DevilDriver and Coal Chamber singer Dez Fafara has a brain tumour.
The 60-year-old makes the revelation on the new episode of the Garza Podcast, hosted by Suicide Silence guitarist Chris Garza, saying that doctors discovered it “almost two years” ago and that it has to grow before it can be removed.
He adds that the tumour is non-cancerous and that it has been shrinking on its own, to the surprise of his physicians.
“I would say, over a year, maybe almost two years now, we’ve been dealing with a situation where they found a tumour in my head,” Fafara says (via Blabbermouth).
“So, they want me back in every six months. It’s gotta actually grow a little bit to be safe to go in [and operate], ’cause it’s very unsafe. If they go to get it now, I could lose speech and a lot of other stuff.”
He admits that he was “fucking emotional” when he got the diagnosis and found out it’s benign: “Cool. We can beat this fucking thing! And next thing we know, a lot of doctor’s appointments and shit, and that’s what put me on hold for a year and a half.”
The groove metal frontman attributes the tumour’s shrinkage to “prayer” and intermittent fasting, and he insists that he’ll make it go away himself before doctors have a chance to operate.
“I’m personally gonna make it go away with dieting, fasting and positive thought. It’s gonna go away. So the next time I go in is February or March, I think. And it’s gonna shrink more. It’s gonna go away. Period, end of story.”
The Brain Tumour Charity says that there is no medical evidence of specific diets being able to treat brain tumours. However, a balanced diet “can help you keep your strength and energy up, lower your risk of infection and help you recover well from treatment”.
In 2024, Fafara suffered a blackout at home and was left with vertigo that forced him to cancel a Coal Chamber tour. He tells Garza that doctors have assured him his vertigo will never return. His treatment for the condition led to the discovery of the tumour.
“The doctor’s like, ‘With this [vertigo], you only have that once. Your body won’t allow that to happen,’ which is odd, but true,” he explains. “And that’s another thing: if I never had the vertigo, I would never find out I had the tumour until it was maybe too late.”
Fafara remains committed to DevilDriver’s upcoming tour schedule, including a headlining North American tour which kicks off in August. The band released their 11th album, Strike And Kill, to positive reviews earlier this month. Metal Hammer awarded it eight out of 10 and called it “the best thing to bear the DevilDriver logo in more than 15 years”.