This is Bringing the Darkness to the Light with Katherine Nadal, professional psychic medium.
Today's guest is Chris Poland.
He is an American guitarist best known as the former guitarist of Thresh Metal Band
Megadeth.
Since 2002, Poland has been the guitarist of instrumental rock jazz bands such as OHM.
It's a pleasure to have you on.
Thanks Katherine.
Thanks for having me.
Yeah, it's really an honor.
I've been a huge fan of Megadeth going back to when I was 16, 17 years old, standing
in the parking lot with my friends blasting all those great, you know, heavy metal bands
as we would call them.
So you were one of them, I have to say.
A lot of my friends were probably picturesque of all of the fans that followed you between
the boom box and the leather jackets and the school play yards and getting into trouble
and being in parks after dark and all that.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
So thank you for being part of my childhood teenage years and the background to us, getting in
a little bit of craziness.
Really?
So I wanted to not fast forward, but I've really been diving into what you've really
been doing lately.
You have incredible music out your own career, also promoting a book that you've been working
on.
I'm an author myself.
So I want to hear all about your book.
If you want to start with that.
I was at a Comic Con event and Matt Herring was across the table from me on a different
aisle and I walked over and I looked at his books and we started talking.
And so I was there for three days and we talked every day and on the third day I said, Matt,
I want you to help me write my book.
And he said, what?
I said, yeah, man, let's do it.
And so it's been like a year and a half.
We're wrapping it up right now.
We're just finding photos and stuff, but it's been a lot of fun and it dredges up some
of the darker things.
But mostly it's, you know, I'm hoping a lot of it's a good laugh, but Matt's a really
good friend and I'm glad that he's doing this with me.
I always find it interesting, especially when you reflect back to things.
How was it growing up?
Did you ever think you were going to stay your life in music or what did the young Chris
think of his future?
I remember the day that I knew that I could do this.
I used to sit down with a record player as a kid, three teens, just playing guitar to
records.
And one day I played a song all the way through and I played it really good.
And I was like, I was just in that band right now.
I just played that song all the way through.
And I said to myself, I can be in a band.
And eventually, I think maybe just a year later, I was probably 13.
I joined a band and that's how it started.
That's great.
So are you saying that you can play by Ea?
I only play by Ea.
Oh, wow.
Okay.
And do you come from a musical family?
My mom was an opera singer.
I didn't realize she was also a guitar player because when they bought me my first acoustic
guitar, she picked it up and started playing these old folk songs like this old hammer
and all these songs I had never heard before.
And she sang them and played them on guitar and showed me the chords.
But the reason I play guitar is because of my cousin Eddie Boris.
He had a fender guitar and a fender amp and a thing called a Jordan Boss tone fuzz that
plugged into the guitar.
And when I heard that, that was it.
So I had to really bother my parents to get me an electric guitar.
And it took a long time, but they finally did.
And then I finally got that fuzz.
And that's what made me sit in front of a record player for all those years, learning
how to play.
So when you felt that you could play through to that song, what was the song?
Do you remember or do you remember the band?
I'm pretty sure it was Mississippi Queen.
You know, I knew the solo.
Yeah, no, I knew the solo.
I knew, you know, I knew the whole song.
And I loved his vibrato.
I loved his tone.
But, you know, I loved Led Zeppelin and Jeff Beck, all the Jeff Beck, like, truth, stuff
like that.
I loved Cream and Hendrix.
And I would jam with that stuff too.
Like I tried to play Red House, you know, the studio version.
I didn't even realize what an echo plex was then.
I did my best.
And, you know, I tried to grasp what I could from all those players just more or less just
try and capture their vibe of just the feeling more than the notes, you know what I mean?
And that's how I learned how to play guitar.
That's great.
That's amazing.
Yeah.
So it's interesting what led you into the world of what I would call heavy metal or a
thrash metal, what really brought you in?
Because Led Zeppelin's really not in the same kind of carot.
Well, I looked at it when the way Megadeth and me and Gar found Megadeth was we were
in a fusion band called the New Yorkers.
And our manager was a Mustains manager.
And Dave was looking for a drummer.
And so this guy, Jay Jones said, I got a drummer for you.
And so Gar joins.
And then Gar tells me, dude, you should join this band.
They're looking for a guitarist.
And it's really good music.
You're going to like playing it.
And so I went and saw him live at the Waters Club.
So Gar said, just get your equipment, come down to Mars Studios, set up in a room and
just play guitar loud.
And I did.
And the next thing I know, and that's how I joined the band.
And I looked at it like this.
This is speed metal.
I looked at it like this is fast Led Zeppelin.
That's how I looked at it.
Because I already did muting and I already knew how to use distortion.
And Dave's stuff was so good that it just kind of all fell into place because we were
in a pretty complicated fusion band.
And Dave's stuff was I would consider progressive.
So it was a lot of fun.
I would say that Pete's cells was our easiest song that I never thought too much of.
But then when we started playing it live in front of an audience before we made the record,
we all realized that this was the one.
And I think Dave wrote that song in five minutes.
Wow.
It's incredible.
Yeah.
That is the song.
Every time someone says, Megadeth, they always shoot out that song.
You know, it's incredible.
A lot of times people do say that that the five minute songs turn out to be the biggest
hits are the ones that they think aren't going to go anywhere.
There's some secret sauce in those very quick inspirational moments in life.
I think Keith Richards said it.
He said, the songs are all out there.
They're already written.
It's whether or not your antenna picks it up.
And Dave's antenna was up that day.
And he wrote that song in five minutes.
He had the whole thing down.
It was actually kind of long though.
And Gar suggested that Dave edit it down.
And he did.
I think it was like seven minutes long and Dave cut it down.
And it became our trademark song.
Well, seven minutes and Led Zeppelin have something in common.
You know, that song, honestly, I think a lot of people resonate with that because there's
so many instances in life where you feel like where is peace, you know?
So it's like, you know, there's a lot of messaging and songs that I think just the message and
the lyrics make them more popular than maybe they would, you know, it would be.
Yeah, that's incredible.
I know you had mentioned the New Yorkers.
I think I had read briefly.
That's when you had relocated to Los Angeles.
Is that correct?
Mm hmm.
Where did you start out?
In New York and just outside of Buffalo, Dunkirk for Loney Area.
But when we moved to Los Angeles, we would play these backyard parties and everybody
just called us the New Yorkers.
They would say, hey, let the New Yorkers sit in.
And everybody heard that.
And eventually we were the New Yorkers wherever we went.
And so we just kept the band name.
And when we would play, like we'd play the ice house, we'd play the troubadour, people
would come because they'd see that we were playing there and they knew who we were.
Perfect name.
I have to say that's a compliment to me, a New Yorker.
So you know, it's interesting.
You had mentioned Gar earlier.
You know, I've heard many interviews that you've done and you've been very open about
the struggles that you guys have had in the band when you were in the band, but also in
regards to some drug addiction, trying to revisit that several times with different
members.
Is there anything you want to say regarding your friendship with Gar or like I've never
met any of the guys in Megadeth, you know, I'm meeting you today.
So what would be something that you'd like to tell the fans about him since he's gone?
From day one, as soon as I played with Gar the first time, I don't think I had left his
house.
I was almost never home.
I was always at Gar's house.
We always were jamming.
Of all the bands I'd been in with Gar, he was the artist.
He was an artist and there was just something about Gar that was inspiring, I guess.
You know, he inspired us or at least me and I miss him.
Oh, wow.
Yeah.
You know, some people in life, they say like some people believe in past lives.
That's why some friendships are so deep.
It's like you met them somewhere before, you know.
So that's incredible.
Well, he is very much remembered in the music world.
By listening to the interviews, I had heard you'd speak briefly about revisiting and joining
Megadeth and speaking with your manager and the conversation that you had had with her.
And it was like a real reality of do I want to change my life again?
You know, it's that old saying the road not chosen.
You know, sometimes the path you choose, you know, may be hard to choose it, but it may
be the better way.
Would you agree?
Yeah, I agree.
On the drive to the meeting, her name is Janie Hoffman.
She just said, if you join that band, you're going to die.
And it wasn't until we walked in the restaurant and I sat down that I realized I wasn't going
to do it.
Because I just gotten sober and I just couldn't, I couldn't take the chance because it's like
Dave Ellison says, you hang around a barbershop long enough, you're going to get a haircut.
So that's why I just, I just couldn't do it because it wouldn't take but a couple months
if they were using and I would be using or I would have been using.
Yes, that I understand.
Yeah.
Sometimes those decisions are what I call life changing and sometimes you have to make
the decisions to really change your life.
I appreciate you being so honest.
We have, you know, a large audience with many people that have either currently struggling
or have struggled and understand exactly what you're speaking about.
It's never been easy and you have to, definitely you have to hit your bottom.
I know it's a cliche but you have to and it's coming.
Yes, that I understand.
I can't wait for your book number one because it's just to me exciting to hear how someone
tells their story and what stories they decide on selecting to tell, which I think is precious.
I wanted to talk about some of your songwriting.
We're going to talk about the first song called Death and Glory.
Tell me about that song.
When I first heard the song, I thought it had a really kind of a punk vibe to it.
Even though I used a wap pedal, I think on the song before that, I just, or maybe the
song after I had to use a wand, that song because I wanted it to scream.
I just love Thor's vocal on it because he sounds like he means every word of it.
It's just, it's a great song.
Super rock and just really well played by everybody.
Yeah, I got a soft spot for that song.
That's great.
I'm going to play that song now in Death and Glory.

Yeah, it's amazing though because your music is just so great.
I wanted to bring up the song Electric Burn, much different than the other songs, so tell
me about that song.
Electric Burn was, I believe, brought in by Derek Hughes and Jurgen Engler, and everybody
just added their two cents to the song.
The really strong part of that song is the drumming by Chris Adler.
It's just insanely good.
And then Marty Friedman's guitar solo is over the top, especially the middle solo.
He does this ascending harmony solo ending thing, and he's just really awesome.
It's just great.
All these songs are great, but I have, you know, these are the ones that I wanted you
to play because they're the ones I really like.
Yeah, Marty really shines on that song.
I love your perspective because you're not just focused on your part in that song.
You also reflect on everyone else's part in that song.
So being a guitarist, you must be very connected to the drummer when you're doing these songs,
you know?
So that's why I feel that you kind of have that feeling with that song, right?
Well, different drummers have a different vibe.
Like Vinny's drumming is just like pocket drumming and just playing for the song.
And his style makes me play guitar differently when I play, you know, on a song that he's
playing drums on.
When Chris Adler's playing drums, it makes me go somewhere else.
So everything involved really changes my perspective on what I'm going to do solo-wise.
And it's all off the cuff anyway.
And usually I'll get it in the first or second take.
While they're playing it, I might get the idea of where I want to start, where I want
to be in the middle and how I want to end it.
But I usually take the first, second or third take because after that it's just not the
same anymore.
You have to get the first impression, I think.
Yes.
Well, we're going to listen to Electric Burn.

Wow.
I find it so amazing when I think back to your work in Megadeth
and then I look at your solo work and the bands that you've been in since.
When you left Megadeth, did you feel that you've had a newfound freedom
for working in a band, did you see that there was a transition in yourself as
being Chris? When I left Megadeth I got sober. For a while I wasn't even gonna
play guitar and then people started bringing me guitars and amps to the
house and I realized that I did want to play guitar. But there was a big
weight taken off my shoulders when I left Megadeth and I got sober. It was
wide open. I could do whatever. I mean I played bass with the
servo jerks right after I left Megadeth after I was sober. And who
would have thought that? You know what I mean? And I was writing,
returned to Metalopolis while I was in the servo jerks. Luckily my brother was
there to play drums for me. If it wasn't for my brother Mark, I don't think that
record would even happen. I felt that anything is possible feeling after I
left Megadeth. It wasn't about money either. It's not like you know I was if I
wanted to make money I would have stayed in Megadeth. You know? Yes I
understand that. Well you're a true musician and a lot of people say true
musicians the music continues to pour out of you. So in order for someone to
stop it's a real struggle. So when other people were saying you need to play they
knew what they were talking about because you still had a lot of music
laughed in you. So it's great that you did keep going. I'm glad they brought
that guitar. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah it's amazing. Before we talk about your next
song I wanted to ask you because you know getting involved in songs and song
writing. I always like to ask this kind of question. Do you ever dream about a
song or somehow stumble upon it like you wake up and you're like a kinket this
riff out of my head or you start coming out with the words that you don't know
where they come from? I've had dreams but not about writing songs. I dreamed that
I think it might have been Mountain and I was I was supposed to play with them
but I was in jail and I was looking out my jail cell and they were on stage. I
actually had that dream. I had the fan mountain. Yeah. Oh wait a minute let me
analyze this. Did you ever tour with them or play with them? Never. Oh wow I
went with the symbolism is that the jail part of it I understand because you've
had a lot of kind of like trying to stay in a solitary way in music. I also had a
dream that I was supposed to sit in with Metallica and I realized that I didn't
know the songs and I had no idea what the songs were and then I woke up. Wow
that's very interesting yeah because there is a Metallica connection with your
Megadeth band so wow that is very interesting yeah wow and that's kind of
curious because you said it earlier that you play by ear so the dream is kind of
tricking you to say that you didn't know how to play the songs because playing
by ear you would have been able to play the song. The next song that we have is
for a madman only. Can you tell me about that song? Yeah I love that song. I talked
with John Lappen about it because when I heard the original there was a lot of
really heavy fuzz guitar on it so I told John I'm gonna find the best fuzz I
have and I'm gonna use it and it turns out that I think Pat Travers found a good
fuzz too so when I heard the final mix when I heard the keyboard part on top
everything else we did I was so happy I was like this is such a cool song now
it just all fell together. I think a Drover's playing drums on that right? I
think so yeah yeah yeah no he's got a great solid feel too so yeah it just came
together man I was really happy when I've heard the final mix. That's great so
we're gonna play for a madman only.
Come on you will see what is up in life extreme. It's all the same that was fine
get out of the tricky time but in your mind you want to see the other end you'd rather be
your mind is all there's just to say you were about to lose their way
just to say you said Antarctica's not right here.
Sweet and heavy sounds are heard, creating noise around the earth
It gets a beautiful surround with only two to two walls
Never an ambitious black, you can bring the color back
Gotta fight some unloved spirits of the vision man
Sweet and heavy sounds are heard, creating noise around the earth
Gotta fight some unloved spirits of the vision man
Sweet and heavy sounds are heard, creating noise around the earth
I also wanted to mention Ride the Sky, tell me about that song
Ride the Sky, I had no idea what that song was gonna be like
But when I heard Arthur Brown's vocal, I could not believe how much heart and soul he put into that vocal
And the more I heard it, the more I loved it, it inspired my guitar solo
And that's a really great song, and I really love the bass and drums during the guitar solo
It almost sounds like we were all in the same room
Somehow I captured that feeling that they were conveying
I just slipped right in there and it felt so good
That's one of my favorite moments on the whole record
So that is Ride the Sky, we're gonna play that now
Shaking their heads to be, no more to days tonight I'll be running the sky
Hey world, look out, I'm coming
Friends first we buy, in so many rooming
I just feel some stuff, should be my recipe
No more to days tonight I'll be running the sky
Tonight I'll bite the sky, tonight I'll bite the sky
I'll be running the sky
I'll be running the sky, tonight I'll be running the sky
My heart makes things, can't be just down
The words that it spoke would be below
My sweetest and stark, tricky my head to be, no more to days tonight I'll be running the sky
Tonight I'll bite the sky, tonight I'll bite the sky
Tonight I'll bite the sky
Before we play our last song, I just want to have you take the opportunity to plug your social media
Your websites, any appearances, your book, anywhere we can contact you and everything you're doing
Well, you can go to OAM, you can go to Chris Poland online, Carlos Cruz
I don't really do much social media, so I don't even know what to say
I don't have time for social media
But if you just look my name up, look up Carlos Cruz, you'll find us
Okay, great, you know, the referral that I had from you was by my friend Muncie Riesi
Which skateboard marketing, so he promotes a lot of your band, so the fans can go there as well
The last song we're going to discuss is Look at yourself
Yes
Tell me about that
It's the most progressive song on the record, Brian Perra invited me to go to Las Vegas when Sebastian Bach was doing his vocal
And I couldn't make it, and I wish I did, because when I heard his vocal, I was so blown away
It sounded like he was 20 years old again to me, and he really like really nails that song
His harmonies are like pitch perfect, it's just, and it's such a great song
Everything about it is good, it does, has this little lull where I just do this little tiny little solo that is a precursor for that huge was solo
That Mick Bach does, it's just a great song
I'm glad they chose that, that was a really good cover
Yeah, I can't say enough about that, that's a very strong song
And all of these songs are on the album, Nuclear Messiah Black Flame
There's many other songs we haven't played, so everyone needs to check it out
It's a pleasure to have you on, thank you again Chris Poland
And thank you again Muncie Risi from Skateboard Marketing
And we're going to roll out with Look at yourself
Thanks Katherine
Thank you

You have been listening to Bringing the Darkness to the Light with Katherine Adele, Professional Psychic Medium, Dream Central Station, LLC
My audio editor is Al Hemberger at the Law for Quoting Studios in Bronxville, New York
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