CHRIS POLAND Says It 'Would Be Pretty Cool' If DAVE MUSTAINE Came Up And Jammed With KINGS OF THRASH

KINGS OF THRASH, the new band featuring former MEGADETH members David Ellefson (bass) and Jeff Young (guitar),  recently signed a worldwide deal with Cleopatra Records. The group will release a live CD/DVD package called "Best Of The West…Live At The Whisky A Go Go" on March 24. The 17-song set was recorded and filmed live at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, CA on October 15, 2022 and also features performances with another former MEGADETH member, Chris Poland (guitar). The DVD was directed by Michael Sarna for Inmotion Entertainment.

Last month, KINGS OF THRASH announced the first leg of a planned 2023 world tour, commencing February 16 in Joliet, Illinois. The "Thrashin' USA" trek will cross the Midwest, East Coast, and southeastern part of the USA through March 15. As with the band's 2022 warm-up shows, the group, which also includes drummer Fred Aching as well as guitarist/vocalist Chaz Leon, will be performing MEGADETH's classic albums "Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!" and "So Far, So Good… So What!" in their entirety.

Asked in a new interview with Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of Rock Interview Series if he would "allow" MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine to come up and play a few songs with KINGS OF THRASH, if Dave was interested in jamming with his former bandmates, Poland said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Fuck, I would. Yeah, I would. Are you kidding? I mean, please, that would be pretty cool. But Dave's probably kind of like Miles Davis. Miles Davis never looked back; he only looked forward. And I know he's playing certain songs from certain records, but I don't think he wants to go that far back. And that'd be a lot for him to learn. But I guess he wrote it; he could probably play that in about five minutes.

"I was surprised when I was [re-]learning the [old MEGADETH] songs," Chris continued. "I was, like, 'What the hell did I play there?' or 'What's that part?' and all of a sudden my muscle memory came back. And I was, like, 'Oh my God. That's how I played it.' And it was 40 years ago. I told David Ellefson that. He goes, 'Yeah, I know. Me too.'

"But I do wanna say that Jeff Young… Oh my God. I knew Jeff Young was a great guitarist but being out and playing those shows with him, I have a whole new respect for his playing, man. 'Cause he is nailing Dave, and nailing himself, and then just rocking while he's doing it. It's pretty amazing, man. Not to take anything away from Chaz. Chaz is an amazing guitar player himself, and to sing and play those things, I only thought Dave could do that… You can learn the parts, but you're gonna learn the parts and sing it while you're playing it? I used to wonder how Dave did it when I was in the band, when we were playing those hard, hard songs like that. And Chaz — not a problem. Everybody in [KINGS OF THRASH], it's all for one and one for all, man. There's no egos anywhere. Everybody's just, like, 'Let's go.'"

Poland was a member of MEGADETH from 1984 to 1987, during which time he performed on the band's classic albums "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!" and "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" He is also a featured soloist on the group's 2004 album, "The System Has Failed".

Back in 2004, Poland and/or his management and attorney filed a lawsuit against Mustaine regarding the use of the three "Rust In Peace" demos on the album's reissue without Chris's permission. Chris eventually settled for $9,500 and thereby ended a professional relationship with Dave and MEGADETH.

For the past couple of decades, Poland's main musical focus has been the fusion band OHM:, which has released several full-length studio albums to date.

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH nearly two years ago after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

David was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Dave Mustaine, alleging the MEGADETH leader shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.

Young's entire career with MEGADETH was spent recording and touring in support of the band's 1988 platinum-selling album "So Far, So Good...So What!"

Jeff made headlines in December 2009 for accusing Mustaine of, among other things, "dissing, exaggerating and just plain lying on some level about nearly every talented musician that has passed through his dysfunctional little ensemble." He also disputed Mustaine's claim in an interview that Young's drug problem led to MEGADETH's 1988 Australian tour being called off and the group being "banned" from performing in the country.