Metallica was scheduled to tour in Australia and New Zealand this fall, but on Friday (Sept. 27), the band announced they will be postponing the run as lead vocalist James Hetfield seeks treatment.

"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," the group wrote in a statement on Twitter.

"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," they continued. "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 & thank you for being a part of our Metallica family."

Fans who purchased tickets to the shows will receive full refunds. Hetfield has long been open about his struggle with addiction, having entered rehab in the early 2000s. "Losing my family, that was the thing that scared me so much, that was the bottom I hit, that my family is going to go away because of my behaviors that I brought home from the road," he told Joe Rogan in 2016 of his journey to sobriety. "I got kicked out of my house by my wife, I was living on my own somewhere, I did not want that. Maybe as part of my upbringing, my family kind of disintegrated when I was a kid. Father left, mother passed away, had to live with my brother, and then kind of just, where did my stuff go? It just kind of floated away, and I do not want that happening. No matter what’s going on, we’re going to talk this stuff out, and make it work.”

See Metallica's full statement below.

A Note from Lars, Kirk, and Rob We are truly sorry to inform our fans and friends that we must postpone our upcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand. (1/6) — Metallica (@Metallica) September 28, 2019

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. (2/6) — Metallica (@Metallica) September 28, 2019

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. (3/6) — Metallica (@Metallica) September 28, 2019

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 & thank you for being a part of our Metallica family. (4/6) — Metallica (@Metallica) September 28, 2019

All tickets purchased to the shows in Australia and New Zealand, including Enhanced Experiences and Black Tickets, will be fully refunded. (5/6) — Metallica (@Metallica) September 28, 2019