Slayer Cancel Canadian Tour With Megadeth

In a rather unexpected move, Slayer have announced the postponement of their upcoming Canadian Carnage Tour with Megadeth, which was scheduled to begin on Nov. 8. Furthermore, the band has been forced to postpone its appearance on ABC's 'Jimmy Kimmel Live,' which had been set for this Nov. 4.

Slayer made the announcement in a press release Monday, saying they regretted the postponements, and promised that more information would be released shortly regarding the rescheduling of the Canadian dates and the 'Kimmel' appearance.

The cause for the deferments? Frontman Tom Araya is currently under the care of a specialist for a back injury doctors think may be related to his onstage activities. He's been ordered to undergo an immediate surgical procedure to repair the problem. Araya goes under the knife in Texas Tuesday morning.

"What is foremost in our minds right now is that Tom do whatever he needs to to get this taken care of," says Slayer's Kerry King. "While all four of us are disappointed that we won't be able to see through all of our commitments set for the next few weeks, the most important thing is Tom's health. We thank the fans in Canada and here in L.A., the Megadeth camp, and everyone associated with 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' for their understanding. We look forward to seeing you all soon."

Despite the shakeup in the Slayer camp, King, Jeff Hanneman and Dave Lombardo will still meet with fans at a previously announced in-store appearance on Nov. 4 at 3:30 PM at the Hot Topic store at the Hollywood and Highland complex.

Slayer's new LP, 'World Painted Blood,' hits stores tomorrow.

In 2006, Araya underwent gall bladder surgery, which forced the band to adjust its schedule for the Unholy Alliance Tour; it was to kick off June 6 and was pushed back to June 13. The procedure also prevented Araya from finishing vocals for a song entitled 'Final Six,' which didn't end up making 'Christ Illusion' but was later released as part of the album's special edition package.