While the trial for Lamb of God singer Randy Blythe ended pretty much the best way it could have  for the band with his acquittal, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a mental and emotional burden for everyone involved. And also a financial one. In an interview with the Virginian Pilot that ran the day that the band was to play their first hometown show since his acquittal, drummer Chris Adler claims that the trial bankrupted the entire band.

“Not only were we not able to generate any income, but we ended up having to pay more than half a million dollars in legal fees,” said Adler, calling from a tour stop in Madison, Wis. “It bankrupted the entire band, no money left for any kind of payroll or anything. When Randy was acquitted, everything was on the line at that point. Either it was completely over, or we had a chance to get back out there and pay these bills and get ourselves back on our feet.”

That helps explain why Adler played drums on the Protest the Hero album. The article says that he was in Canada for two months recording for the album. It would also explain where some of the money from Protest the Hero’s incredibly successful Indiegogo campaign went. Chris Adler is one of the most successful metal drummers out there, and he probably had to be compensated pretty well to help PTH out. But even after the band’s legal fund, the band was in financial trouble. At least they’re starting to dig themselves out of the eight months they lost.

[via theprp]