Metal Band Cancels North American Tour Due to ‘Medical Emergency’

2024-11-11

Metal band Mayhem.

It’s always a sad thing for fans when an upcoming tour gets called off, but sometimes, it’s for good reason. – Author: Charles Ken, Mayhem photo via Ester Segarra

It’s always a sad thing for fans when an upcoming tour gets called off, but sometimes, it’s for good reason. You can’t expect a band to hit the road if they aren’t feeling well or if other negative circumstances arise. Now, a longstanding metal band has canceled their North American tour due to a “medical emergency.”

Pioneering Norwegian Metal Band Calls Off Tour

The guys of Mayhem took to social media to announce that they’re calling off their Fall North American 40th anniversary tour. The tour was set to launch on Tuesday in Montreal, and the news came just days before that launch date. While all of the North American tour dates are off, Mayhem’s European dates in December are still scheduled to go on.

“Mayhem regrets to inform fans that the upcoming 40th anniversary performances in North America are cancelled due to a member of the band having a medical emergency that requires immediate surgery, which will result in a prolonged recovery period,” they said in a Facebook post. “Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase.”

They added, “Fret not, American and Canadian legion, as Mayhem will have something coming up next year that will make this up to those of you who have been disappointed by this news.”

So, if you’re a fan, rest easy that the band plans to make up for the missed dates with something special down the road.

The upcoming tour was set to celebrate the band’s 40th anniversary. They formed in 1984 and are considered one of the biggest influencers in the Norwegian scene in the late-1980s and early-1990s. “Norwegian metal bands such as Mayhem, Immortal, and Emperor are among the most well-known and oft-imitated,” noted Scandinavian Standard in a feature about the genre. “Black Metal, an extreme sub-genre of heavy metal, originated in Norway and has been a staple of Olso’s underground music scene for nearly 30 years.”

Fans took to the Facebook post to send well-wishes to the band.

“Sad, but I wish a good recovery. Health is important, I can easily understand the situation,” one said.

Another chimed in, “I hope the surgery goes well for whichever of you guys it is. Our health and concerns should always come first.”

Another wrote, “All the best, we are close to you. Be well, stay safe, long live the masters.”

While the band has gone forward with different lineups, several members have been together for a long time: Necrobutcher (bass), Hellhammer (drums), and Attila Csihar (vocals). We wish them the best and hope they have a full recovery.

Norwegian metal is known for its very dark themes and brutally heavy music, and Mayhem is no exception.

Also, it’s worth noting that while death metal is known for its anti-Christian themes, there are some Christian death metal bands. The Top Tens suggests checking out Mortification, if you’re a fan of Christian death metal, “an Australian Christian extreme metal band which was formed in 1987 as a heavy metal group, Lightforce, by mainstay Steve Rowe on bass guitar and vocals.” One fan noted that, “Mortification’s first three albums are the best Christian death metal albums of all time.” Last FM also has some Christian black metal recommendations.

Charles Ken
Posted by Charles Ken | Metal, Music, Rock News