--- name: "Art Cruz" band: "Lamb of God" page_type: "gear_evolution" profile_url: "https://metalforge.io/drummer/art-cruz" evolution_url: "https://metalforge.io/drummers/art-cruz/evolution" source: "https://metalforge.io" last_updated: "2026-06-30" --- # Art Cruz Drum Kit Evolution — Complete Timeline Art Cruz's career is one of modern metal's most compelling succession stories: a decade in the deathcore and industrial-metal underground with Winds of Plague and Prong, then the call to fill one of groove metal's most demanding drum seats when Chris Adler stepped back from Lamb of God in 2018. Cruz didn't try to be Chris Adler 2.0 — he learned Adler's intricate parts with respect and added his own power, becoming the band's full-time drummer in 2019 and anchoring the self-titled "Lamb of God" (2020) and "Omens" (2022). This timeline documents his complete gear evolution from developing-years budget kits to the Ludwig/Zildjian/Trick rig that powers Lamb of God's current era. See also: [Art Cruz drummer profile](/llms/drummers/art-cruz.md), [What's In Art Cruz's Kit](/llms/articles/whats-in-art-cruzs-kit.md) --- ## Winds of Plague / Prong Era (2008–2018) **Albums:** The Great Stone War (2009); Against the World (2011); Zero Days (2017) **Tours:** Winds of Plague touring cycle 2008–2018; Prong club and festival dates 2012–2018 Before Lamb of God, Art Cruz spent a decade in the deathcore and industrial-metal trenches. He powered Winds of Plague's symphonic deathcore assault through The Great Stone War, Against the World, and Blood of My Enemy, building the touring stamina and aggressive double-bass endurance that would later define his groove metal approach. A parallel run with Tommy Victor's Prong (Songs from the Black Hole, X – No Absolutes, Zero Days) added industrial-metal precision and a different rhythmic vocabulary to his playing — without locking him into any single gear endorsement yet. - **Drums:** Entry-level maple/birch kits — various developing-years setups, 22" kick, standard tom config - **Snare:** Steel shell 14"×6.5" — standard punch for cutting through dense breakdowns - **Cymbals:** Various brands (pre-Zildjian) — mixed setups before establishing a cymbal endorsement - **Hardware:** Standard double pedal, mixed stands — building rapid-fire double-kick stamina - **Sticks:** Vic Firth 5B hickory — the one constant that carried through his entire career - **Heads:** Remo Ambassador / Pinstripe — durability-first for relentless touring - **Estimated kit cost (original):** ~$2,200 **Key developments:** - Joined Winds of Plague (2008) — symphonic deathcore touring stamina built here - Catalog includes The Great Stone War, Against the World, Blood of My Enemy - Parallel run in Tommy Victor's Prong (2012–2018) — Songs from the Black Hole, X – No Absolutes, Zero Days - No fixed gear endorsements yet — developing preferences across both bands > "Winds of Plague and Prong taught me how to survive a tour bus and a stage every single night. That stamina is the foundation everything else got built on." — *Drum! Magazine, 2021* --- ## Lamb of God Fill-In Era (2018–2019) **Albums:** Live performances of Lamb of God's back catalog (fill-in dates) **Tours:** Slayer Final Campaign — North American Support Dates (2018) When Chris Adler stepped back from touring in 2018, Lamb of God needed a drummer who could learn one of groove metal's most technically demanding catalogs on short notice. Cruz filled in on the band's 2018 North American tour supporting Slayer's farewell run, mastering Adler's intricate parts in a matter of weeks. The fill-in gig became a permanent position in 2019 — and this transitional period is where his Zildjian cymbal endorsement and his search for a reliable double-pedal platform both began. - **Drums:** Transitional Ludwig setup — early configuration ahead of permanent endorsement *(switch — moving toward the Ludwig Classic Maple platform he'd adopt as a full member)* - **Snare:** Ludwig 14"×6.5" (early) — maple or brass shell, medium-high tuning *(new)* - **Cymbals:** Zildjian A Custom — hi-hats, crashes, ride established during fill-in dates *(new)* - **Hardware:** Trick Pro 1-V Bigfoot (early adoption) — direct-drive double pedal *(new)* - **Sticks:** Vic Firth 5B — unchanged from his Winds of Plague/Prong years - **Heads:** Evans G2 Coated / EMAD2 — transitioning to Evans for the Lamb of God sound *(new)* - **Estimated kit cost (original):** ~$3,500 **Key developments:** - Filled in for Chris Adler on Lamb of God's 2018 Slayer farewell support dates - Learned Adler's catalog of intricate parts in weeks - Fill-in role became a permanent position in 2019 - Zildjian cymbal and Trick pedal endorsements established during this transition > "I didn't want to be Chris Adler 2.0. I wanted to learn his parts with respect but bring my own energy to them." — *Modern Drummer, 2020* --- ## Lamb of God Era (2019–Present) **Albums:** Lamb of God (2020); Omens (2022) **Tours:** Lamb of God World Tour 2020–2022; Omens World Tour 2022–2023 As Lamb of God's full-time drummer, Cruz anchored the band's 2020 self-titled album and 2022's "Omens" — proving himself a worthy successor to one of metal's most iconic drum seats. His settled rig centers on a Ludwig Classic Maple kit for warm, punchy tone, a full Zildjian A Custom cymbal setup for cutting articulation, and a Trick Pro 1-V Bigfoot double pedal driving a single bass drum through Adler's legacy patterns and his own powerful footwork. - **Drums:** Ludwig Classic Maple — 22"×18" kick, 10"/12" rack toms, 14"/16" floor toms *(signature setup — warm, punchy tone for down-tuned groove metal)* - **Snare:** Ludwig 14"×6.5" (maple or brass) — medium-high tuning for punch and articulation *(upgrade)* - **Cymbals:** Zildjian A Custom Series — 14" hi-hats, 17"/18"/19" crashes, 21" ride, 18" China, 10" splash *(upgrade — full setup for brightness against down-tuned 7-string guitars)* - **Hardware:** Trick Pro 1-V Bigfoot Double Pedal, Gibraltar stands and throne *(signature — direct-drive single-kick setup, unlike Adler's double-kick configuration)* - **Sticks:** Vic Firth 5B / Power 5B — continued from his developing years - **Heads:** Evans G2 Coated / EMAD2 *(upgrade — controlled, punchy low end for dense production)* - **Estimated kit cost (original):** ~$7,500 **Key developments:** - Became Lamb of God's official drummer (2019), succeeding Chris Adler - Lamb of God (2020) — first studio album as a full member - Omens (2022) — proved full integration into the band's sound and identity - Settled on Ludwig Classic Maple, Zildjian A Custom, and Trick Pro 1-V Bigfoot as his signature rig > "When you join a band like Lamb of God, you're not just filling a drum seat — you're becoming part of a legacy." — *Metal Hammer, 2022* --- ## Gear Brand Partnerships Timeline - **Ludwig (drums)** — 2018–present (Classic Maple; the platform that defines his Lamb of God sound) - **Zildjian A Custom (cymbals)** — 2018–present (established during the Slayer farewell tour fill-in dates) - **Trick Pro 1-V Bigfoot (hardware)** — 2018–present (direct-drive single-kick double pedal) - **Vic Firth 5B (sticks)** — throughout career (consistent choice from Winds of Plague through Lamb of God) - **Evans (heads)** — 2018–present (G2 Coated and EMAD2 for controlled, punchy low end) --- ## FAQ **Q: Who replaced Chris Adler in Lamb of God?** A: Art Cruz replaced Chris Adler as Lamb of God's drummer. Cruz first filled in for Adler on the band's 2018 North American tour supporting Slayer's farewell run, and the role became permanent in 2019. His studio debut with the band was the self-titled "Lamb of God" album (2020). **Q: What drum kit does Art Cruz play?** A: Art Cruz plays a Ludwig Classic Maple kit — a 22"×18" bass drum with a 10"/12" rack tom and 14"/16" floor tom configuration. The warm maple shells suit Lamb of God's down-tuned groove metal sound while staying articulate for his arrangement-focused fills. **Q: What cymbals and pedals does Art Cruz use?** A: Cruz is a Zildjian A Custom Series cymbal endorser, running 14" hi-hats, multiple crashes (17"–19"), a 21" ride, an 18" China, and a 10" splash. His double bass patterns are driven by a Trick Pro 1-V Bigfoot direct-drive pedal on a single kick drum, rather than the double-kick setup his predecessor Chris Adler used. **Q: What bands did Art Cruz play in before Lamb of God?** A: Before joining Lamb of God, Art Cruz spent roughly a decade in the deathcore and industrial-metal underground — drumming for Winds of Plague (The Great Stone War, Against the World, Blood of My Enemy) and for Tommy Victor's Prong (Songs from the Black Hole, X – No Absolutes, Zero Days). **Q: What was Art Cruz's first album with Lamb of God?** A: Art Cruz's first studio album as Lamb of God's full-time drummer was the band's self-titled "Lamb of God" (2020). He followed it with "Omens" (2022), which further established his sound within the band. **Q: How did Art Cruz's playing style differ from Chris Adler's?** A: Cruz didn't try to replicate Adler's exact approach — he learned Adler's intricate, often double-kick-driven parts with respect, then added his own power and consistency on a single bass drum with a Trick double pedal. The result keeps Lamb of God's established groove identity while bringing fresh energy to the drum chair. --- ## Related Pages - [Art Cruz Drummer Profile](/llms/drummers/art-cruz.md) - [What's In Art Cruz's Kit](/llms/articles/whats-in-art-cruzs-kit.md) - [Lamb of God Band Profile](/llms/bands.md) - [Ludwig Drums Brand Guide](/llms/brands/ludwig.md) - [Zildjian Cymbal Guide](/llms/brands/zildjian.md) - [Metal Drumming Facts & Stats](/llms/facts.md)