Former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland has opened up about the stark warning that led him to turn down an offer to rejoin the band during the 1990 “Rust in Peace” era. His manager Janie Hoffman delivered a chilling message during their drive to meet with Dave Mustaine and other band members to discuss the potential reunion.
“I was driving there to meet Ron Lafitte and Dave [Mustaine], and I think Andy Somers was there too. And she’s going, ‘Chris, are you seriously going to join this band?’ And I said, ‘I’m thinking about it.’ And she’s like, ‘If you join the band, you’ll be dead in a year,'” Poland recalled in the interview.
Poland also referenced a conversation with bassist David Ellefson about the dangers of surrounding himself with drug use. “Dave Ellefson said something to me one time about drugs. He goes, ‘You hang around a barbershop long enough, you’re going to get a haircut,'” Poland explained. He used this analogy to illustrate how proximity to drug use could pull him back into addiction.
Poland had successfully gotten clean during a previous period when Megadeth was on tour. “When they came back, I was clean, and I’m hanging out with them, and they’re doing it, and I’m not. And so, of course, my wheels are turning, and boom, not even a month later…all for nothing,” he said. He reflected on how quickly he had relapsed before.
Ultimately, Poland made his decision when he learned that Marty Friedman was being considered as an alternative guitarist. “On my drive to meet those guys to say whether I would join or not, as soon as they said Marty Friedman was an option, I knew I could say I didn’t want to do it. Because I knew Marty could do that gig standing on his head. They were mad. I couldn’t believe how mad they were, man!” Poland stated.
Poland’s decision to decline the 1990 reunion offer was rooted in a painful history with the band. He had been a key member of Megadeth since 1984, contributing to landmark albums including “Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good!” and “Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?” During this period, Poland, drummer Gar Samuelson, bassist David Ellefson, and frontman Dave Mustaine all struggled with heroin addiction, which began around the time of early gigs and recording sessions when money was scarce.
The drug use during Megadeth’s early years created a destructive cycle within the band. The members attempted to balance their heroin intake to maintain performance capability, treating it almost like a “science” to avoid becoming “too high to play.” However, this precarious balance ultimately led to severe consequences. Equipment theft for drug money, homelessness during recording sessions, and internal conflicts threatened the band’s stability.
