Lamb of God
Explore the band's historical lineups, musicians, and studio albums.
Active4 formations11 studio albums
Formation chronology
Newest first
Formation 4 of 4
Jul 26, 2018 – Present
Members
- Randy BlytheLead VocalsFrom Jul 2018
- Mark MortonLead GuitarFrom Jul 2018
- Willie AdlerRhythm GuitarFrom Jul 2018
- John CampbellBassFrom Jul 2018
- Art CruzDrumsFrom Jul 2018
Formation facts
- Art Cruz first played with Lamb of God on July 26, 2018 in Gilford, New Hampshire. At the time, the band stressed that Cruz was filling in at Chris Adler's recommendation and that they expected Chris to return.
- What began as a temporary substitution became Lamb of God's working lineup. Cruz toured with the band for roughly a year before being named its permanent drummer on July 19, 2019; by then he had already been playing with the same four bandmates for months.
- Chris Adler later said he had not chosen to leave what he called his life's work, making clear that the 2019 separation was more complicated than a simple retirement after his injury.
- The 2020 self-titled Lamb of God album became the band's first original studio record with Art Cruz on drums. The same five-piece returned for Omens in 2022.
- Into Oblivion, released March 13, 2026, is officially billed as Lamb of God's tenth album. The active lineup remains Randy Blythe, Mark Morton, Willie Adler, John Campbell and Art Cruz.
Studio albums
- Into Oblivion (Mar 2026)
- Omens (Oct 2022)
- Lamb of God (Jun 2020)
Formation 3 of 4
Apr 1999 – Jun 20, 2018
Members
- Randy BlytheLead VocalsApr 1999 – Jun 2018
- Mark MortonLead GuitarApr 1999 – Jun 2018
- Willie AdlerRhythm GuitarApr 1999 – Jun 2018
- John CampbellBassApr 1999 – Jun 2018
- Chris AdlerDrumsApr 1999 – Jun 2018
Formation facts
- Around the 1999 album release, Abe Spear left to pursue a full-time job and Willie Adler, Chris Adler's younger brother, took his place on guitar.
- With Willie Adler in the lineup, Burn the Priest became Lamb of God. The members said the old name had begun to pigeonhole them as a Satanic or black-metal band, while the new name represented a rebirth and let the music speak for itself.
- Lamb of God's first album under the new name, New American Gospel, was recorded in about four days. Mark Morton later noted that some of its songs dated back to the band's instrumental years, tying the new era directly to its Burn the Priest roots.
- The lineup of Randy Blythe, Mark Morton, Willie Adler, John Campbell and Chris Adler proved remarkably durable: the same five recorded seven consecutive original Lamb of God studio albums from New American Gospel in 2000 through VII: Sturm und Drang in 2015.
- By As the Palaces Burn, Mark Morton said Lamb of God had begun thinking in terms of complete songs instead of simply chaining riffs together. He later joked that they were finally realizing the catchy sections they wanted to repeat were, in fact, choruses.
- On the instrumental title track of Ashes of the Wake, Mark Morton and Willie Adler traded solos with Testament's Alex Skolnick and former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland, two veteran thrash players the band admired. Skolnick and Poland were guests, not Lamb of God members.
- When Lamb of God returned to Prague in June 2012, Randy Blythe was arrested in connection with the death of a fan who had been injured after leaving the stage at the band's 2010 Prague concert. The case went to trial the following year, and Blythe was acquitted in March 2013.
- While still serving as Lamb of God's drummer, Chris Adler recorded Megadeth's Dystopia.
- In 2018, the classic five temporarily revived the Burn the Priest name for Legion: XX, a covers album built around punk and hardcore songs that had shaped the musicians before Lamb of God became successful.
- Chris Adler suffered a serious motorcycle accident in late 2017 that shattered his collarbone and right shoulder and chipped bones in his hip. He managed to play some shows in 2018, but lingering problems later forced him into physical and occupational therapy.
- Chris Adler's final documented Lamb of God performance came on June 20, 2018 at Austin360 Amphitheater during Slayer's farewell tour.
Studio albums
- VII: Sturm und Drang (Jul 2015)
- Resolution (Jan 2012)
- Wrath (Feb 2009)
- Sacrament (Aug 2006)
- Ashes of the Wake (Aug 2004)
- As the Palaces Burn (May 2003)
- New American Gospel (Sep 2000)
Formation 2 of 4
1997 – Apr 1999
Members
- Randy BlytheLead VocalsJan 1997 – Apr 1999
- Mark MortonGuitarJan 1997 – Apr 1999
- Abe SpearGuitarJan 1997 – Apr 1999
- John CampbellBassJan 1997 – Apr 1999
- Chris AdlerDrumsJan 1997 – Apr 1999
Formation facts
- Mark Morton returned to Richmond in 1997 and rejoined without displacing Abe Spear, expanding Burn the Priest into the five-piece that would record its first full-length album.
- In November 1998, Burn the Priest recorded 14 songs in just four days with Today Is the Day's Steve Austin. The band later joked about how tiny the recording budget had been, but the sessions produced its first full-length album.
- The self-titled Burn the Priest album captured the final original-material lineup under the band's first name: Randy Blythe, Mark Morton, Abe Spear, John Campbell and Chris Adler.
Studio albums
- Burn the Priest (Apr 1999)
Formation 1 of 4
1995 – 1997
Members
- Randy BlytheLead VocalsJan 1995 – Jan 1997
- Abe SpearGuitarJan 1995 – Jan 1997
- John CampbellBassJan 1995 – Jan 1997
- Chris AdlerDrumsJan 1995 – Jan 1997
Formation facts
- Before they were Lamb of God, the Richmond band was called Burn the Priest. It grew from mostly instrumental jams among Virginia Commonwealth University friends Mark Morton, John Campbell and Chris Adler, with Matt Conner among the earliest guitarists.
- When Mark Morton left Richmond for graduate school in Chicago, John Campbell and Chris Adler chose to keep Burn the Priest going. Guitarist Abe Spear joined the continuing band.
- Randy Blythe first saw the Morton-less Burn the Priest at a Richmond house party in 1995. Even when police arrived and shone lights through the garage windows, the trio kept playing; Blythe decided that night he wanted to sing for them and was rehearsing with the band within a week.