DevilDriver and Coal Chamber frontman Dez Fafara has revealed he’s been quietly battling a non cancerous tumour for almost two years, opening up publicly about the health scare for the first time.
Speaking on The Garza Podcast, Fafara detailed the series of events that began with a sudden blackout and severe vertigo in late 2024, an incident that ultimately led doctors to discover the tumour during emergency scans:
“You don’t wanna say this stuff before you book tours or before you’re doing deals or before you’re going out. But for, I would say, over a year, maybe almost two years now, we’ve been dealing with a situation where they found a tumor in my head,” Fafara revealed.
Thankfully, further testing confirmed the tumour was non cancerous, though doctors continue to monitor it every six months, due to its location near his jawline and salivary gland, surgery currently carries significant risks, including the potential to affect his speech, facial movement and blinking.
Locked in
Rather than dwelling on the diagnosis, Fafara remains determined to tackle it on his own terms through healthy eating, intermittent fasting and maintaining a positive mindset:
“I’m of the mindset… that I’m gonna make it go away,” he said. “I’m personally gonna make it go away with dieting, fasting and positive thought. It’s gonna go away.”
The vocalist also revealed that recent scans have shown the tumour has actually become slightly smaller, something his doctors admitted they rarely see (per Blabbermouth).
The news provides fresh context for the health struggles that forced Coal Chamber to postpone and eventually cancel several tours over the past two years. Fafara has previously spoken openly about his difficult recovery from COVID-19, which also impacted his ability to perform in recent years.
Despite everything, the metal veteran made it clear fans shouldn’t expect him to disappear from the stage anytime soon:
“I wanted to share that with you because I haven’t shared anything [with anyone]. I think people need to know.”
He also reassured fans that touring remains a priority:
“But no, I’m not gonna cancel tours. I’m showing up in Australia [this summer]. I’m showing up in August. Nothing’s gonna stop that.”
Australian fans recently saw that determination firsthand when DevilDriver completed their co-headline tour with Cradle Of Filth earlier this month, speaking with us ahead of those shows, Fafara reflected on more than three decades in heavy music, touring life, Australian slang and the excitement surrounding Strike And Kill, which was released earlier this month.
With new music now out, a North American tour about to begin and his trademark optimism intact, Fafara is refusing to let the diagnosis define him, choosing instead to focus on recovery, the road ahead and doing what he loves most.
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