Laid to Rest — Art Cruz Live Interpretation — Art Cruz (Lamb of God) Drum Lick | MetalForge
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Learn the Laid to Rest — Art Cruz Live Interpretation drum lick by Art Cruz of Lamb of God. From Laid to Rest (Ashes of the Wake (2004)). "Laid to Rest" from Lamb of God's 2004 album Ashes of the Wake is the most consequential track in th...
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1. Art Cruz's Signature Licks — "Laid to Rest" from Lamb of God's 2004 album Ashes of the Wake is the most consequential track in the band's catalogue for any incoming drummer — the song that defined Chris Adler as one of his generation's essential players, and the part that Art Cruz must execute every night before audiences who know every nuance of the original. Cruz's live drum cam footage of "Laid to Rest" — captured during Lamb of God's 2023 Mexico City performance — reveals the full weight of what it means to inhabit one of modern metal's most celebrated drum parts. The approach Cruz takes is rooted in deep respect for the original: the ride-bell pulse, the syncopated double-bass figures, the way the kick locks to the lurching riff — all of these are present with the same fundamental logic that Adler built into the song. But Cruz's physical approach is distinctly his own: his Ludwig Black Beauty kit delivers a slightly rounder, warmer response than Adler's Mapex Black Panther, and his Trick Drums Pro 1-V double pedal — the same pedal brand Adler favoured — brings a heavier, more planted foot response that gives the kick patterns a characteristically weighty attack. The Zildjian A Custom ride bell rings with a cleaner, more cutting pitch than Adler's Meinl equivalent, which shifts the textural character of the groove's pulse without changing its rhythmic function. What Cruz's performance makes clear is that executing "Laid to Rest" at the level required — 200 BPM, sustained across a full live show, with the intensity and consistency that Lamb of God's audience expects — requires exceptional endurance, preparation, and physical stamina that can only be built through systematic, deliberate practice over time. For drummers, Cruz's live interpretation is an education in how two elite players approach the same iconic part with different equipment, technique, and personality — and arrive at performances that are equally authentic to the song's core.2. Art Cruz Profile — Ride the bell continuously with a strong, even stroke — the pulse must be completely steady while the feet work their syncopated patterns underneath Lock the double-bass figures to the riff's accent cycle precisely — any looseness in the kick-riff relationship collapses the groove Deliver the half-time chorus groove with maximum backbeat authority — this section is the song's heaviest moment and must land accordingly Keep the fill execution clean and purposeful — Adler's fills are linear and flow naturally back to the downbeat, and Cruz honours that logic Sustain the intensity across the full performance — this song is a full-body workout and requires the endurance to match its demands
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