10 Hard Rock Bands That FIRED Members

When forming Megadeth, Dave Mustaine wanted to create a harsh metallic assault that would stomp out any metal band in its wake. With his partner in crime Dave Ellefson at his side, Mustaine hired drummer Gar Samuelson and Chris Poland from the jazz fusion scene. The pairing seemed perplexing at first, but the complicated riffage of Poland not only lived up to Mustaine's shredding standards, but his chemistry with Samuelson's drum riffs led to a musical team that could play circles around any other metal band.

While the band was riding high, nothing could stop their habits of self-destruction, with Samuelson and Poland strung out on drugs. Though the band were all hiding their demons, both Poland and Samuelson took it one step further by pawning their gear to score drugs. Dave Ellefson then started to notice different guitars and pedals missing from the practice space and then having to retrieve his instruments from the pawn shop.

With the band not seeing eye-to-eye on the finances of their output, Mustaine decided to fire both Samuelson and Poland so that the band could still survive as a unit. Even if Megadeth is still as strong as ever today, the ever-shifting lineup of lead guitar and drums springs back to this one internal fiasco.