Christopher James Adler (born November 23, 1972) is an American musician, best known as the founder and longtime drummer of heavy metal band Lamb of God from 1994 to 2019, and of Megadeth from 2015 to 2016.
 Adler played in several local bands including Calibra, Jettison Charlie, Grouser and Darker Days before founding Lamb of God in 1994. He played drums on Megadeth's fifteenth album, Dystopia, and performed some touring dates in support of that album, while continuing to work with Lamb of God. He is also a former member of the glam metal band Nitro.
 Adler is well recognized for his open-handed technique, his use of the heel-toe technique, and his unusual approach to the drum kit as a left-handed player on a right-handed kit.
 Adler attended Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, Virginia. He attended college at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia where he met former bandmates John Campbell and Mark Morton. His influences include former Wrathchild America and current Godsmack drummer Shannon Larkin, and Stewart Copeland of The Police. Other influences are John Bonham, Dave Lombardo, Gar Samuelson, Lars Ulrich, Billy Cobham, and Gene Hoglan.
 In an interview with DRUM! magazine, Adler describes his first drum kit as a disaster:
 "The bass drum legs were different lengths so they wouldn't touch the ground at the same time. Every time I would hit it, it would wobble from left to right. The cymbal stands were duct taped together, and I think after two or three times playing the kit, the pedalboard actually broke in half because it was made of that crappy old fake metal."
 In 2006, Adler collaborated with progressive guitarist Ron Jarzombek and began the project Blotted Science. In 2013, Adler moved to Toronto, Canada to contribute to and record the album Volition with the progressive metal band Protest the Hero. The album went on to deliver Adler his first Juno Award.
 In 2014, he contributed several drum tracks to the Testament album Dark Roots of Earth. The same year, he said that he could neither "confirm nor deny" whether he had performed on the Slipknot single "The Negative One". He dismissed this in a later interview.
 In 2016, Adler recorded three songs with Jim Gillette, Michael Angelo Batio, and Victor Wooten in a California studio for a Nitro reunion album. As of October 2017, he left Nitro to focus on a mid-2018 release and tour with Lamb of God.[citation needed]
 Adler played on Megadeth's 2016 studio release Dystopia and on all live shows during the following world tour, juggling his time between Lamb of God and Megadeth. On July 1, 2016, he left Megadeth due to continued pressure to join full-time and leave Lamb of God.[citation needed] Adler recommended his friend Dirk Verbeuren to Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine, who accepted his recommendation.[citation needed]
 On February 12, 2017, Dystopia won the Best Metal Performance award at the 59th Grammy Awards. As Adler was no longer a band member, he did not attend the ceremony.
 In late 2017, Adler was involved in a motorcycle accident. He revealed the details of the accident a year later in September 2018, when questions were raised about his absence from the Lamb of God tour.
 On July 19, 2019, after a year in which he did not tour with the band, Adler parted ways with Lamb of God. Art Cruz later became his permanent replacement. Adler scheduled multiple international clinic dates in the back half of 2019 and joined a band in Richmond, Virginia with the members of Kepone. In April 2018, Adler founded Kintsugi Management, an artist management firm.[citation needed]
 On June 18, 2020, Adler announced his new project, Firstborne, with James LoMenzo of Megadeth and Black Label Society. They released a debut track, "Anthem", and an EP the same day, with Adler pledging to donate 100% of sales to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund during the holiday of Juneteenth.[citation needed]
 Adler currently works at The Home Depot on Broad Street in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia.
 Adler's younger brother Willie Adler plays guitar in Lamb of God.
 In February 2019, Adler announced his engagement to his longtime girlfriend. Adler is interested in animal rights and is a vegetarian.
 Adler uses Saturn Mapex Drums, his own signature Black Panther 12x5.5" snare, and Gibraltar Hardware. He also uses and endorses Evans Drumheads, Pro-Mark signature Sticks, Trick Pedals and Meinl Cymbals. Adler helped Meinl produce the 24" MB20 Pure Metal Ride for him and helped with the creation of the 12" Soundcaster Custom Distortion Splash. He also uses a Roland drum pad and two Roland trigger modules linked to a Roland TR-808 drum machine. He also uses a Roland TD30k Kit at home and for warmups on tour.
 Current:
 Cymbals circa 2016: