Slayer’s Jeff Hanneman withdraws from tour after contracting ‘flesh eating disease’


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Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman has been forced to withdraw from the band’s forthcoming world tour after contracting necrotizing fasciitis – a flesh eating disease – from a spider bite over a year ago.

“As you know, Jeff was bitten by a spider more than a year ago, but what you may not have known was that for a couple of days after he went to the ER, things were touch-and-go,” a message on the band’s official website reads.

“There was talk that he might have to have his arm amputated, and we didn’t know if he was going to pull through at all. He was in a medically-induced coma for a few days and had several operations to remove the dead and dying tissue from his arm. So, understand, he was in really, really bad shape. It’s been about a year since he got out of the hospital, and since then, he had to learn to walk again, he’s had several painful skin grafts, he’s been in rehab doing exercises to regain the strength in his arm; but best of all, he’s been playing guitar.”

“We were all excited when he joined us onstage for the encore a year ago at The Big Four show at Coachella. Since then, we’ve given him all the time and support he’s needed to continue his rehab so he can come back to the band fully recovered and able to deliver the kind of shows we all want him to.”

Exodus guitarist Gary Holt is to fill in for Hanneman during the tour, which will begin in London on May 25th. Should his recovery go well, Hanneman is expected to return to the band in time to record a new album later this year,


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  1. Kat 4 May, 2012