Nick Menza

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Nicholas Menza (July 23, 1964 – May 21, 2016) was an American musician best known as the former drummer for American thrash metal band Megadeth from 1989-1998 and then again in 2004, as well as one last appearance in 2014.

Rust in Peace (1990), Countdown to Extinction (1992), Youthanasia (1994), and Cryptic Writings (1997).

Early life

Menza was born in Munich, Germany, where his father, jazz singer Don Menza, had been stationed with the US Army. He started playing drums at the age of two, when he appeared at his first public concert as a spectator sat on Jack DeJohnette's drums and continued to perform. Menza's influence comes from being nurtured around the tutelage of such luminaries as Buddy Rich, Steve Gadd, Nick Ceroli, Jeff Porcello, and Louie Bellson.

In 1986, Menza's brother, Kelle Rhoads, recorded his first album with Rhoads, starting his professional musical career at the age of 18.

Menza was a member of Rhoads' band The Green (another band collaboration with Goodwin and Michael Guillory on guitar, Darwin Ballard on bass), Von Skeletor (another group collaboration with Goodwin and Michael Guillory on guitars, Cam Daigneault on drums, and Menza on the band's demo and self-released album, Injection of Death) before joining Megadeth, featuring Warrior guitarist Joe Floyd) before joining Megadeth

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Career

Menza caught the attention of then Megadeth drummer Chuck Behler, who later became his tech, as we moved into a session featuring styles ranging from R&B to gospel, funk, and heavy metal. Menza was asked by Dave Mustaine to join Megadeth in 1989 when the band needed a drummer. Mustaine noted that when Behler was unable to play drums, Menza had previously filled in on drums. Menza performed live with Megadeth in Bradford, England, on May 12, 1988. This prior participation and personal friendship culminated in the invitation to join Megadeth for the 1990 release Rust in Peace.

Menza was associated with Megadeth's "classic" period and later his Greg Voelker Rack System for ten years. The tom-toms were mounted on a lower chrome rack, and all cymbal accidents were contained on a rack, which was boosted by two chrome bars behind the drummer. Megadeth's Blackmail the Universe tour in 2004, which featured a similar rack system, was later adopted by the latter.

Menza also played drums on his bandmate Marty Friedman's three solo albums, Scenes (1992), Introduction (1994), and True Obsessions (1996) during his time in Megadeth.

Menza was experiencing knee pains and seeking medical assistance by the summer of 1998, when the band was still touring in support of Cryptic Writings. He was told he had a tumor that was later discovered to be benign and had it removed. Megadeth recruited Jimmy DeGrasso as a temporary replacement rather than canceling any dates. Menza didn't ask back and DeGrasso became the band's official drummer when it came time to record a sequel album. Menza has stated in various interviews that Mustaine called him while recovering from knee surgery, saying, "Your services are not needed anymore." He began working on Menza: Life After Deception after his departure, with guitarist Anthony Gallo, bassist Jason Levin, and guitarist Ty Longley. The album was supposed to have a 2002 release date and tour follow; however, longley was one of 100 people wounded in the Great White Nightclub fire in Rhode Island, and a year later, Jason Levin died of heart disease, Menza and Gallo were devastated, and the Life After Deth tour was never confirmed. Christian Nesmith, the son of The Monkees' Michael Nesmith, had some leads, but Menza hired producer Max Norman (Ozzy Osbourne, Megadeth).

Menza was reunited with Megadeth in 2004 after the reissue of the entire Megadeth catalog. Menza was fired after rehearsals and swapped with Shawn Drover, days after a reunion was announced. This was because Menza "just wasn't ready" for a full-scale US tour, according to Mustaine.

Menza formed Orphanage, a Los Angeles-based metal band that appeared in April 2006. The group describes their music as "a continuation of the '90s Pantera's heavy style." In late 2010, he left the band.

After suffering a power saw crash in 2007, Menza was left with a arm. He needed reconstructive surgery and metal plates in his arm and a lengthy recovery, but then recovered. The blood-stained saw blade and an original copy of an X-ray from the incident were auctioned off by Menza later.

Menza appeared in a music video for Mindstreem's "We Up Next," a song written by SIN 34 guitarist Anthony Gallo and starring Tony Lanza and Daniel Wayne, Jr. on vocals, in March 2011. Menza (drums), Gallo (guitars), Gregg Babuccio (bass), and Tony Lanza and Daniel Wayne Jr. (vocals).

In March 2011, Menza's band Deltanaut released a video for the song "Sacrifice" as a result of the release of their Roy Z produced digital-only five-song EP. Menza, his old Rhoads and The Green bandmate, bassist Darwin Ballard, guitarists Christopher Grady and Colin Reid, and lead vocalist Brian Williams were among the lineup members. On the album "The King," Don Menza's father plays saxophone; other guests include Roy Z on guitar and Ed Roth on keyboards.

Menza contributed drum tracks to the song "Aver We Alone" in 2015. With John Goodwin and Darwin Ballard on guitar and bass respectively, Ci2i's album Warless Society (The Global Invasion) was released on July. In 2015, he began playing with Los Angeles' Sweet Eve on their sequel "The Immortal Machine" as producer and drummer.

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