Former Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler recently shared his perspective on the band’s Grammy nominations and his eventual win with Megadeth. He spoke candidly about the experience in an interview with The Classic Metal Show.
Adler addressed the contrast between winning a Grammy with Megadeth versus his main band Lamb of God. He explained the different mindsets within each project.
When asked what it was like to win a Grammy with Megadeth and not his main band, Adler said: “When even the rumors or the hints at or the thought of Lamb Of God winning a Grammy [first started spreading], that was never on our list [of things we were looking to accomplish]. In fact, we were — I wouldn’t say opposed to it, but we did not put any weight whatsoever into possibly getting one of those things.”
He described the band’s mixed feelings about Grammy recognition and the internal conflicts it created.
“As we got nominated, I remember Randy [Blythe, Lamb Of God singer] boycotting it and being, like, ‘This is bullshit. F*ck this,’ all that punk rock [way of looking at things],” Adler continued. “To me, I kind of rode the fence there. I understood where people like Randy were, like, ‘This is bullshit,’ and we’ve been watching this for years, and you see the wrong people get nominated and the wrong people win all the time. So there is a kind of a bit of hokeyness to it.”
Despite acknowledging the Grammy’s credibility issues, Adler recognized some value in the recognition.
“But to be nominated and be able to maybe tell your parents, like, ‘Hey, these past 30 years where you thought whatever I was doing, this is real,’ ’cause their generation had a different view of that,” he explained. “So it does mean something, there is some credibility to be taken away from that, but that was never something that we aimed for.”
Adler revealed his true feelings about the Grammy outcomes. He expressed why his Megadeth win felt more meaningful.
“I was never disappointed that we did not win a Grammy in Lamb Of God, And I was completely thrilled that I won with Megadeth, because even when Lamb Of God would go to the Grammys, I would sit there and hope that Megadeth won it, because they had been nominated, like, 12 times, and in my mind they deserved all 12,” he said. “So for me to be a part of it and to get it actually probably meant more than if we had gotten one in Lamb Of God, because the mindset within that project [Lamb Of God] was, ‘This [Grammy stuff] is all kind of B.S.'”
Adler’s Grammy win with Megadeth came during a particularly significant period in his career. He had temporarily joined the legendary thrash metal band while maintaining his primary role with Lamb of God.
Blabbermouth reported that Adler did not attend the Grammy ceremony when Megadeth’s “Dystopia” won Best Metal Performance in 2017. Instead, he supported current Megadeth drummer Dirk Verbeuren’s attendance to help him feel part of the band. Adler later received his Grammy statuette with his name engraved on it, which he appreciated as a personal acknowledgment of his contribution to the album.
The drummer’s decision to work with Megadeth while still being a member of Lamb of God created some tension within his primary band. Ultimate Guitar revealed that some Lamb of God members felt betrayed by Adler’s Grammy win with another band. The drummer disclosed that band members sometimes “bullied each other” during this period.
Despite the internal conflicts, Adler maintained his support for both bands’ success. Metal Injection noted that he actively recommended Dirk Verbeuren for the permanent Megadeth drummer position. He remained fully supportive of the band’s achievements during his temporary involvement.
The Grammy win represented a culmination of Megadeth’s long journey toward recognition. The band had been nominated multiple times before finally securing their first win with “Dystopia.” Adler’s perspective highlights the complex dynamics between artistic integrity and industry recognition that many metal musicians face throughout their careers.
