Lamb of God Drummer Visits Farmingdale State

Chris Adler, the drummer from the Grammy-nominated band Lamb of God, visited on March 14 for a drum clinic meant to teach aspiring drummers how to improve their techniques.

But down-to-earth Adler was not there to lecture. Instead he played the songs that gave Lamb of God its 16-year success while talking casually about his life in the band and how he grew as a drummer.

Lamb of God was nominated for a Grammy for Best Metal Performance for their Wrath track “Set to Fail" and their sixth album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200.

There was a long line an hour before the event started, and 100 lucky fans received a drum clinic tour t-shirt. There were many products for sale at a discounted price, such as cymbals and drum-sticks from the Long Island Drum Center who sponsored the event. Adler said that it is important to support local businesses and thanked them for the opportunity to have this event.

Despite the accomplishments of the band, Adler is modest about his abilities as a drummer.  His interest in drums began when he used broken sticks to drum on his parents’ coffee cans as a toddler in Virginia. He met the other members in the band when they lived in the same floor in a college dorm. The band did not form until about four years later. 

He said he challenged himself by practicing with those who were significantly better musicians. He practices five to six hours a day and is not afraid to find inspiration for other genres such as progressive rock, jazz, and gospel.

“Expanding my music tastes beyond metal helped me become more creative,” Adler said.  He has traveled to India, China, and Thailand, where he unexpectedly found a deeper appreciation for music.

While he is drumming, he composes himself by not thinking about his performance. “The more I think about drumming, the more mistakes I make, “ Adler said. Whenever a drum stick flies out of his hand, he nonchalantly and automatically flips another stick into his hand. He admitted that he thinks about analytical things such as number patterns as he drums. He recently came up with a new thought process while drumming, inspired by his three-year-old daughter, who is learning the colors of the rainbow. Adler scans the audience to see how many shirts there are with a color from the rainbow.

“I’ve never found an indigo shirt,” Adler said as the audience laughed.

The audience was made up of ecstatic fans whose passion showed as they banged their heads to the music. There were fans that drove from as far as Virginia to see Adler and when the event ended, fans lined up for autographs and pictures.

“I can’t believe this great music came from only four limbs, “ student Reggie Alexandre said.