Chris Adler Tells the Story of Getting the Call to Join Megadeth
As a guest on the Saint Vitus Bar ‘Age of Quarantine’ interview series, former Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler, currently of Firstborne, recalled receiving the phone call from Dave Mustaine with an offer to join Megadeth as they prepared to record their Dystopia album.
Adler’s time spent within the ranks of the legendary thrashers was brief. He was officially named Megadeth’s new drummer March 29, 2015, and Mustaine divulged on July 3, 2016, that Adler was no longer a part of the group.
Still, he left an impact with his work on Dystopia, which secured Megadeth’s first-ever Grammy win for Best Metal Performance for the title track in 2017.
While speaking with the Brooklyn bar’s co-owner David Castillo, Adler recollected the events of the day he said changed his life all over again.
“I’m in Los Angeles. I’m recording drums for [Lamb of God’s VII: Sturm Und Drang album]. We had been on tour in 2005 with Megadeth. And I get a call really early in the morning — like, 6 in the morning and it is Dave Mustaine’s guitar tech, a guy named Willie G. who I became good friends with along the tour; a great guy. And Willie’s, like, ‘Hey, your phone’s gonna ring in about 5 minutes, and you should answer it.’ I’m, like, ‘Okay. Sure,'” the drummer began (transcription via Blabbermouth).
“And the phone rings in 5 minutes, and it’s Dave and Dave’s, like, ‘Hey, I enjoyed touring with you. Good chat now and then,'” Adler continued, noting, He’s not a particularly social guy on tour, but we did hang out a couple of times for breakfast or whatever.”
Adler goes on, “And he’s, like, ‘There’s a lot of people that I really trust that tell me you’re somebody that I think I should be talking to right now. I’d really like to go back and make a pretty sick thrash record, and I’m interested in having you be a part of that, if you’d like to be.'”
“And it was a Candid Camera kind of moment. ‘Is something happening?’ It really was the band that changed my life, and now I’m on a phone call that’s about to change my life again,” the drummer finished up.
Watch the complete interview below.
In July of 2019, Lamb of God revealed they had parted ways with Adler, who was among the group’s founding members when the band began under the moniker Burn the Priest in 1994. He has since been replaced by Art Cruz, who made his recording debut on last year’s self-titled record.
Meanwhile, Adler has remained busy with his new band Firstborne, who released their first EP in 2020, followed by a series of standalone singles.
Chris Adler Interview With Saint Vitus Bar