Mayhem Drummer Hellhammer to Miss Tour Due to Shoulder Infection, Fill-In Named

Mayhem drummer Hellhammer will unfortunately miss the band's co-headlining North American tour with Abbath, which is set to launch on March 13. He's currently battling what's being described as a "severe shoulder infection" and will be replaced by fill-in skinsman Tony Laureano.

The Norwegian black metal icons announced the news through social media, explaining that the infection was caused by osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease Hellhammer has been suffering from "for quite some time now."

"He has been working with a physiotherapist for the last couple of months in the hopes that he would be fully healed before the tour," the band continued, "but has ultimately been ordered to rest for some more weeks."

Laureano has, as Mayhem put it, "a prestigious track record," having been in the saddle as a live session drummer with acts such as Megadeth, Dimmu Borgir, 1349 and Belphegor in addition to having been a full-time member of Nile, Angelcorpse, Aurora Borealis and Acheron throughout various points of their respective careers.

Commenting on his absence, Hellhammer looked forward, exclaiming, “See y´all next time!”

The tour, which also features Gatecreeper and Idle Hands, will stretch from March 13 through April 10. Check below for the complete list of stops.

Mayhem, Abbath, Gatecreeper + Idle Hands Tour Dates

March 13 — Denver, Colo. @ The Ogden Theatre
March 14 — Salt Lake City, Utah @ The Complex
March 16 — Portland, Ore. @ Roseland Ballroom
March 17 — Seattle, Wash. @ Showbox Market
March 18 — Vancouver, British Columbia @ The Imperial
March 20 — San Francisco, Calif. @ The Regency Ballroom
March 21 — Santa Ana, Calif. @ The Observatory
March 22 — San Diego, Calif. @ The Observatory NP
March 24 — Phoenix, Ariz. @ The Pressroom
March 25 — Albuquerque, N.M. @ Sunshine Theater
March 27 — Austin, Texas @ Empire Garage
March 28 — Dallas, Texas @ Gas Monkey Live
March 29 — Houston, Texas @ White Oak Music Hall
March 31 — Tampa, Fla. @ The Ritz
April 01 — Atlanta, Ga. @ Masquerade
April 02 — Charlotte, N.C. @ The Underground
April 03 — Philadelphia, Pa @ The Fillmore (Decibel Metal & Beer Fest)
April 04 — New York, N.Y. @ Webster Hall
April 06 — Boston, Mass. @ The Paradise
April 07 — Montreal, Quebec @ Corona Theater
April 08 — Toronto, Ontario @ Danforth Music Hall
April 09 — Pittsburgh, Pa. @ Mr. Smalls
April 10 — Chicago, Ill. @ The Metro

See Mayhem in the Top 30 Black Metal Albums of All Time