Metal drummer Tony Costanza, who had a brief stint in Machine Head and spent three years in Crowbar, died Tuesday at 52.
The news came from his former Crisis bandmate Afzaal Nasiruddeen.
“Tony Costanza was one of a kind. A man with a huge heart, love and loyalty for the ones close to him,” wrote Nasiruddeen on Facebook. "I cannot relate to this reality of loss yet. I know he had a lot of admirers, and I was one of his biggest. He would have literally taken a bullet for me. Thats the kind of gangster brother he was.”
Trained in jazz, Costanza started in a band called Papsmear and then joined Machine Head, with whom he played only a handful of shows but wrote the drum parts for several songs on their debut album. He spent three years in Crowbar and played on the band’s seventh studio album Sonic Excess in its Purest Form.
“Tony was such a sweet and talented guy,” read a message from Crowbar on Facebook. Machine Head frontman Rob Flynn shared: “Very sad to hear … we maintained our friendship throughout all these years.”
Costanza’s successor in Machine Head, Chris Kontos, posted a tribute on Instagram. “He had a very powerful style and it was a challenge to put my own spin on his contributions to the music and for sure kept a few of his parts,” he wrote. "Tony was a very kind person and always supported and encouraged me over the years with music and then with BMX. We have both confided in each other when we hit hard times over time.
“Im thankful for his friendship and brotherhood. He was a great drummer.”