Chris Poland
Chris Poland (born December 1, 1957) is an American guitarist, best known as the former guitarist of the thrash metal band Megadeth. Since 2002, Poland has been the guitarist of the instrumental rock/jazz fusion bands OHM and OHMphrey, among others, and has appeared on several projects and albums from a variety of different genres. Biography. Megadeth (1984–1987). Frontman Dave Mustaine referred to Poland as "an amazing guitar player—he can play circles around me". Poland joined Megadeth in 1984, after seeing them play as a three-piece, and after being recommended to Mustaine and Ellefson by Megadeth 's then-new drummer Gar Samuelson, a friend and former bandmate of Poland's. According to Mustaine, Poland was temporarily let go before Megadeth embarked on their first tour, but was swiftly brought back. He then remained in the band until he and Samuelson were fired in 1987, due to alleged substance abuse, which had led Poland to sell off Mustaine and Ellefson's guitar gear, along with his own. In response, Mustaine wrote the song "Liar" for their following album "So Far, So Good... So What!", which was partly meant as a callout to Poland. Section::::"Rust in Peace" demos . In 1990, Mustaine asked Poland to record solos for demos that would become songs for "Rust In Peace". Poland agreed to play the solos, but did not rejoin the band. Ultimately, Megadeth recruited Marty Friedman to play the solos for the album. Poland's solos can be heard on the 2004 remastered version of "Rust In Peace". Final return to Megadeth. He and Mustaine teamed up one final time in 2004 to record Megadeth's comeback album, "The System Has Failed", though Poland opted not to rejoin the band full-time. 2000s. In 2009, Poland formed OHMphrey, a side-project  with Robby Pagliari of OHM, and Jake Cinninger, Kris Myers, and Joel Cummins of progressive rock band Umphrey's McGee. In 2019, Poland appeared on the track "Hammer (Comes Down)", on Megadeth bassist David Ellefson's solo release "Sleeping Giants", with Mark Tremonti, Thom Hazaert, Dave McClain and Joey Radziwill of Sacred Reich, and Flotsam and Jetsam vocalist Eric AK. It was later announced Poland had signed to Ellefson's revived Combat Records, who would release a 30th Anniversary Edition of his landmark solo debut Return to Metalopolis in 2020. The expanded 2 CD/LP configuration, features a remastered version  of the original LP, with four new tracks, and material from the independently released, out of print 2007 release "Return to Metalopolis Live". It was later announced in 2020 that Poland would tour Australia and Japan, with Ellefson and Hazaert, supporting Ellefson's eponymous solo band. In January 2020, Poland was inducted into the Metal Hall of Fame, alongside Geoff Tate, Don Dokken, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Prong, Graham Bonnet, and more. Poland was inducted by Hazaert and former Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmel who joined Poland for a performance of "Peace Sells", with Butcher Babies bassist Ricky Bonazza, and  Dead by Wednesday drummer Opus Lawrence and guitarist Dave Sharpe, who also tour with Ellefson and Hazaert in Ellefson's "Sleeping Giants" solo band. Poland also performed "Paranoid" at the induction, with Vai, Satriani, and Tate.