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London metal fans are feeling the pain at the news Slayer bassist and vocalist Tom Araya is to undergo back surgery.
The official p-word -- for postponement -- had not been received at the John Labatt Centre late yesterday.
But Araya's surgery at the end of this month and weeks of recovery mean Slayer's Feb. 18 date at the downtown London arena will be put off. So will other stops on the tour with fellow stars Megadeth.
"This sucks. I was really looking forward to seeing Slayer in concert again," one fan called Annie commented on an lfpress.com blog. "Tom, I'm hoping for your quick recovery."
Annie is not alone. Other fans joined in to share the metal love.
Nobody in London knows Slayer better than London metal band Thine Eyes Bleed, who toured with the California thrash metalmasters and shared the stage with them here in 2007.
Thine Eyes Bleed's bassist is the Slayer star's brother, Johnny Araya. Yesterday, he was in touch with the band's lead singer Justin Wolfe while travelling in the U.S. en route to London. "Just trying to stay positive and not psych himself out," Wolfe said, in reporting Johnny Araya's report on his brother's pre-op state of mind.
Surgery for a herniated disc is expected this month. Following many weeks of complete rest, Tom Araya looks to be up and rockin' in June. Araya's days with Slayer go back to the California band's founding in the early 1980s. The metal monsters have been on and off the road for decades, winning two Grammys and up for another one on Jan. 31.
Araya's back problems became serious in 2009. While treatment has helped, he is still dealing with severe pain, numbness and muscle spasms. Finally, it has become time to take the road warrior off the road. A media release said Araya will undergo "cervical discectomy with fusion . . . a relatively routine practice and recovery rate is excellent."
The release said Slayer's dates with Megadeth and Testament were off and urged ticket-holders to "sit tight" while negotiations for new dates took place. The John Labatt Centre is also waiting to hear full details, before announcing what's up with the London date.
Wolfe, Johnny Araya and other members of Thine Eyes Bleed will have to sit tight, too, waiting to see when they'll be able to party with Slayer.
Nite Owl, a new upscale rock lounge at 353 Talbot St., would be a prime spot. Near the John Labatt Centre, Nite Owl is co-owned by Wolfe and his brother, Gregg Wolfe.
"I was actually hoping to do the Slayer after-party. These things happen, unfortunately," the London rocker said.
Tom Araya will take the time to heal properly and then rock once more, Wolfe said. "You know he'll be the first one on stage as soon as he can (go)."
When Slayer does return, Thine Eyes Bleed will have been recording with an old ally, Goderich-based Siegfried Meier.
It will be a fresh start for the London band after industry issues and personal losses. In recent years, Thine Eyes Bleed broke up with its label. The band is also recovering from the death in 2008 of David Lander, its mentor and also manager of London metal stars Kittie.
The Arayas' sister, a friend of Thine Eyes Bleed and often their host in California, died recently after battling cancer.
Wolfe is engaged to Kittie's Morgan Lander, one of two daughters of David Lander.
"It's true. We've been together for eight or nine years," Wolfe said. (Kittie, touring Europe, is bound for a gig in Italy today).
Thine Eyes Bleed emerged in 2002. Wolfe went to South secondary school and drummer Darryl Stephens to Saunders. Johnny Araya arrived about 4 1/2 years ago. Also in the lineup are guitarists Jeff Phillips, a former Kittie member who grew up in Simcoe, and new arrival, Nigel Curley. a younger force on the London death metal scene.
Wolfe has been active with a reunited Acacia, a London band that predates Thine Eyes Bleed.
Later, there should be time to re-connect with Slayer, the metal icons who took the Londoners along for a tour of the U.S. and Europe.
Right now, Slayer is on hold.
"As unfortunate as this is for so many people -- the Megadeth and Testament camps, the concerts' promoters, and, of course, the fans -- Tom's health is the No. 1 priority, and this has to happen," Slayer's manager Rick Sales said.
Let the healing begin.