Ex-Megadeth guitarist on his early days with the legendary thrash band, insights on gear and more
By David Sands
August 25, 2017
Metalheads will never forget the musical ammunition Chris Poland brought to bear playing alongside Dave Mustaine in the twin guitar barrage that dominated Megadeth’s recordings of the mid-1980s. A member of the thrash band from 1984 to 1987, his guitar work appears on their classic albums Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!and Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? as well as 2004’s The System Has Failed, which he performed on as a session artist. That said, he’s had a dynamic career that’s seen him exploring territory far outside the boundaries of thrash.
Before Megadeth, Poland played with a fusion band called the New Yorkers, and he later served as the leader of the progressive rock-metal group Damn the Machine. He also played briefly with the legendary hardcore outfit the Circle Jerks, and has recorded with Lamb of God and Queensrÿche, among other artists. What’s more, he’s released several albums of his own, including Return to Metalopolis (1990) and Chasing the Sun (2000). Poland currently plays guitar with the instrumental rock/jazz fusion band Ohm, which is rounded out by bassist Robby Pagliari (a former bandmate from his time with the New Yorkers) and drummer/percussionist Kofi Baker.
FGPO’s Jon Liebman recently met up with Chris at Summer NAMM 2017 in Nashville, and the two of them had a spirited discussion about how he got into music, his early days with Megadeth, cool projects on the horizon and other topics.
Watch our interview with Chris:
