U.S. thrashers Warbringer just announced that their former drummer Nic Ritter has died, even though no further details were disclosed. He also played in the progressive metal band Prototype and recorded drums for Warbringer's album Waking Into Nightmares.

John Kevill wrote on behalf of the band: "A couple days ago we got some tragic news. Our former drummer, Nic Ritter, is dead. He passed either Wednesday or Thursday and I got the word Thursday night. I know few details of how he died. I had not seen Nic in many years, though I had spoken to him a few times fairly recently. I always will to regret that I never saw him again, and we never really caught up on all our old times traveling the world.

"Nic played approximately 400-450 shows with Warbringer between June 2008 through January 2011, the period where we were never off the road. His drum performance on Waking Into Nightmares pushed the standard of technicality and musicianship in Warbringer to a new level and helped to shape the identity of the band to what it is today. He was an absolutely stellar player who in my opinion is a true innovator in thrash metal drumming. Sadly, Waking Into Nightmares is, to the best of my knowledge, his sole recorded musical legacy. Shame that he never played on another record, at least I know he was very proud of our work on that one. Rest easy, old buddy."

Source:	facebook.com
Band profile:	Warbringer