Eclipse Records just celebrated its 25th anniversary , and there ’ sno sign label head Chris Poland is stopping anytime soon .“ You ’ ve got to go with your gut and believe in your passion , and you ’ ve got to follow your passion . Ithink that ’ sprobably what helped me do this for so long ,” Poland says . “ I really love the music — Igrew upon it . Ilived it since Iwas 13 , 14 years old , and Isaw my first Iron Maiden album cover perusing the bins in Bradlees ( department store ).”

Poland , 51 , played guitar for the band Dirt Church in the ’ 90s . They had some regional success , but didn ’ t break nationally .“ Being in aband is like being married tothree people , and you ’ ve got to make three times the compromises . Sometimes you can ’ t reach acompromise on stuff ,” says Poland , ( who is no relation to the Chris Poland of Megadeth ). “ So it was like , How can Istill do this in some way and still have alittle more control over my own destiny ? Isaid OK , let ’ sstart a record label .”

Eclipse started modestly in 1997 with afew metal compilations ; two years later , the Nashville metal band Disarray signed with them . The big breakthrough came when Poland discovered the masked alt-metal band Mushroomhead in Cleveland . “ They were hard toget in touch with ,” says Poland , who operates the label out of his home . “ They were not interested . They wanted to keep it DIY and do their own thing .”

Poland kept the lines ofcommunication open . “ After ayear , weended up doing adeal ,” hesays . “ It just took some time to get the band on board and gain their trust and show that Iwas going to work for them — that Iwas really going to work for them and Iwas passionate about what they were doing . Ithink that passion helped launch them .”

XX by Mushroomhead was released by Eclipse in2001 , and it sold 300,000 units . The group signed with Universal for their next album , but Poland had proven that Eclipse could break aband . Bobaflex and Scum of the Earth signed on soon afterward . “ A lot of the bands Iwork with now , they grew up listening to Mushroomhead , and they know Eclipse Records as the label who

COURTESY OF CHRIS POLAND

16 MAY 2023 WAYNE MAGAZINE