about POLAND

Chris Poland (born as Christopher Poland on December 1, 1957) is a jazz - fusion guitar player. He started playing in high school in Dunkirk, New York in the rock/jazz band called Welkin. Upon moving to Los Angeles in 1977, and from 1977-1982 he was the co-lead guitarist in a Jazz/Fusion band called the New Yorkers, with Robert Pagliari on fretless bass, Gar Samuelson on drums, Stu Samuelson on guitar and Don Roper on saxophone. The NY'ers were very big on the L.A. Jazz/Fusion scene and their music was incredibly sophisticated (being compared to Brand X, Mahavishnu Orchestra and Weather Report). Considering their age at the time (all were in their very early twenties) they were considered virtuoso musicians. However Chris is mostly known for playing in the thrash metal band Megadeth between 1984 and 1987.

Chris recorded two albums with Megadeth; Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good! (1985) and Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?(1986). Chris was dismissed from Megadeth after a show in Hawaii (along with the band's drummer Gar Samuelson) under suspicion of stealing and selling band gear to fund heroin addiction. After leaving Megadeth, Chris was successfully treated for substance abuse and joined punk rock legends The Circle Jerks as a bass player.

Chris Poland also has a severed tendon on his first finger of the left hand, which allows him to stretch unusually far with his finger, which allows him greater flexibility while playing the guitar.

Just before recording his solo album Return to Metalopolis (1990), a fusion/metal record for Enigma Records, Chris turned down what would be the first of two offers to rejoin Megadeth. Damn The Machine and Mumbo's Brain were some of Chris' other projects in the mid to late 1990s.

His current project is a band called Ohm:, consisting of himself, bassist Robertino Pagliari and drummer Kofi Baker. In a surprise turn in 2004, Poland was contracted to perform guitar solos on the Megadeth record The System Has Failed (Poland's parting from Megadeth in 1987 was not amicable, as bandleader Dave Mustaine would regularly dedicate the song "Liar" to Poland in concert). However the apparent amends made were short-lived as unfortunately, soon after the album's release, Mustaine was contacted by Poland's lawyers, who claimed Poland was due royalties beyond that of his session fees. Though the two weren't on speaking terms for some time, they have apparently made amends once more as Poland is now posting on the official Megadeth message board.

Poland also performed a solo on the instrumental title-track on the Lamb of God album Ashes of the Wake that begins at 3:45 and ends at 4:15. He also plays the solo in "Purified" on that band's preceding album, 2003's As The Palaces Burn.

MegadetH The BEGGINING!!

In the summer of 1983, just a few months after lead guitarist Dave Mustaine was fired from Metallica due to alcohol problems, drug abuse and personality conflicts, Mustaine, bassist David Ellefson, guitarist Greg Handevidt, and drummer Dijon Carruthers formed Megadeth. Mustaine later said, "After getting fired from Metallica, all I remember is that I wanted blood. Theirs. I wanted to be faster, and heavier than them".

Fueled by the desire for revenge, Mustaine elevated the intensity of Megadeth's music, speeding up existing songs such as "Mechanix", which was previously performed with Metallica at a much slower pace with the changed song title ("The Four Horsemen") and lyrics. After unsuccessfully searching for a vocalist for nearly six months, Mustaine decided to handle lead vocal duties himself, while also serving as the band's primary lyricist, main songwriter, and co-lead and rhythm guitarist.

Caruthers was soon replaced by drummer Lee Rausch, and guitarist Greg Handevidt left the band in late 1983 to form Kublai Khan.[citation needed] Early in 1984 Megadeth recorded a three song demo, featuring Mustaine, Ellefson, and Rausch, which contained early versions of "Last Rites/Loved to Death", (sample (help·info)) "Skull Beneath the Skin", and "Mechanix". Kerry King (of Slayer fame), covered a handful of live dates while a permanent replacement was sought. After just a few shows in 1984, Lee Rausch was replaced by fusion drummer Gar Samuelson. On the strength of their three song demo, Megadeth signed with the New York based independent label Combat Records, and in December added second guitarist Chris Poland, a friend of Gar's from the fusion scene