Stabbing Westward had planned to be on tour this August and September, but singer Christopher Hall revealed that those dates will not be happening, and for a very significant reason. In a social media posting, Hall revealed that he’s been diagnosed with throat cancer and will be undergoing multiple surgeries alongside chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
Hall stated, “I’d like to apologize to everyone who made travel plans to see us in August and September. We’ve had to put those shows on hold while I deal with a serious health issue. I’ve been diagnosed with throat cancer. Prognosis is really good but it’s going to involve a couple of surgeries and 6-8 weeks of chemo and radiation. So unfortunately, I won’t be singing anytime soon. I’m hoping to be feeling more human by Halloween and have my voice back by Christmas. So again, sorry for the inconvenience.”
Stabbing Westward made their recording return at the top of 2020, issuing the Dead and Gone EP and following it later that year with a covers EP collection titled Hallowed Hymns. The band then hit the studio to record their first full-length album in 21 years, Chasing Ghosts, which arrived in March.
The band enjoyed their greatest success in the ’90s, among the leaders of the industrial rock scene thanks to their excellent 1994 debut Ungod, the breakout 1996 effort Wither Blister Burn & Peel and 1998’s Darkest Days. The band’s fourth release, a self-titled 2001 set, showed a change in direction and a bit of a fracture in the group after changing labels. The group eventually split, not reuniting until a 2016 30th anniversary celebration, and then officially deciding to move forward with reunion plans in 2019.
Loudwire sends our best wishes to Hall as he undergoes his treatment and hopes for a healthy recovery.