Metallica co-founder James Hetfield has entered rehab, meaning the band's New Zealand tour has been cancelled.
The band was due to perform in Auckland at the end of October.
The other band members, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, and Robert Trujillo issued a joint statement, confirming Hetfield had entered rehab.
"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," they said.
Although no date had been set for when Metallica would play in New Zealand, the band said they wanted to play here again when Hetfield was better.
"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," the statement said.
Metallica's Australian tour, which was due to start in just a few weeks, has also been postponed.
The band had been scheduled to play two shows in Auckland - at Mt Smart Stadium on October 31 and November 2 - with support from Slipknot.
In March, fans took less than 12 minutes to snap up tickets for the band's first show, much to the disappointment of fans trying to see the band for the first time in nearly a decade.
A second show was later announced, meaning the tour could have been attended by close to 100,000 fans.
Tickets ranged from $375 to $3499, with the latter allowing mega-fans front-of-stage admission, an autographed set list and a meet-and-greet with the band members backstage before the show.
A Note from Lars, Kirk, and Rob
— Metallica (@Metallica) September 28, 2019
We are truly sorry to inform our fans and friends that we must postpone our upcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand.
(1/6)
Ticketmaster would refund all tickets in full. Tickets booked online with a credit card would be refunded automatically.
Hetfield has struggled publicly with drugs and alcohol in the past. In 2001, he entered rehab to treat alcoholism and "other addictions."
However, recent reports had suggested he was still sober. After Metallica performed at Glastonbury in 2014, The Independent said "Hetfield has been sober for some years". But at that same event, Ulrich joked about how the downside to headlining Glastonbury was that they had to "remain sober".
In 2016, Hetfield opened up about when he checked himself into rehab 15 years earlier, telling The Joe Rogan Show he hit rock bottom when being kicked out of his home. He thanked his wife for kicking him out of their house, which he said motivated him to seek help.
"Fear was a big motivator," he said. "She did the right thing, she kicked my a... right out of the house and that scared the s.. out of me."
He went on to spend seven weeks in rehab.
It was unclear when Hetfield's latest addiction issues emerged, and when he decided to seek help for them.
Fans have taken to Twitter to share their upset over the cancellation, while commending Hetfield for taking the time to recover.
"Hope he gets the help he needs and gets better soon. Papa Het does so much for us, he can take all the time he needs," one said.
A man whose 17-year-old son was going said he and his mates had booked flights and "the best tickets".
"They were all so looking forward to this."
The band's statement finished, saying they were "devastated" to have disappointed fans.
"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," it said.
Metallica's website still listed concerts for March next year, with a show booked in San Francisco, US, on March 28, 2020.
