PRIMAL FEAR bassist and founding member Mat Sinner will miss the band's upcoming tour dates in South America after suffering a serious leg injury during the band's concert in London in early March. GAMMA RAY bassist Dirk Schlächter will fill in for the shows in Argentina and Brazil.
The band issued the following statement: "Sadly we have to tell you that Mat won't be able to join the band on the forthcoming shows in Argentina and Brazil. Mat lost a fight against a drumriser in London and slashed his right leg in a very evil way. After some more shows, doctors in Norway planned surgery on his leg because the infection had already reached a dangerous level. Mat is now at home and needs to recover for another 3–4 weeks to avoid any operation. Doctors say it would be a huge risk to sit in a plane for 15 hours — health comes first."
The band added: "This wasn't an easy decision. We know many of you were looking forward to seeing us together on stage, and Mat is truly sorry for any disappointment this may cause. We promise to give 200% on the shows."
Sinner is no stranger to serious health setbacks — he reportedly suffered a severe adverse reaction to vaccination in 2021 that required eight months of hospital treatment, which caused PRIMAL FEAR to cancel all planned shows for 2021 and 2022.
The band's most recent album, Domination, was released last September via Reigning Phoenix Music and debuted in the German Top 10. PRIMAL FEAR's current touring lineup includes guitarists Thalìa Bellazecca (ex-FROZEN CROWN), Magnus Karlsson, and drummer André Hilgers.