Megadeth: The Tragic Death of Drummer Nick Menza
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- čas přidán 20. 06. 2024
- Megadeth: The Tragic Death of Drummer Nick Menza
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#nickmenza #megadeth #davemustaine
I cite my sources and they may differ than other people's accounts, so I don't guarantee the actual accuracy of my videos.
Drummer Nick Menza was part of what many considered the golden era, classic lineup of Megadeth from 1990 to 1998 along with frontman Dave Mustaine, bassist David Ellefson and guitarist Marty Freidman. Sidenote guys i’ve done a whole video on Marty Friedman’s career in the band, the link is down below. Menza would be fired from Megadeth but in the years that followed he appeared to have a complicated relationship with his former band. He would die in a truly shocking way long after he left Megadeth.. Today, let’s explore the life of nick menza.
Born to a musical family, Menza was born in Germany to a jazz saxophonist named Don Menza. His father had a pretty storied career playing with Buddy Richs band starting in 1968 and performed as a member of Johnny Carson’s tonight show band. Don would introduce his son to jazz, a style of music he continue to love during and after his time in Megadeth. Buddy Rich would even give drum lessons to Nick as a child & the aspiring drummer would play in front of his first audience at age 2 when someone placed him on Jack DeJohnette’s (dee-ja-net) drum throne during an intermission at a gig
His professional music career began at age 18 and he would play in a series of groups including Rhoads who was fronted by Randy Rhoads brother. He would even record with John Fogerty. By the late 80’s he would land a job as the Megadeth’s drum tech for Chuck Behler (Chuck Bayler) . Behler would be fired by mustaine over his drug use leading the frontman to ask Menza to join the group in 1989. He would appear on four megadeth albums with 1997’s cryptic writings being his last. The following year while out on tour to promote the album Menza learned of a tumor in his knee. He required surgery to remove it and thankfully for him it was benign. According to menza while he was in hospital recovering from surgery he would recall Mustaine calling him to let him know he was fired from the band.
David Ellefson would tell Metal Hammer why Menza was fired saying "It's funny, Nick has been and still is the most hailed and beloved member of the Megadeth legacy.
"Playing drums is hard, playing drums in Megadeth is even harder, and it beats the shit out of ya.
"Nick put in a lot of good years with us, but by 1998 [when he got fired], he was struggling to do the gig.
"There was a defining moment in Macer, Arizona, where I looked at him during some breaks in 'Darkest Hour' and it was like he was not present. He was beat up, you know?
Following his firing Menza turned his attention to raising his two kids and took up woodworking.
. Menza would recall to Metalholic “I took about 10, 12 years off to raise two boys” It was during this time that Nick made a living through his woodworking selling a perurvian percussion instrument known as a cajons. It was during this time in his life menza famously said “ i don’t want to be nick menza the drummer from megadeth. That chapter of my life is closed.” In addition to raising his kids Menza would still play music on the side putting out a single album under the monicker Menza. And play with the jazz fusion project called Ohm.
In 2004 Menza was thought to be rejoining Megadeth on tour as part of the blackmail the universe tour, but Mustaine revealed to radio station WRIF 101.1 "I had Nick Menza come in and play drums [during the rehearsals for the tour], and he just wasn't prepared. It just didn't work out. We tried for two weeks to get everything to happen, and it just didn't click. Five days before the tour started, I had to send him home.
According to Loudwire in 2007 Menza almost lost his arm due to a power saw accident. It would require him to get reconstrutive surgery. The saw responsible for the accident would be auctioned off by Menza years later. The accident didn’t stop menza from jumping back into music as he would continue to play with OHM.
In 2014 it was rumored that the classic lineup of Megadeth would be reuniting following the departure of guitarist Chris Broderick and drummer Shawn Drover . Menza was approached by Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson to replace Drover at the end of 2014 and he would in fact begin working on new music with the band, but th - Hudba
Good video boss. Im his oldest son and years later still brings tears to my eyes. He was truely an amazing dad, and an amazing person in general. The last time we got to see him was 2 weeks before he passed while he was visiting us in Washington State. Which eriely enough he brough up dying on stage. 2 weeks later we got the news. Still not a day goes by we dont have him in our thoughts. Thanks for the good video and to the fans, thanks for all the continued love and support of my fathers legacy. Much love to all the metal and mega family.
Condolences to you and your family. Nick's art and playing were special and Rust in Peace and his other work has produced (and continue sto) produce a raging stoke for so many of us. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. 🙏 \m/
The dude is what made that band. There’s a young fella that does some covers. Ashes in your mouth is a good one. Check it out. Even kinda looks like your old man. Keep it real man🤘🏻🤘🏻
Hey Nicholas, I'm named after my late father too.
I was 14 when Rust In Peace came out. Holy Wars was the first song I ever jammed with a real, live guitarist - not just playing along to the tape.
He was my hero that year. I was obsessed with his drumming. He was playing in a way I hadn't heard anyone play, sort of fusing jazz with metal. I remember my first drum lesson, my teacher asked me to play something, so I tore into Holy Wars!
To this day I enjoy listening to his work. I always wondered how his children were holding up. Glad to hear you're doing well.
My pops passed in 2017, and not a day goes by that I don't think of him either.
Stay well, Nicholas.
Dan
@@danlc95 thanks for the reply Dan, me and my fiance actually just got back last week from visiting Grandma and Grandpa and brought back the drum kit that he passed away on to where we live here in Washington state. I followed my heart and became a auto and diesel mechanic , but will be making the time to learn to play drums. I play bass currently but want to be able to connect to my father through drumming. Sorry to hear about you'r loss. Our fathers are our biggest influences. Stay up brother we will soon get to see them again when our day comes.
@@nicholasmenza4406 - Thank you for the kind words, Nicholas.
My Dad told me he was proud of the man I became. It meant a lot because he was REALLY tough on me as a kid. I always felt like I let him down. I'm sure your Dad would also be very proud of the man you are, who followed his own path.
But - the bass is fun, as are the drums. If nothing else, you'll have fun making some noise!
One of the best thrash drummers along with Dave Lombardo. He was a beast.
What about Charlie Benante? Or do I gather you don’t like Thrax? That’s fine, I mean, we’re all entitled to our opinions.
What about Lars? LOL!
Jordison man
@@marksommerville5857 lmfao fr
@@marksommerville5857 Lars who😜
Massive fan, such a shame he died so early. He was a great drummer and musician/artist.
czcams.com/video/AfunQUdZe50/video.html
Side note, the guitarist in the band "OHM" is none other than original Megadeth lead guitarist Chris Poland.
Crazy this wasn’t even mentioned
I recognized him from the pictures.
Yep, he's an insane player. You need to be omega level to play in Megadeth.
Chris was a jazz man before and after his time in Megadeth, same with Gar Samuelson.
@@davidnissim589 Yes, they played in JF bands prior to Megadave.
Kickass drummer,miss him alot. That era of Megadeth was by far the most enjoying for me,my favorite band.
Rust in peace, is a master peace. This was a great time to be alive, for megadeath fans we had nick and Marty. Nick you will always be miss R.I.P.
I'm with you dude
That era IS megadeth as far as I am concerned
The Definitive Lineup
Without a doubt the best Megadeth years!!! Rust in Peace, Countdown, Youthanasia, Cryptic Writings … fuck man, I could listen to those 4 albums on a constant loop!!! In my opinion each of those albums are masterpieces! 🤘😆🤘
RIP Menza. His legacy is forever etched in those Megadeth albums and helped make one of the greatest metal albums ever released, Rust in Peace.
For those who are Metal fanatics,we understand the talent that man had. He sounded like Thunder,and damn if i dont miss it every day.
Hell yeah
And Countdown To Extinction and Youthanasia.
Nah. Megrdeth blows.
Nick was the best musician they had past or present on any instrument or vocals.
ef’n metal god
great music
It is sometimes very hard to know what to make of Mustaine.
He's an extremely mixed bag.
It's called being an asshole. And self-centered, insecure, paranoid, and ego driven. In his auto-biography he often makes fun of the clothes various people wear. Like anyone cares?
6:16 Mustaine grenade style!
he''s the kind of guy who never commits mistakes and every sht that happens is all someone else's fault.
Shit he said about Mike Muir back in the day lost me as a fan...Suicidal for life!
I have one of his drum sticks. He threw it out and I caught it on the Hanger 18 tour. They played in after Testament on Judas Priest's on Painkiller tour. It was My 18th birthday and I also got autographs from Testament.
Wow!
Hanger 18 is the 1st song they play every show. Saturday Sept.18th can't come soon enough.
Great!!!🤘🙌😀
Nick Menza brought a Ferocity to the music he created with Megadeth. It hurt my heart when he passed...Salute.
Well said I agree..
@@scottwhite2757 Thank you. Im so glad Nick got this video created about him.
Menza s drumming in rust in peace will never be forgotten. Thank you Nick
I had the pleasure of meeting his parents at the Omni New Daisy Theater in Memphis during the Rust in Peace tour. They were a little bit lost and didn’t know where to go so I lead them to the guest area and got a security guy with them. His mother hugged me and kissed my cheek. Later that evening as I was giving my all in the pit, I looked back at them and they were both smiling and waving at me real big. I was like everyone else when I heard the news, just crushed. He was an amazing talent with a wonderful family.
Thank you for sharing that. Very heartwarming. Thanks, too, for making sure his parents were taken care off.
That is great recollection
Now that's a metal story man. Truly metal
I had no idea Megadeth ever played Memphis, I hate I missed that show.
I could see the parents being a little intimidated and lost at a heavy rock show, so I'm very proud of the fact that you took it upon yourself to ensure that were properly taken care of. We, guys like you and I can always get back to the show but first comes doing the right thing. Good on you man. God Bless
The best Megadeth drummer, to this day no one could fill his shoes
Gar Samuelson beats menza every time
@@bryanpettyjohn3709 Two VERY DIFFERENT drummers- Menza was a far harder hitter.
I get the impression that dave mustaine always treated anyone in his band as his employees and not bandmates.
Dave Mustaine worked really hard to make Megadeth happen. It's his creature, and it is a really big thing now, so I think we should just respect the fact that he created this and just let go of any sort of sympathy we may have for him as a person (which we never really know about anyway)..
@Andrew Salter Well, Metallica kicked him out because they couldn't take dealing with Dave's ego and out of control behavior anymore. They all said they would have fun partying and sooner or later Dave would get wasted and start being mean and doing really crazy stuff.
@@ryanjacobson2508 Dave’s spent years crying about that, yet has done the same thing to multiple people.
He once said in a interview that Megadeth is him and Junior and two hired Guns.
@@apersonok8426 well now it’s him and 3 hired guns lol
Megadeth truly was at their peak during that era with Marty and Nick. When I think of Nick I always go back to that part of the band's cover of 'Paranoid' and the song ends but Nick keeps banging away. You then hear Dave's voice going "Nick.....NICK!!" before he silences the kit. Ahhhh, good times.
I must be the worst fan though, as I didn't realize he had passed away. We've lost so many great musicians. I'm hoping that if there is a Rock and Roll heaven someone finds a way to pirate some music downloads so we get to hear all the greats jamming!!
Fuck me running......
That part on Paranoid always cracks me up! 😆
I used to loop that drum part on my cd player to jam with 🤘
gar destroyed menza in every way shape and form (minus the smack)
i heard he died when it happened but over the years i compeltely forget he died when talking about mega deth. so don't feel too bad about it , not like we knew the guy personaly.
I heard Mustane said he was lying about having Cancer & that was the final straw, but he did have a tumor, just because it turned out to be benign, it doesn't mean he was lying.
Dave Mustaine talked so much shit about Nick Menza when he was alive and even accused him of faking his cancer diagnosis. How do you get a fake tumor removed?
i bet mustaine ate his words real fast when he got faced with cancer too.. rip menza
I heard that's the reason he was fired. Dave didn't believe him.
Dave was and will always be an Assmeal
Dave sucks I dont understand why ppl glorify him
@@RChB was always a huge megadeth fan and I totally agree, I can separate the great music from the people who create it. Mustaine is a complete prick off the highest order, his treatment of jr recently just goes to show what a hypocritical cunt he really is
His drumming is what made rust in peace the monster it is. One of the greats.
Vention M GTOW
I remember he just started his own YT channel, he was chatting with us, fans, made great drumming vids... and one day, the news came...
He dies the EXACT way he wanted (jokingly, ofc, but still!) - while drumming!
Rust In Peace, Nick \m/
God gave him what he wanted. I have a feeling he was just a great person all around.
RIP to THE Megadeth Drummer.
Vention M GTOW
Megadeth was never my cup of tea, but if you listen to them with an open mind they are ferociously talented musicians. RIP Nick.
Very complex songs and hard to reproduce, Dave only picked the best.
All the way back to "Killing is My Business and Business is Good". Especially so with "Rust In Piece" even "Cryptic Writing" was good.
No need to have an open mind to listen Megadeth, you just need a good taste in music
No kidding! If everyone really cared about musicianship, Megadeth would be more popular than Maroon 5 haha!
@@RockerNate81 Megadeth were really popular in their prime
I will never forget that day. Me and my gf were at the Rock n derby fest in Schaghticoke, NY, standing in front of the stage for Megadeth. The word spread fast. Dave dedicated a song to him. While playing, Dave had to walk back from the mic for a moment and Dave Ellefson took over vocals. It was an epic show and we were honored to be with the band in mourning. RIP Nick.
I didn't know about his father's career and his lessons with Buddy Rich! It makes sense, though, Buddy was an animal... I wonder if his heart was already affecting him years prior to his death.
His dad played the sax on the Pink Panther theme as well.
@@duncanohoge wtf so the doctors just didnt know what was going on with his heart
@@duncanohoge the heavy drug use most likely caught up
@@christophermerlot3366
The "Pink Panther" theme was recorded by Plas Johnson of the L.A. "Wrecking Crew."
@@AstralHiGH | which is probably why he looked "spent" after 1998 - such destructive substances out there, doubling as a "dopamine solutions".
Nick was a genuine, down to earth dude. RIP.
RIP. I was at the baked potato that weekend just a few days later to see my friends jazz band. They did a beautiful tribute.
Nick played on some of the best heavy metal albums of all time, thus he is essential immortal. Still, he is missed.
Megadeth is my favourite band 🤘
Menza was is in Megadeths best line up,was sad when i found out he died
@John Doe Karen Carpenter was wild playing the drums.
@John Doe her story was pretty sad too
Irony is Dave firing people for drugs, when he was so bitter about being fired from Metallica for the same thing.
He was fired for alcohol man 🤣 not 🚫 drugs 😂
Um, he was a heroin junkie. Metallica drank like fish, alc wouldn't be enough to get canned.
@@MegaRudeBoy69 Dave was also a vicious, violent drunk...even moreso than James Hetfield was, so that also factors in to the equation.
@@dimasarayan2327 Alcohol is considered a drug and arguably the worst one.
Rest In Peace to this legend drummer one of my all time favorite drummers ever
I would just like to say that Nick was a huge influence on me as a drummer. His work on Rust in Peace and every album after that , that he played on . Learning how to play the songs on that album opened up a universe of learning for me. I will forever be greatful to the universe for allowing me that opportunity. I will forever think fondly and greatful for Nick as an influence on my drumming . He kicked ass.
Best drummer of the big 4 in my opinion. Rust in is a drumming masterpiece and the best metal album of the 90s period. Rip Nick.🙏🏼😔
Lombardo
Charlie and Nick are the best.
Vulgar display of Power?
@@chrismizuno239 didn't knew VDoP was a drummer
@@elvisjsax is rust in peace better than vulgar display of power?
amazing insanely best drummer i’ve ever heard. listening to take no prisoners for the first time i got woken up by his crazy double bass.
Dave as always playing the victim, despite his lies
Man, I don't think that he got so far just by playing the victim you know..
@@danif.9414 he is a talented guy, just a total hypocritical scumbag to go with it
You could tell from the first 30 seconds of holy wars that megadeth found something special with nick
Nick was a Power House at his prime, and most definitely my Favorite Line up... he made the drumbeat for my teenage years 🤙🇺🇸🙏
Ellefson's comment at the end, warms my heart, they were nice friends and still cared for menza's family
Nick was great. Youthanasia was a really underrated album
It was a platinum selling hit.. not exactly one that went under the radar.
@@stephenc.4319 Its one of my favorites. It isn't celebrated like Rust in Peace or the Black Album but is just as good in its own right. It has a truly epic heroic feel to it. Every track is excellent. One of my all time favorites
God, it saddens me, everytime I get reminded. I loved Nick. Still do. He had such a unique personality, such a great person. Rest in peace Nick, we love you.
The best drummer that band had, & they’ve had a few. His triplets were awesome. I miss him, good dude, RIP Nick…
Here's the Marty Friedman Video I reference
czcams.com/video/DMqtvCjdZho/video.html
Killer video. Thanks. RIP Nick 🤘🏻
Cheers dude! You should cover the sid barrett story of how he left floyd and how he reappeared at the studio one day
I remember 99or 2000 when I saw Megadeth. I looked around and was expecting to see Marty and Nick and was like who the heck are these guys! It was my favorite band at the time and was seriously disappointed!
Great job BYW!!!
@@derekscanlan4641 already did that one it’s up on my channel
I remember when this happened and I was floored when I got the news. RIP Nick was a great drummer. He died on stage mid song with Chris Poland live onstage.. He died doing what he loved!
Get the full true story that will be highlighted in the official upcoming feature-length documentary "This Was My Life: The Story Of Nick Menza". David Ellefson has signed on as a co-producer of the film, and also will provide narration to guide the viewer through the exploration of the late MEGADETH drummer's life. czcams.com/video/AfunQUdZe50/video.html
By far my favorite Megadeth drummer.A huge influence on my own drumming.Thank you for posting,Rip NM
For me, it was always about Nick; he had the kick ass solid foundation of grooves that put him at the pinnacle of metal drumming at the time. Dave Lombardo was also a deadly force, but Nick’s feel was the best.
I really hope that at some point you do a video on Def Leppard's drummer Rick Allen, and/or guitarist Steve Clark
Love Def Leppard too...Life was not easy for that band either...
Nick and the R.I.P. album is THE reason I chose to play drums. Great video, guys. As a fan, thank you for making this vid! Out of all iconic drummers and historical albums, he is the reason the pushed me forward into the drumming world. 🤘 You know what? I'm gonna put out a drum cover off the album next week. Thanks for the inspiration!!!
Nick and Marty...the best line-up of the band with 2 daves
Thx for clarifying his death, rumor had it as an OD.
At least he “died happy”.
So sad for the family.
Awesome vid , surprised you omitted the fact he made a full sum tutorial video before his death , going through all the Megadeth tunes , he definitely still had the chops needed , such a loss to music , R.I.P.
Im not a drummer but Nick always amazed me when I was a teenager. His drumming was always so on point and tight, also a very hard hitter! He definitely helped forge Deth's sound during their best era.
He will be forever missed, truly an icon
Nick Menza was an amazing and powerfully fast drummer. I was lucky enough to see him twice with megadeth and I'd be mesmerized with his,speed and just how HARD he hit the drums to create the HEAVY SOUND. I have some really good footage of him with megadeth and put it on the big screen occasionally to relive the concerts. Nick was in my top 5 drummers and I was saddened by OUR LOSS.
Rest in peace nick knowing you were a big part of megadeths best line up..
His death still breaks my heart, R.I.P Nick, glad to have known you my friend.
We want a video on Paul Balloff and Exodus. Please continue with the thrash videos
Love this channel. Thank you for all your work. 🎶 😇
Thank you. There’s always so much drama in the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle.
"Come in here, dear boys... have a cigar... you're gonna go far...!"
Definitely one of my all time favorite drummers. Rest in peace Nick.
Absolute beast of a player. Amazing bounce and touch. Huge loss. Megadeth never got the fire back after he left imo. One long vanilla sausage since.
Hi Owen. Yeah modern 'deth is one long click track now. Though they didn't fall quite as far as Metallica. Mechanix: the band starts out super fast and by the end they're even faster, Dave's solo can barely keep up with Gar and Ellefson. That first album is basically "garage thrash", classic early 80s West Coast thrash metal
Far and away the best drummer Megadeth ever had. Nick had a groove to his playing; there were definite swing elements in it
(which he of course came by honestly, via his dad). Add that to his intensity and technical expertise and you had one hell of
a musician. It saddens me he's gone, but it's touching to see the witnessing of some as to the good man he had become once
clear of the junk he was hooked on.
RIP Nick. You done good.
- Ed on the Ridge
And now props to another great video, and on a great, dearly missed, drummer.
Damn! The horse heads eating money was funny, yet disturbing, at the same time!🤣
That was his interpretation of Dave ,
Was a jackass
Same.
@@stevew6910 Actually both Dave and Marty confirmed that David did most of the talking. I think Mustaine knew that if the reunion plans failed, all guns would be pointed at him.
His legacy will live forever!!!!!! Thanx a lot for it!!!! Peace bro!!!
Nick Menza is by far one of the best metal drummers of all time and in the best (in my opinion) Megadeth lineup! Thank you for this video. RIP Nick! 💙
So sad.. such an amazing drummer and an incredible guy.. it's a damn shame that he passed so young..
I don't know much about Megadeth, but I got a chance to see them during that "classic lineup" era. The one thing I remember about the concert was that the drummer was really, really good.
Menza and Samuelson
2 of the best and my favorites.
Now belong to the Ages \m/
May they Rock in Power Eternal.
So, so sad! Nick will always be a part in our metal subconscious. RIP maestro!
Being in a band and trying to keep a civil relationship with your bandmates would be harder than trying to keep a marriage together I'd imagine.
Dave is the only person I'd be worried about not getting along with, it's all about him.
....Thanks for the piece. Correction on Arizona. That would be Mesa AZ.
Great story and great video. Rest In Metal!!
Wow I never did what exactly happened to him I never knew the whole story thank you sooo much for sharing this!!! R.I.P. man you are missed🤘🖤🎶🎵
Nick Menza was a great drummer without a doubt , his contribution to Megadeth lives on R.I.P.
Thanks for another interesting video
Nicely done🤘
So sad! RIP Nick Menza. He was such an awesome drummer. So many drummers these days aim for robotic precision, and end up not having a great feel. Nick was a great example of tight drumming with a great feel.
Megadeth without Nick Menza is like Led Zeppelin without Jon Bonham.
Rust In Peace is a pure Masterpiece! PLAY LOUD
Nice thing about Nick,if you texted or emailed him he tried his best to talk back to you. He was a great guy.
I remember when MTV did the World Premier of the Holy Wars video. First time I ever saw Nick in action. Blew me away.
My absolute favorite drummer, I was heartbroken when I heard he had passed
Damn, I feel shitty because I didn't know he had passed. I can't remember if it was Countdown or Youthanasia tour but they did meet/greets for a canned food donations after the show. They had a strict no autographs policy for the meet/greet because it was a quit "Hi nice to meet you" and on to the next. Nick was like, "Hey, come out to the bus after the show and I'll sign your jacket (I had the logo airbrushed on my leather jacket). True to his word, he signed it and so did David. I begged Marty as well and he did, but missed Megadave. I will ALWAYS remember him being just super cool and keeping his word that night. RIP Nick.
What a great memory!🙏🤘😀
He was one hell of a drummer. R.I.P Nick Menza 🥁🎼🎵🎶🍻
The best line up for sure. Rust in peace, Countdown, Youthanasia and Cryptic writings are four of my favorite albums alltime.
RIP (Rust In Peace) Nick Menza. You were a huge influence on me as a self taught drummer.
What no second chance?? No warning? I loved this guys like my brothers.. How can they fire me like that??
Rust in Peace and Nick on the huge riser with the Falicon rack and the nuclear warning emblem on the kick heads was a masssssive influence when i was starting out
Great drummer and unlike many drummers of his genre he understood dynamics as demonstrated on Holy Wars and many other songs. This made his playing more interesting than other drummers who were just banging out sixteenth note bass drum patterns, yawn. If you watch Nick Menza’s feet he will move between bass drum and hi-hat seamlessly.
Please let me know why Dave Mustaine always was telling that Nick could not play properly and had to be showed many times what supposed to be played...I just could not believe what I was hearing
@@michaljaklik4657 No idea watch Holy Wars drums only of Nick and you will see he had absolutely no problems playing the drums and also good camera movement so you can see his feet agility bouncing from hi-hat to bass drum pedal. Also he is the only thrash drummer to play with swing. Also don’t take my word for it listen to the plaudits Chris Poland reels off and a brilliant guitarist like that would not want an average drummer. Nick came into an established big 3 of drummers Lars, Dave and Charlie and made it four. Also listen to his post Megadeth work and he shows his musicality and jazz background off a lot more. Also he didn’t just blast out 16th notes like most drummers but he would look for up beats and down beats depending on the song. Also on Rust in Peace there are times when he transitions into single bass drum Bonham mode. He turned pro as a teenager like Carl Palmer prodigies like that don’t come along very often. He went from session drummer, not easy, to Chuck Behler’s drum tech. Also where he placed his cymbals was unusual in rock drumming. Most drummers don’t use a rack above the kit.
@@misfit2022 yeah I know what you mean.It is amazing how he played!
Not sure why Dave Mustaine said that...
RIP Nick...🙏
@@michaljaklik4657 Yes completely agree
Best line up, With Nick & Marty!
2:37 Wow, as a Peruvian, I was really surprised and pleased to know about his interest in the cajón! Also, yes, he was such a great drummer, the best in Megadeth, RIP...
Fuck I saw Rust tour in Sydney. It was in top 3 shows I ever saw. Metal heads, skinnheads, punks, army guys, everybody having a good time and bonding over kickass music. Nick was like the front man and Dave did the singing and guitar. What a night.
2 members of Megadeth have been in John Fogerty’s band lol
I wonder if they will cover Fortunate Son on the new album?
Lucky enough to see Megadeth on the Rust in Peace tour at the Hammersmith Odeon in 1991. Great gig. Alice in Chains were the support that night as well. Awesome night. Menza was immense.
Wow!Hammy Odeon...Been there a few times...What a venue...And yes...You are lucky
I saw them in 92 with Pantera supporting. As great as Megadeth has been at that time, Pantera definitely stole the show from them!
Dave Mustaine seems like he's just a huge pain in the ass. Always problems with people his entire career
My favourite Nick Menza adjacent memory is listening to Nativity in Black 2 and at the end of Megadeth's version of Paranoid, Dave yells "Nick. Nick. Nick!" because he wouldn't stop drumming. And then someone says (if I recall correctly) "Fuck me running."
Do you think you’ll ever get around to Criss Oliva of Savatage or their producer/co-writer, Paul O’Neill? Criss’s story is very sad: was killed by a drunk driver while on a break from their “Edge of Thorns” tour while it seemed they were finally on the edge of greater success. The rest of the band finally got there later with Trans Siberian Orchestra outperforming anything Savatage did, but it’s still a story worth telling. It affected me heavily over the years and Sava has become one of my favorite all time bands and Criss one of my top guitarists, maybe up there with Randy Rhoads. Both tragedies are eerily similar. Two prodigies who worked for years in the business to miss out on ever getting their due.
I met Chris about a month before he got killed in Detroit..very down to earth nice man..Savatage is very underrated VERY UNDERRATED!!!....Chris was amazing!!
Best Drummer For Megadeth
Rest In Heaven Buddy..🙏
Surprised to hear that he lost his step. He was so great on the albums.
R.I.P. Nick! God bless you! I look forward to seeing you play again at the great Stadium in the Sky.
I remember seeing the Monsters of Rock tour in the early to mid 90s. Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer rotated their playing order night after night, so they all went on first (out of the 3), and they all headlined. Also, Alice in Chains was the nightly opener.
I don't personally know a fellow drummer who would not have been in heaven seeing, Charlie Benante, Nick Menza, and Dave Lombardo in the same show. I was certainly not let down. Three of my drumming heroes on the same night? Yes, Please!
All I can say is, look at how Ellefson was treated. Gee, I wonder if Nick faced the same thing? 🤔
I think its funny how he went from being a drum tech guy for the megadeth drummer, and then became the best megadeth drummer ever
I remember seeing the holy wars video when I was a kid and the first thing I noticed was Nicks rad looking voelker rack.
Just like Gar his jazz influenced past help solidify megadeths unique sound.
Too bad Dave it’s such a pain in the ass to get along with.
Nick was the definitive Megadeth drummer, nobody did it better than he did, I'm still amazed when I listen to rust in peace how tight the sound is, Countdown as well had some bad ass grooves. Now it's just megadave, but at least he's still out there, Kiko is bad ass too.