Art Cruz Reveals the Hardest Part About Joining Lamb of God

In a new interview with Drumeo, drummer Art Cruz discusses what the hardest part about joining Lamb of God was. He performed a couple of the band’s signature songs and showed off some magic tricks as well.

In 2018, Cruz, whose previous experience includes stints in Prong and Winds of Plague, joined Lamb of God as a live member. One year later, he was made a permanent member of the band, officially replacing longtime drummer Chris Adler.

Adler is widely regarded as one of the best and most influential metal drummers of the 21st century, so taking his place was not an easy thing to step into.

Asked whether learning technical drum parts or dealing with the opinions of fans were among the biggest difficulties in joining the band, Cruz admits, “It’s a combination of both.”

“I was so confident with my playing, and not in an egotistical way. I was just very confident with where I was on my skill level,” he continues (transcription via Blabbermouth), citing his extensive professional resume as a road warrior.

“I had been touring for a long time in the trenches, man — from local bands to selling merchandise for bands to being a driver to just being the guy that ‘let me help’ kind of thing to playing in bands and sleeping on floors and doing all that good stuff,” Cruz explains.

“But it wasn’t really that — it wasn’t the playing,” the 35-year-old adds, “I was confident enough with my playing. It was a challenge with the fans. It’s a big deal.”

“And that goes for anybody,” Cruz says, citing big time lineup changes with Metallica when they recruited Jason Newsted and, later, Robert Trujillo, as their new bassists.

Art Cruz’s First Show With Lamb of God (July 26, 2018)

READ MORE: Why Did Lamb of God Change Their Name From Burn the Priest?

As much as he understands how typical this situation is, Cruz acknowledges that it’s a different animal once you’ve finally joined the band. “You don’t think about that until it’s a reality, and you’re getting blown up on social media and you’re experiencing it. And those are probably the most challenging parts,” he candidly assesses.

Fortunately, the “brotherhood” of Lamb of God meant that he didn’t have to handle this sort of pressure by himself. “They’ve walked me, literally — pun intended — walked me through Hell and helped to see me on the other side, so I don’t have to really pay attention to that stuff anymore. And I don’t. I’m here to inspire.”

“That is my only goal in this world,” he says of his desire to inspire, “To show you where I came from — my vulnerabilities, my weaknesses, and show you how I grow from that and do what I can to be in this position. And thankfully I’m in a better place than I used to be before. It was hard to get through that stuff, man. But thankfully, it’s a lot easier to avoid it. Yeah, I just don’t go on [social media]. It’s fun.”

Watch the full interview and performance clips with Drumeo directly below.

Lamb of God’s Art Cruz, Drumeo Interview + Performances

Lamb of God in 2024

Lab of God will continue to support their 2022 album Omens on tour this year. On Feb. 3, they kick off a North American run supporting Pantera.