Metallica Postpone Tour As James Hetfield Re-Enters Rehab

James Hetfield has re-entered a treatment program to work on his recovery from addiction – a battle he has been fighting for many years.

As a result, Metallica have postponed their upcoming tour dates with Slipknot in Australia and New Zealand, while the frontman takes the time to focus on his recovery.

A statement from drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo reads:

"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.

"All tickets purchased to the shows in Australia and New Zealand, including Enhanced Experiences and Black Tickets, will be fully refunded. Links to more details on how to obtain your refund are posted on Metallica.com."

Tour mates Slipknot of course send their love and support to Metallica and James:

Kerrang! would like to send all our love to James and the Metallica family at this time.