasing the band in the studio, goofing around off-stage and live across the globe during the highly successful 'Sacrament' world tour. The band are about to return to Australia for the third time to take part in the Soundwave Festivals and fans were thrilled to hear that the band would also be headlining their very own intimate shows. As they gear up to play a series of shows across Australia fans worldwide are getting ready for the onslaught of their sixth studio album 'Wrath' which is to be released on February 21st in Australia and the 24th worldwide. 'Wrath' is every bit as powerful, heavy and brutal as you would expect from Lamb of God and with tunes like 'Broken Hands', 'Set to Fail' and 'In your Words' it's easy to see why this album is already being praised by critics and metal fans worldwide. I recently caught up with the bands amazingly talented drummer Chris Adler to discuss this killer album, being part of the Soundwave Festivals, the current state of the metal scene and more. The time has come to taste the 'Wrath' of Lamb of God's Chris Adler! Metal Fanatix: Hey Chris, thanks for speaking with me today! Congratulations of new Lamb of God album ‘Wrath’! What a fuckin' awesome album dude, I would imagine that you guys are thrilled with the outcome? Chris Adler: Yeah, I really feel that it’s a special record and I’m really lucky to be a part of it! I think it’s going to turn some heads for sure! Metal Fanatix: The album is due to hit the shelves on Feb. 21 here in Australia, what are you hoping the fans will get out of the new album? Chris Adler: It’s hard to say, I think the ‘Sacrament’ record that we did before this was obviously our most successful record and there are no regrets there, but I think in making the ‘Sacrament’ record we experimented with the idea of being more than just a metal band, we tried some new things, sometimes uncomfortable, and sometimes not what everyone wanted. We got rid of the producer we were working with, I think he took responsibility to help us sell a bunch of records and become a popular band but we wanted to throw all of that crap out of the window. We don’t want to write for radio, we don’t want to write singles, we want to write songs that make us want to drive fast, headbang and punch things! I think the fans maybe expecting us to soften up or somehow “sell-out” but they will be very surprised to find that we have gone in a very different direction! Metal Fanatix: Mate, I believe ‘Wrath’ is a great step forward for you guys, it’s heavy, brutal and hard-hitting and there are some killer tracks such as ‘Broken Hand’s, ‘In Your Words’ and ‘Fake Messiah’ which is one of my favorites! Is it too early for you to have favorites? Chris Adler: No, in fact two of the ones that you just mentioned are my favorites. ‘In Your Words’ is probably my favorite, we almost called that song ‘Lamb of God’, we felt like it really encompassed everything that we’ve ever done as a band all in one song better than we’ve ever done it! I really pushed myself very hard on that song and I think that it offers a lot of variation in what we do and I think it represents where we are right now as a band and I’m very proud of it! Metal Fanatix: Chris, with every album you’re drumming gets better and better, you are certainly a skilled and influential drummer! What equipment did you use and how long did it take you to get it all down in the studio? Chris Adler: The equipment that I used was a Mapex drum kit the same drum kit that I used on ‘Ashes of the Wake’ and the ‘Sacrament’ albums, but on this record we wanted a little more of the “real sound”, so instead of taking a small studio and somehow enhancing the drum sound with computers we actually picked a studio in hope of capturing the drums naturally as they’re played in their natural sound! That being said we did it at Electric Lady Studios which is Jimi Hendrix’s studio; I was really excited to go there to do this. We booked the studio for ten or eleven days and that to me is pretty luxurious, I remember with our earlier albums I had ten or eleven hours!
Chris Adler: Yeah, he’s not the typical guy, for sure! He’s done engineering on a couple of metal records but he’s never produced a proper metal record, so this is his first real shot at it and I think that’s why we chose him! He’s young, he’s hungry, there wasn’t a big ego involved, and he wasn’t trying to push us to sell a ton of records and change our sound, he just wanted us to sound the best we possibly could. He had a genuine interest in pushing us and a vision. He had a real good understanding of where we were as a band and that we wanted to be a little more aggressive and get back to some of the earlier stuff that we were doing! Josh was right there with us, pushing us as hard as we were pushing each other. Metal Fanatix: Mate, it won’t be too long before Lamb of God are back in Australia touring for the Soundwave Festival. No doubt you’re all excited to be heading back here again for your third trip now? Chris Adler: Yeah, the first time we came there and the second time as well we were just amazed, we had no idea that anybody had ever heard of us! We thought we were lucky that some promoter just let us come over and play a couple of shows. The three, four and five hour signings before the shows at the record shows was just unbelievable, we really had no clue! We have always had such a good time there; the people we have met have been really cool and so fun and down to earth! It’s definitely become and I know it sounds cliche but it’s one of our favorite places to travel, someday I’d love to live there. Metal Fanatix: I’m sure you have some fond memories from your recent Australian tours... When you organize an Australian tour what do you look forward to the most when you arrive? Chris Adler: In this instance, I think that just the fact that we’re in one of our favorite places, we’re not starting the tour in North America, we’re doing a brief stop in the U.K. then we’re heading straight to Australia. We’re going to be in Australia when the record gets released across the world, it’s the first time we have ever done anything outside of North America when our records have come out so that’s a big deal for us to be in one of our favorite places at such a time! Metal Fanatix: Lamb of God is a band who’s used to doing both the headlining shows and the large festival bills! Are you a fan of doing the festivals or would you much rather play your own headlining shows; both certainly have their advantages! Chris Adler: Yeah they do, I personally enjoy the smaller shows that are a little more close up with the fans, there is a little more interaction and the energy is a lot more intense at those shows but the festivals are great because obviously there are huge crowds and everybody loves to play in front of huge crowds, I’d never turn that down, it’s always an amazing feeling. You also have the camaraderie with the other bands backstage, meeting different bands and people from different places; everybody is normally far from home on these festivals so there is a real sense of community with the bands backstage, even if it’s totally different types of music, you meet people you might not normally meet and end up having a pretty good time! Metal Fanatix: There are some amazing bands billed for this year’s Soundwave Festival such as Alice in chains, In Flames, Lacuna Coil and Devildriver to name a few! Will you be making time to check out any of the other bands playing at festival? Chris Adler: Yeah, well luckily and unfortunately we are headlining one of the main stages that night, so we will get to check out everybody throughout the day, but it also means that we can’t really party until we’re done! The great thing is we know all of these bands and we have toured with many of these bands, it’s going to be like a big metal family reunion! I’d really love to see Nine inch Nails, I’ve never seen them before but unfortunately we’re on at the same time on different stages! I guess we’re the only bands that could maybe try to compete with what they have going on! Maybe I can find myself a fill in drummer and run over there! Metal Fanatix: [Laughs] Yeah, well there will be plenty around [laughs]. Chris, besides doing the Soundwave Festival, you will also be doing a few side-shows with In Flames and Unearth! I would imagine that you will be trying out some of the killer new tracks on the Aussie audiences, what can the Lamb of God fans expect when you hit the stage?
Metal Fanatix: Mate, I want to talk to you a little more about touring and life on the road... Looking back can you recall the hardest time you ever had as an opening act? Chris Adler: I can... we were out with the new millennium tour across North America and it was us opening then The Haunted, Dimmu Borgir and then Cannibal Corpse, it was a fantastic show as a metal fan I would have loved to go and see it! The guys in Cannibal Corpse are a bunch of sweet hearts, they are amazingly cool and friendly nice guys but the crew they had working for them on that tour were a bunch of douche bags and they made our lives very difficult. In fact the worst night of that tour was the last night in New York City and as we began into our last song the tour manager for Cannibal Corpse came up and began pushing our instruments off the front of the stage, and it was because during the entire tour we would not take their shit! We weren’t interested in being pushed around and being told what to do! We understood our place as a new band and we were not disrespectful... we were not allowed to eat, there was no food, and there was no room onstage for us to set up! There were a lot of obstacles and we were vocal about the fact that it would be nice if someone would take into consideration that we are here to play and that people are here to see us and that we are trying to do what those guys were doing as well, that it’s not a big dick competition, let us try. They really gave us a hard time! We really learned a lot from that and what we learned from that is important... you really do see the same people on the way up that you see on the way down, and you treat people... all bands, whether they’re before us, after us, different stage, whatever... anyone that we meet in doing this, we try to treat them the same way we would like to be treated. It’s an important lesson to rule but cruel to learn! Metal Fanatix: Over the years you have shared the stage with many great artists, out on the road who has given you the best advice and what was it? Chris Adler: Wow, I think we may be talking about the same story! That tour really taught us the importance of treating people well! We have been very fortunate that we have done tours with Anthrax, Slayer, Megadeth, and now Metallica. We’ve gone out with Ozzy and Black Sabbath so we’re in very good company on all of these things and we’ve seen and learned the successes and failures from the best. Metal Fanatix: Chris I know you’re a family man... Touring the world must put a burden on family life! Do you travel with family on the road and how do you find a balance with constant touring? Chris Adler: Yeah it’s very difficult, we’re still sorting that out, and it’s tough! It’s not a comfortable, baby-friendly existence on the road. Before the baby, my wife would come out and see the shows, stay for a week, ride on the bus and those kinds of things, now with the baby it’s a new chapter, we still have to figure this out! I’ve seen guys do it and it’s really been my dream since I was a kid to do this! My wife is very supportive and our daughter will certainly be able to check it out sooner or later and hopefully she will appreciate it as well but for me... it’s everything I wanted to do and everything I’ve wanted to be, so I’m happy and proud of the decision although its difficult at times! Metal Fanatix: Mate we have hit the part of the interview where our readers get to find out more about the real you... Growing up, what have your parents thought about the music you have played? Chris Adler: My parents... wow! Well, although we grew up listening to Megadeth, Metallica and bands like that neither of them really paid out that much attention but they both come out to shows! My dad is actually coming to the shows across Europe with us and Metallica to hang out; he hangs out all the time! Brothers in the band so he’s always there looking for a free beer, he’s always making crude comments about people, he’s a really funny guy! They’ve both been very supportive; we never would have been in the band or successful without their support, they’re very cool!
Chris Adler: I went to small bar shows throughout middle school when I could get a friend to take me but I think the very first arena style concert I went to was an Aerosmith concert! Growing up as a young kid they were my favorite band and to see them play the songs that I loved and to see them in that magical arena rock show, it cemented the idea in my head that I wanted to play an arena. I never thought I’d get to play in an arena but I wanted to try! Metal Fanatix: I’m sure that there would still be some fans out there which are not aware that besides your skillful drumming, you also play saxophone, bass guitar and piano! Of course we all know you for bashing the skins with Lamb of God but I’m curious to know about the private life of Chris… do you often get behind a piano or pick up a sax out of the limelight? Chris Adler: [Laughs] I have a little recording studio in my basement at home and I do have guitars, basses and some keyboards stuff down there but most of those instruments were kind of the music and arts school instruments. As we grow up there is some music training, the usual school process... my mother was a piano and singing teacher so my piano lessons were from her at a very young age. I took eight years of piano lessons from her and then I moved on and tried all kinds of stuff like you said saxophone, violin and then finally found the guitar and rock music and I kept going in that direction. Whilst I certainly attribute a lot of my ability and talent to those early lessons and learning from my mother and school there has been an enormous amount of beer since those days so if you were to ask me to sit down at a piano and play a proper sonata I may have a hard time! Metal Fanatix: [Laughs] Chris what’s the craziest rumor you had ever heard about yourself and or the band? Chris Adler: Oh that’s good... I think at one point I had heard a rumor that my beard was fake! Metal Fanatix: Mate, just before we wrap it up... the metal scene is certainly thriving right now, many bands are climbing up the charts and the amount of metal tours which have flooded Australia in recent times is unlike anything I can remember! What do you think about the direction metal music has taken over the last couple of years? Chris Adler: Extremely positive, we came out of a scene in 1994 when there was certainly a lot of disappointing albums from a lot of the veterans and nu-metal was starting to blow up and Limp Bizkit was starting to sell millions of records and as a true metal head it was very discouraging and disappoint to the point that we got together and started making the noise that we make as a band, fifteen years later here we are! For us, the thing that made us want to do this was those eighties speed metal bands, early Testament and Megadeth and I think that there’s now once again a respect for that kind of metal, musicianship and song craft. It’s not about the hip-hop jump up and down stuff. Real metal is back, the evolution is continuing and it’s getting more extreme and crazier all the time and I love being a part of it! I think it’s a very special time for music. Metal Fanatix: Lastly Chris a question I ask everyone I speak with... What is the one band you never want to hear again & why? Chris Adler: Oh, I don’t know the name of the band and I’m glad that I don’t! Metal Fanatix: [Laughs]
Metal Fanatix: Chris I want to thank you again for your time today, I can’t wait to see you guys when you hit Sydney in a few weeks! Do you have any last words for our readers? Chris Adler: I’m just happy that you guys are interested! We’re so flattered to have the response that we’ve had from Downunder and we cannot wait to come back! It’s a pleasure to take the time with you tonight, I’m glad to hear that you like the record and hopefully your readers do as well we are really proud of it and hope to be coming back very often! ‘Wrath’ is out now via Epic/Roadrunner Records! Make sure you grab a copy of this killer metal release! For the latest news on Lamb of God check out the following websites: http://www.lamb-of-god.com - Official Lamb of God Site http://www.myspace.com/lambofgod - Lamb of God MySpace Site http://www.myspace.com/insideout666ints - Inside Out 666 © Cameron Edney February, March 2009 Not to be re-printed in any form without written permission. |
