# Lamb of God 'Sacrament' Drum Setup — Chris Adler's 2006 Grammy-Era Kit

> Explore Chris Adler's drum setup on Lamb of God's Grammy-nominated Sacrament (2006) — DW kit, Zildjian cymbals, groove metal technique.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Chris Adler](/llms/drummers/chris-adler.md)
**Band / Album:** Lamb of God — *Sacrament* (2006)
**Genre:** Groove Metal / New Wave of American Heavy Metal

## Overview

Released on August 22, 2006, Lamb of God's "Sacrament" was the band's defining mainstream moment — a record that broke through to arena audiences while losing none of the groove-metal brutality that made them underground legends. Debuting at #8 on the Billboard 200, it remains the band's highest-charting album and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance for the track "Redneck."

At the center of this Grammy-era assault was Chris Adler, whose drumming on Sacrament refined everything he had developed on Ashes of the Wake into something tighter, heavier, and more sonically polished. Where Ashes was a statement of intent, Sacrament was mastery — the sound of a drummer who had spent two years on the road cementing his technique until every groove was instinctual.

Recorded at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, California, with producer Machine (Mark Lewis) at the controls, Sacrament captured Lamb of God in transition: from underground sensation to legitimate arena headliners. Machine's production elevated the drum sound to a new level — the kick drums hit harder, the snare crack was sharper, and Adler's cymbal work sat perfectly in the mix with a clarity that would become the template for mainstream groove metal.

The album's tracks — "Redneck," "Walk with Me in Hell," "Blacken the Cursed Sun," "Pathetic," "Again We Rise" — became concert staples that defined a generation of metal fans. Each one showcases Adler's core philosophy: make the riff feel heavier by making the groove feel undeniable. The syncopated right-hand/kick interplay that runs through "Walk with Me in Hell" is among the most analyzed patterns in modern metal drumming.

By 2006, Adler had also transitioned his endorsement setup. The Mapex rig that powered Ashes of the Wake had evolved — Sacrament saw Adler embracing DW Collector's Series drums with a different snare character and Zildjian A Custom cymbals that gave the album its distinctive high-end shimmer compared to the darker Meinl Byzance tones of 2004.

This article breaks down the full gear setup behind Sacrament's Grammy-nominated drum sound.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** DW DW Collector's Series (Lacquer Custom Satin Specialty finish)
- **Snare:** DW DW Collector's Maple Snare, 14" x 6.5"
- **Cymbals:** Zildjian — Zildjian A Custom
- **Hardware / Pedals:** DW 9000 Series Single Pedal (used as two singles on dual kick); DW 9000 Series Hi-Hat Stand; Roc-N-Soc Nitro Throne; Promark Chris Adler Signature TX517W
- **Heads:** Remo Controlled Sound Coated (batter), Remo Ambassador Snare Side (resonant)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium tension with resonant head slightly looser for body and sustain

### The DW Collector's Series: Adler's 2006 Studio Powerhouse

For Sacrament, Chris Adler stepped into the DW Collector's Series — a move that reflected both the band's elevated commercial standing and a sonic evolution. DW's VLT (Vertical Low Timbre) shells, cut so the grain runs vertically rather than horizontally, produce a warmer, lower fundamental pitch than traditional horizontal-grain shells. The result is a bass drum and tom tone that hits lower and fuller without sacrificing attack.

The dual 22" × 18" bass drums maintained the configuration Adler had locked in during the Ashes of the Wake touring cycle. Two independent kicks rather than a single drum with a double pedal was non-negotiable for Adler — the tonal consistency between feet, the visual presence, and the way each drum can be tuned independently for subtle character differences all contributed to his sound.

The tom configuration stayed familiar: 10" and 12" rack toms, 14" and 16" floor toms. Adler's approach to toms has always been economical — he uses them for punctuation, not decoration. The DW Collector's shells gave those fills a deeper, more resonant quality that suited Sacrament's more polished studio environment.

DW's True Pitch tuning system — individual tuning on each lug for precise tension control — let Machine dial in consistent fundamental pitches across every drum. Combined with Remo heads and careful room treatment at Capitol Studios, the kit sound on Sacrament is arguably the most refined of any Lamb of God record.

This DW era represented a significant upgrade in tonal palette from the Mapex Pro M of 2004 — warmer low end, more resonance in the shells, and a studio-ready quality that matched Epic Records' production ambitions for the band.

### The Sacrament Crack: Adler's Upgraded Snare Voice

The snare on Sacrament marked a sonic departure from the tighter, shallower snare voice Adler had used on Ashes of the Wake. Moving to a 14" × 6.5" DW maple snare gave him more body and a slightly longer decay — qualities that worked perfectly in Capitol Studios' more spacious acoustic environment and matched Machine's polished 2006 production aesthetic.

The deeper shell produced a fuller crack with more sustain than the 5.5" Black Panther model from 2004. Combined with machine's room microphone philosophy, this created the snare sound that dominates "Redneck" and "Walk with Me in Hell" — immediate, powerful, and with just enough room to breathe.

DW's die-cast hoops provided the rimshot consistency Adler required for his precise playing style. His ghost notes — woven throughout the syncopated patterns that define tracks like "Again We Rise" and "Pathetic" — required a snare with enough sensitivity to register every subtle touch, while the die-cast construction ensured his power rimshots didn't vary in pitch.

Machine's snare capture on Sacrament combined a Shure SM57 at the edge (angled 45 degrees for more body than tip-heavy attack) with a condenser underneath for wire detail, blended with tasteful sample reinforcement on heavier tracks. The resulting sound became a reference for mainstream heavy metal snare production in the late 2000s.

### The Zildjian A Custom Shift: Brightness Meets Brutality

The cymbal transition from Meinl Byzance on Ashes of the Wake to Zildjian A Custom on Sacrament is one of the most audible gear shifts in Lamb of God's discography. Where the Byzance series offered dark, complex, hand-hammered tones, the Zildjian A Custom delivers bright, cutting, bell-forward clarity — and that change is embedded in Sacrament's DNA.

The A Custom series uses a lathing process that creates a highly polished, bright surface. The result is a cymbal that cuts through dense guitar arrangements with a shimmer and immediacy that darker cymbals can't match. Machine's production philosophy for Sacrament leaned into this brightness — the cymbals sit high in the mix, giving the record an energy and drive that complements the more polished Epic Records production aesthetic.

The 13" A Custom hi-hats remained compact — consistent with Adler's preference for smaller hats that respond quickly to his pivot technique footwork. At the tempos Sacrament demands ("Redneck" pushes 185 BPM; "Again We Rise" drives relentlessly in the 160s), smaller hats with faster response are essential.

The China cymbal is still an Adler signature, but the Zildjian A Custom China's brighter, more cutting character gives Sacrament's China accents a different quality than the darker Meinl Chinas of 2004. Where the Byzance Chinas added weight, the A Custom China adds slash — an explosive, cutting attack perfectly suited to "Blacken the Cursed Sun"'s fierce arrangement.

The crash array's progression from 16" to 18" maintained Adler's dynamic approach: quick accents, medium transitions, full-wash moments — all covered without overloading the kit. The 20" A Custom Ride provided a cutting bell for verse sections and enough controlled wash to function as a crash in climactic moments.

## Key Facts

- Billboard 200 debut at #8 — highest-charting Lamb of God album
- Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance ("Redneck")
- Recorded at Capitol Studios with producer Machine (Mark Lewis)
- Chris Adler's DW Collector's Series era begins
- Transition from Meinl Byzance to Zildjian A Custom cymbals
- Defined the NWOAHM mainstream crossover sound
- "Walk with Me in Hell" groove became a drumming textbook case study
- DW Collector's Series — VLT shells for warmer fundamental tones
- Dual 22×18" bass drums maintained from Ashes touring rig
- True Pitch tuning system for precision lug tension
- Deeper resonance than the Mapex Pro M era
- Custom finish reflecting Lamb of God's elevated commercial profile
- Estimated kit value: $3,500-5,000 (2006 DW Collector's configuration)
- Estimated snare value: $450-600 (2006 DW maple snare)

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/sacrament-drum-setup

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*Last updated: 2026-06-25 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*