He was in my opinion one of the best metal drummers.Check out his performances on Megadeth`s Rust in Peace,Countdown to extinction and Youthanasia.
Thank you for everything Nick.

Former MEGADETH drummer Nick Menza passed away Saturday night (May 21) while performing with the band OHM: at The Baked Potato in Studio City, California. He was 51 years old.
Nick collapsed during the third song of OHM:'s set. Earliest reports indicate he suffered a massive heart attack and was pronounced dead upon arrival at hospital. No other details are being released at this time.

 

Sad news, rip Nick !!!!

 

Sad news.

On the other hand, he died meanwhile he was doing what he loved and what he lived for.
In this case,... isn't it the best way to die?

 

NO way!!! Saw him live about 3 times. He was absolutely amazing. Can't believe it this is so sad

51 is way too young. He was an immense talent So Sad

 

A unique drummer. More of the good ones are passing. This year will be sadly remembered.

 

Rust In Peace Nick.

 

No way...he will still one of my fav metal drummer forever.

 

Rust In Peace totally changed the thrash scene. One of the best Albums of all time & still is in that genre.
Megadeth had been struggling to find a really competent drummer for a long time. He more than filled the gap when he & Marty joined.
Again So SAD.
The combination of the immense talent of Marty Friedman & Mick Menza more than provided all the technical aspects that the band were to some degree lacking on earlier albums

 

RIP Nick
Great drummer. His drums on the Rust In Peace album were outstanding (as well as being mixed and sounding really good as well). He seemed like a good guy too. Sad news indeed.

This has been a rough year so far.

 

Gar and Nick were the best, yet both are dead. I wish talented musicians like them could live forever and talentless, shameless hacks, who live long enough, would die instead, but this fucking world is just messed up.

Just what the fuck is going on with 2016? It's like a bad fucking set-up. Did Nostradamus predict like 500 years ago all music stars would die in 2016? I don't know what is it, but feels like something's up with this year, something bad.

 

Last edited: May 23, 2016

Yes,i would also say that Nick and Marty catapulted Megadeth to a beast of a band and without them they have been very mediocre.
A very underrated musician/drummer.

 

GAR had a bad alcohol drug addiction. He was fired from the band because of this very issue He died at 41 from liver failure. Dave used to joke about looking over at Gar and seeing him falling asleep on drums. He was talented but nowhere near Nick Menza's ability. It was still all very sad to witness

Chris Poland again was a great guitarist also but nowhere near Marty's level of ability

Von_Steyr is totally correct in saying that before Nick/Marty the technical aspects due to other problems ie addiction/attitude were simply not there. Nick & Marty forged them into an ultra tight clean unit

 

Lean heh, you tell me all this like if I didn't know lol. I don't need a history course into Megadeth, I know it pretty well. I don't care if Gar had an addiction, many musicians have addictions, yet some die and some don't. it wasn't my point. my point was "good people die" and "bad people live". if paraphrased - "good musicians die" and "talentless hacks live".

Poland and Samuelson are very underrated musicians and people like you are the reason why it happens. Both had a jazzy vibe to their playing they somehow incorporated into speed/thrash metal style. Really something unique and unheard before. This should not be overlooked. Also, Poland was very tight and clean with his picking, check the isolated guitar tracks from Peace Sells LP. Mind-blowing guitar playing, so clean and precise during fast parts. Check Gar's isolated drum tracks - tight, awesome, creative drumming. Not better or worse than Friedman/Menza, both very awesome, just different.

Menza had his own style too, still underrated. I wouldn't call Marty overlooked though, he's pretty much well known guitar player. His vibrato alone is world famous.

These guys were the best musicians who's ever played for the band. Pitrelli/Drover/Broderick, all downfall from there. Same for Shawn Drover. I wanted Kiko to be great for the band, yet I find his Latino music influenced playing not working well in Megadeth context. Adler is great and very technical drummer, yet he fits LOG style much better.

I was among those who wanted Rust in peace reunion to happen and now it just sucks so much to know it will never happen. If only they could negotiate all the finances around the reunion while it was not too late. And now it's too late to talk about it. RIP Nick Menza.

 

Rust in peace,Countdown to extinction and Youthanasia are my favourite Megadeth records for a reason,the production values are sky high,musicianship is at the top level.
Unlike Metallica whos energetic song writing/production went down the pipes with the black album,they managed to reign the thrash metal genre till the mid 90s.

 

Apologies Wurlie Rocker if I misunderstood or mis-read your post.
My reply was not intended as a lecture of any sorts.
I should really have included the words "in my Opinion"

 

I am also sad about this, I remember seeing Nick Menza play live for the first time and really wanting to become a drummer.

It also saddens me that Nick Menza and Marty Friedman are always called as "Megadeth's former drummer or guitarist". They left Megadeth so long ago and this have made a career of their own.

Just sayin'

 

Truly one of the greats. He played drums on what I consider the bible of heavy metal - Rust in Peace. I agree with statements above RE tightening up Megadeth with the addition of Nick and Marty. At the time, Nick's playing and sound were second to none in the metal world. Just listening to Tornado of Souls live, wow that band had a great balanced live mix. The bass was perfectly placed.

 

RIP. Sad news. I found this recently