Metallica have called off their World Tour and cancelled their Australian concerts as lead singer and Guitarist James Hetfield enters rehab.

The rock legends cancelled their Australian stadium tour just weeks before their sojourn around Australia and New Zealand was about to kick off. The band released a statement explaining that Hetfield had entered rehab for ongoing addiction issues.

The three remaining band members issued a statement apologising to fans.

We are truly sorry to inform our fans and friends that we must postpone our upcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand.

As most of you probably know, our brother James has been struggling with addiction on and off for many years. He has now, unfortunately, had to re-enter a treatment program to work on his recovery again.

We fully intend to make our way to your part of the world as soon as health and schedule permit. We’ll let you know as soon as we can.

Once again, we are devastated that we have inconvenienced so many of you, especially our most loyal fans who often travel great distances to experience our shows. We appreciate your understanding and support for James and, as always, thank you for being a part of our Metallica family.”

Promoter Live Nation said all tickets would get a full refund, and they would work with the band to lock in new sates as soon as possible.

The band’s latest album, Hardwired…To Self-Destruct, is the tenth in their long career. Their debut album Kill ‘Em All was released in 1983. Metallica achieved mainstream chart success in the 1990s with their album Metallica, Load and Reload. 

OIP Staff