Hatebreed guitarist diagnosed with brain tumour amidst European tour

Hatebreed guitarist Wayne Lozinak has been diagnosed with a brain tumour amidst the band’s ongoing European tour.

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The metal band took to social media on Tuesday (June 17) to break the news, sharing that Lozinak began “experiencing mild symptoms that raised concerns of a possible stroke” while performing at Download Festival on Saturday (June 14).

After arriving in France the following day, he underwent a CT scan, where doctors “discovered a brain tumour, leading to his immediate admission for further testing.” The tumour has been classified as a non-cancerous, benign meningioma, “a slow-growing mass that has likely been present for years.”

Hatebreed added that while they’re “immensely relieved that Wayne’s diagnosis is the best possible outcome given the circumstances”, the guitarist has returned home to the US to prepare for emergency surgery.

The rest of the band will be proceeding with their ongoing European and UK tour, with touring bassist Matt Bachand stepping up to replace him on guitar. Meanwhile, Karl from First Blood will be stepping in to take over bass duties.

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A post shared by Hatebreed (@hatebreedofficial)

The band are currently touring Europe for a mix of festival performances and headline shows, and will hit the UK for a string of shows with Slayer and more in Cardiff and London on July 3 and July 6 respectively.

Hatebreed are slated to return to the region later this year, where they’ll support Killswitch Engage in October for a string of UK and Ireland dates. It is currently unknown if Wayne Lozinak will be able to recover and join Hatebreed for the Killswitch Engage shows.

See the full list of Hatebreed’s UK supporting dates below.

October 2025
08 – Wolverhampton, UK @ Civic Hall
09 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Academy
11 – Newcastle, UK @ Nx
12 – Cardiff, UK @ Depot
13 – Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy Leeds
15 – Glasgow, UK @ O2 Academy
17 – London, UK @ Ovo Wembley Arena
19 –  Belfast, UK @ Telegraph Building
20 – Dublin, Ireland @ National Stadium

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