“ our brother James has been struggling with addiction ”

- Metallica

Author Bio: AC Speed I started my career as a music journalist in 2013 and have been involved in the music industry as a touring musician, studio engineer and artist consultant since 2002, as well as previously being a signed artist. My passion for delivering high quality, informative music-related news is a daily driving force behind the content I create. Also a huge gaming nerd! Born in the United Kingdom and currently living in Sweden. Skål! CONTACT ME HERE

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Metallica we're gearing up for the Australian leg of their world tour which has so far helped the band become one of the highest grossing bands on the planet in terms of ticket sales. Kicking off on 17th October in Perth at Optis Stadium, the band had over ten dates scheduled in Australia and New Zealand, however, these appear to have all been cancelled as singer James Hetfield has been forced to enter rehab again to battle his ongoing addictions.Slipknot were due to support Metallica in Australia and told fans they were working on a solution as quickly as possible, taking to social media in the early hours of this morning to say “To our Australian and New Zealand fans and family, We only recently heard the news about the tour being postponed, and we are working as quickly as possible to determine next steps. We will let everyone know as soon as we are able.Of course, our thoughts are with James and Metallica. We wish them nothing but the best.We hope to see you all very soon.-Slipknot”It’s not clear at this stage if James Hetfield’s health is at risk, or what state he is in physically, or mentally, but this is not the first time the Metallica frontman has had to enter rehab. It should go without saying that to cancel a huge part of a world tour is not an easy decision to make which should represent the gravity of the situation.Hetfield entered a rehab program in 2001 during the recording of their 8th studio album, St Anger. He spent over 7 months in recovery before rejoining the band. Although he was determined to stay clean, it appears his addictions have caught up with him again.It would appear they have cancelled all future touring plans at this time, based on the previous length of James’ 2001 rehab, Metallica are unlikely to be back on the road before the end of the year.Hetfield has struggled with alcohol addiction for many years, on and off, and it seems to have gotten the better of him again.Lars, Kirk, and Rob made an official statement around 8pm Friday, September 28, 2019 (EDT).The statement reads as follows“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 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.”