James Hetfield heads to rehab, Metallica cancels Australian tour

Sept. 28 (UPI) -- Heavy metal band Metallica canceled its planned tour of Australia and New Zealand so vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield can address his addiction issues in rehab.

"We are truly sorry to inform our fans and friends that we must postpone our upcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand," the musicians tweeted Friday.

"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 message continued.

"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 added.

The group also was announced Friday as part of the lineup for the 2020 Global Goal Live music event next September, which will celebrate people working to eradicate poverty around the world.