Albums of Purgatory Interview Lamb of God's Chris Adler

Albums of Purgatory: Firstly, how did the band start off as Burn the Priest?

Chris Adler: Three of us happened to start college together, all on the same floor of a dormitory at VCU in Richmond. We would get together to drink and listen to tunes and became good friends. At the same time, the metal scene seemed to be dying an awful death and we decided to stop wasting our $$ at the record stores and see if we could write the music we wanted to hear since no one else was. From there, it all gets and stays pretty blurry...

AoP: What did the band do to become known as "notoriously controversial"?

CA: Like most controversial things, we did nothing out of the ordinary...it was the overreaction of others to what they considered to be dangerous and objectionable. We've always been the same lovable guys...


AoP: Why did the band change to Lamb of God?

CA: There were two catalysts there. One was replacing a guitar player. We brought in my brother and took on a whole new focus and determination. It was certainly the same band, but we had taken it to the next level and
wanted to acknowledge it with the name change. Secondly, we were fed up of getting lumped into the Satanic grind metal scene. We work hard to make sure we don't get stuck in a corner and the name was working against us.

AoP: What is the band up to?

CA: We are trying to stay off the road right now in order to get the new CD written and recorded. We don't want to stagnate and it's time for the next chapter.

AoP: You have toured with some huge names like Brutal truth and Napalm Death.  Who has been the best bands to play with?

CA: The answer to that depends on who you talk to in the band...we all come from such diverse backgrounds in our musical tastes that it's hard to say who we will appreciate or not. We have been fortunate to tour with amazing bands over the past 2 years and we look forward to meeting and playing with more in the years to come. I will say that from the inside it's very easy to tell who is in this game for the money and who is in it for the music. Bands like Darkest Hour, Candiria, Caste, Shadows Fall, RPG, All that Remains and The Tori are true to their music and whether you or I like them or not, they stand above a lot of other bands with different agendas.

AoP: What has been your favorite place to play?

CA: I enjoy playing the Birch Hill in Jersey, The Palladium in Worcester, HOB in Chicago and the Opera House in Toronto. It's not so much the place as it is the people that run it and help make the show happen.

AoP: What is your favorite Burn the Priest/Lamb of God track?

CA: Tough call...BTP/Lies of Autumn, LOG/Confessional.

AoP: What is your favorite all time song?

CA: That's impossible...no way.

AoP: What was the first record you bought?

CA: Thriller, Mike Jackson. Followed up shortly thereafter by Aerosmith/Aerosminth, Peace Sells/Megadeth, We're the Meatmen and You Suck/Meatmen and Walk Together-Rock Together/7 Seconds.

AoP: What would be your dream band line-up?

CA: Myself, Will, Mark, John and Randy.

AoP: What are your opinions of metal and the position of music in general today?

CA: It's obvious to me that the pendulum is swinging back towards heavy music and I am looking forward to helping that trend continue. There's a million ways to pick on other bands or bust on pop, but I'd rather keep my mouth shut and continue putting out the best music we can. Our opinion is best stated in our music.

AoP: Do you have any funny stories you can share with us?

CA: No. The stories are far too embarrassing. Come meet us and hang out at a
show and I guarantee you'll have a story of your own by the end of the
night.

AoP: and finally, what do you see in the future for Lamb of God?

CA: It's hard to say, things have already come much further than we ever thought
they would. The key for us is to keep the original idea of 5 friends playing
the best music we can, because with that as our goal we can never go wrong.