Drummer Chris Adler of Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD will embark on a Mapex drum tour, "A Throne With A View", later this winter, The trek, which will take Adler through the country beginning February 28 and ending on March 16, will see Chris play on Mapex's newly released Black Panther "Blaster" drum set.

Mapex introduced the Black Panther Drum Collection in January at the NAMM show in Anaheim, California and this will be the first opportunity for many fans to see and hear it. The Blaster kit features a unique maple and walnut shell design and is the first in a series of new drum sets based on Mapex's popular series of Black Panther snare drums.

Adler appeared at the prestigious Modern Drummer festival in 2005 and performed a "Battle" clinic tour with his brother Willie Adler across Europe in 2008. "A Throne With A View" will be his first and only U.S. clinic tour in 2011.

Adler's limited appearances are different from many drum clinics. "My goal is to share my experiences on and off my drum kit through interaction with those in attendance," he says. "Of course, I will be playing and giving tips, but I will be far more focused on the story that got me where I am than the notion of impressing anyone. I've found that most fans and young players want to know how I got to where I am, not the tech specs."

Chris Adler Mapex drum clinic tour dates:

Feb. 28 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Backbeats Drum Shop
Mar. 02 - Bellevue, WA @ Donn Bennett Drum Studio
Mar. 03 - Fresno, CA @ Bentley's Drum Shop
Mar. 06 - San Antonio, TX @ Jeff Ryder Drum Shop
Mar. 07 - Nashville, TN @ Forks Drum Closet
Mar. 08 - Kansas City, MO @ Explorers Percussion
Mar. 09 - Memphis, TN @ Memphis Drum Shop
Mar. 10 - Kenner, LA @ Ray Fransen Drum Shop
Mar. 14 - Plainview, NY @ Original Long Island Drum Center
Mar. 15 - Portland, ME @ Drum Shop
Mar. 16 - Hollywood, FL @ Resurrection Drums

Chris Adler has also announced the release of a comprehensive, behind-the-scenes narrative book, detailing the early days of LAMB OF GOD through the writing and recording of the band's "New American Gospel" album. This is the first and only book chronicling the history of the making of this classic LP. Known for not pulling any punches, Adler tells the real story, warts and all.

Over 100 oversized pages personally written by Chris Adler, the book also includes drum tablature, transcribed and verified by Adler himself. Along with refreshingly accurate drum tabs per song, Adler precedes each song on the album with pages of written detail on how and why "New American Gospel" came to be, and his view of how it worked, or didn't, in the band's live set.

As many players know, many tablature books contain incorrect information due to publishers not verifying with the artists. By self-publishing, writing and transcribing, Adler has made sure that the common mistakes do not exist. The tablatures are all transcribed and verified by master technician Travis Orbin and Adler himself, and are designed to provide accurate insight into the drumming on the album as well as a convenient learning and teaching tool to teachers and drummers alike.

The production of the book is completely self-financed, written (no ghost writers), and published by Adler to have total product quality control.

The book is a must-have for any fans of LAMB OF GOD or Adler's drumming, as well as fans looking for "fly-on-the-wall" access to how and why critical choices and decisions were made in the process of creating "New American Gospel". Throughout the narrative, Adler speaks frankly of his drumming, the successes, the failures, and obstacles that ultimately led to him contemplating leaving the band years ago.

To purchase the book, visit chris-adler.com

Fans should be sure to head to Chris Adler's brand new website to catch up on first-hand information, endorsements, and appearances. The site also includes a small store of exclusive items used by Adler and special giveaways throughout the year. -blabbermouth.net