Former LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler has publicly referred to the band's guitarist Mark Morton as a "fucking douche."
Adler 's comment was apparently prompted by Morton 's revelation that the guitarist was blocked on Twitter by Lee J. Carter , the American politician who represented the 50th district in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2018 to 2022. On Tuesday (March 8), Mark shared a screenshot of a Twitter notification that he was blocked, and included the message, "But whyyyyyyyy?!?!?", to which Chris responded in a since-deleted tweet, "Maybe because you are a fucking douche." Within minutes, Morton fired back with "I usually wait until after dark to drunk message my exes".
The online exchange comes less than three years after LAMB OF GOD officially parted ways with Chris . He has since been replaced by Art Cruz , who has previously played with PRONG and WINDS OF PLAGUE , and filled in for Adler on several LAMB OF GOD tours in 2018 and 2019.
In June 2020, Adler addressed his departure from LAMB OF GOD , saying that "everybody parted on good terms. I left my drum throne in good hands with Art , who has been a friend. I think I met Art when he was 17 years old — I've got a picture of me and him standing outside the bus when he stood there waiting for an autograph. So he and I have been friends for a long time. And, obviously, the guys in the band are not only family," referring to the fact that his brother Willie plays guitar for LAMB OF GOD , "but became great friends over 25 years. And it was quite a career that we had. It didn't end — I don't think anybody from either side would say it ended really particularly well in that I think we all hoped and dreamed and wanted all the same thing but just couldn't seem to get ourselves on the same page, for whatever reason.
"As much as I loved doing what I was doing, it certainly seems like it was kind of a good time to maybe step away," he added. "And I think everybody wins in that regard. And I wish the best for them, and I'm sure they do… You have to speak to them — I'm not sure — but I hope they do for me.
"I didn't leave because I didn't want to be involved with music or play the drums. [And] I didn't leave the band because I was wanting to do something too heavy or too light or anything like that. It was just kind of a mutual crossroads… The shoe didn't fit anymore on either side.
"I'm happy to have had been a part of it. I think if I was [still] in that band, I would be pushing even further than what we've ever done before."
Less than two years ago, Morton spoke to American Songwriter about what it has been like writing and playing with Cruz after recording with Chris for over a decade. He said: "There are differences for sure. Chris was a phenomenal talent, and he's a great drummer, and we made a lot of amazing music together. But Art is also a phenomenal talent and a great drummer. He's more feel-oriented. He's a little less robotic, and I don't mean that as a dig. I don't want to compare them too much. They're just two different drummers. But Art is a real feel, finesse player. I think the prime example I can give is live with Chris we used to play everything to a click. There was a click in our ear and that was a machine that kept timing consistent and the same every night. Within a week of playing with Art live, we were off the click. We were just playing the songs together instead of playing them at the same time. And I think that really made its way into our creative process as well."
After various web sites, including BLABBERMOUTH.NET , picked up Mark's comments , he took to his Twitter to set the record straight about his relationship with his former bandmate. He wrote: " Chris Adler is an incredibly talented person & an incredibly talented drummer. We have made a ton of music together & I'm immensely proud of our collective work. I have said that repeatedly in recent interviews because I mean it. Sites want clicks so they SPIN it another way."
He added in a separate tweet: " Chris and I remain in contact and he knows damn well that I love and respect him."
Cruz made his live debut with LAMB OF GOD in July 2018 in Gilford, New Hampshire.
