- Nov 1, 2012
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This just sucks:
Slayer made the news public on Thursday afternoon, announcing that the band "is devastated" and calling Hanneman, who was 49, their bandmate and brother. Twitter quickly filled with messages from fans and fellow musicians, many of whom were in Los Angeles for the 5th Annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards show at Club Nokia.
Hanneman has been off the road since early 2011, when he contracted necrotizing fasciitis -- most likely from a spider bite -- a quick-progressing disease that literally eats away at the flesh from deep layers of skin and tissue. Exodus' Gary Holt stood in for Hanneman starting in February of 2011, while Pat O'Brien joined the band when Holt returned to Exodus during 2011.
It's not known what role the disease played in Hanneman's liver failure.
Throughout the ordeal, Hanneman's bandmates expressed optimism that he would one day return to the group full-time. Bassist-singer Tom Araya told Billboard during last year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tour that Hanneman was "free of the disease" and was "working on his playing ability...He's working on strengthening his arm and his ability to play." He predicted that Slayer would "probably get together and start writing together and start making a new album," the group's first since 2009's "World Painted Blood," with Hanneman contributing material.
Slayer made the news public on Thursday afternoon, announcing that the band "is devastated" and calling Hanneman, who was 49, their bandmate and brother. Twitter quickly filled with messages from fans and fellow musicians, many of whom were in Los Angeles for the 5th Annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards show at Club Nokia.
Hanneman has been off the road since early 2011, when he contracted necrotizing fasciitis -- most likely from a spider bite -- a quick-progressing disease that literally eats away at the flesh from deep layers of skin and tissue. Exodus' Gary Holt stood in for Hanneman starting in February of 2011, while Pat O'Brien joined the band when Holt returned to Exodus during 2011.
It's not known what role the disease played in Hanneman's liver failure.
Throughout the ordeal, Hanneman's bandmates expressed optimism that he would one day return to the group full-time. Bassist-singer Tom Araya told Billboard during last year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tour that Hanneman was "free of the disease" and was "working on his playing ability...He's working on strengthening his arm and his ability to play." He predicted that Slayer would "probably get together and start writing together and start making a new album," the group's first since 2009's "World Painted Blood," with Hanneman contributing material.
