Mayhem have announced the cancellation of their Fall North American 40th anniversary tour due a medical emergency within the band.
The news comes just under a week before the trek was set to launch on November 12th in Montreal. All six of the planned North American tour dates, running through November 23rd, have been nixed; however, Mayhem’s European dates in December will proceed as planned (get tickets here).
The Norwegian black metal legends shared the unfortunate development in a Facebook post, promising US and Canadian fans a surprise sometime next year:
“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. Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase.
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.”
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The upcoming tour dates marked four decades since the band’s formation in 1984. Considered one of the chief pioneers of black metal, Mayhem spearheaded the genre’s “second wave” and the Norwegian scene of the late 1980s/early 1990s, as depicted in the 2018 movie Lords of Chaos. They were also at the center of the violence that surrounded the scene at the time, including the infamous 1993 murder of guitarist Euronymous at the hands of former band member and Burzum founder Varg Vikernes.
The band has persisted through the years with various lineups — anchored by longtime members Necrobutcher (bass), Hellhammer (drums), and Attila Csihar (vocals) — and most recently released the Daemonic Rites live album in 2023 and the Atavistic Black Disorder EP in 2021.
Below you can see Mayhem’s tour cancellation post.