Dez Fafara has revealed that he’s been quietly living with a brain tumor for nearly two years. The DevilDriver and Coal Chamber frontman shared the diagnosis on the Garza Podcast, hosted by Suicide Silence guitarist Chris Garza, confirming the tumor is non-cancerous — but that surgeons can’t safely remove it yet, because operating on it right now could cost him his speech. The strangest part of the story: it’s been shrinking on its own, and his doctors don’t entirely know why.
STREAM THE METAL BREAKDOWN DAILY NOW:
A brain tumor, a blackout that may have saved his life, and the best-reviewed DevilDriver record in 15 years — all happening at the same time. Scott Penfold breaks down Dez Fafara’s health revelation and what it means for the August tour on today’s Metal Breakdown Daily. Download the free Loaded Radio App on Apple iOS and Google Play and take the show with you.
Two Years Of Saying Nothing
Here’s what makes this land the way it does: Dez has been carrying this since roughly late 2024, and most of us had no idea.
Speaking with Chris Garza, the 60-year-old frontman explained that doctors found a tumor in his head somewhere between one and two years ago. He goes back for scans every six months. And the reason they haven’t operated isn’t cost, insurance, or scheduling — it’s that the tumor is sitting somewhere genuinely dangerous. In his words, it actually has to grow a little before it’s safe to go in, because removing it now could leave him without his speech, among other things.
Sit with that for a second. A vocalist. Being told the safest thing to do is wait for the thing in his head to get bigger.
The one piece of unambiguously good news, and it’s a big one: it’s benign. Dez said he got emotional when they told him, and that once benign was confirmed, his mindset flipped almost immediately into fight mode — okay, we can beat this. That’s about as Dez Fafara a reaction as it gets.
LIVE & LOUD: Stream the World’s Hardest Radio Station 24/7
The Blackout That Found It
The origin story here is the part that’ll stick with you.
Back in 2024, Dez had a blackout at home and was left with vertigo severe enough that Coal Chamber had to pull the plug on their entire “Fiend For The Fans” tour while he prioritized his health. At the time, the story read like a rough break for a band with momentum. Fans were disappointed. Dez asked for patience. Everyone moved on.
Turns out that cancellation was the luckiest thing that ever happened to him.
It was the treatment for the vertigo that led doctors to the tumor in the first place. Dez put it plainly: if he’d never had the vertigo, he might not have found out about the tumor until it was too late. Doctors also told him the vertigo itself won’t return — his body won’t allow it to happen twice.
One health crisis uncovering a much bigger one, early enough to matter. Metal fans are a superstitious bunch by nature, and honestly? Hard to blame anyone for reading something into that.
The Shrinking, And What We Should Say About It
Now the part that requires a little care.
The tumor has been getting smaller on its own, which genuinely surprised his physicians. Dez attributes that to prayer and intermittent fasting, and he’s adamant that he’s going to make it disappear entirely — through diet, fasting and positive thinking — before anyone gets a chance to operate. His next scan is early next year, and as far as he’s concerned, it’s going away. Period.
We’re going to report that the way Metal Hammer did, because it matters. The Brain Tumour Charity states there’s no medical evidence that any specific diet can treat a brain tumor — though a balanced diet does help you keep your strength up, lower infection risk and recover better from treatment. So take the fasting talk as one man’s mindset and faith, not as a treatment plan.
But here’s the thing nobody can argue with: the tumor is shrinking, he’s under real medical supervision with scans every six months, and he’s approaching a terrifying situation with the kind of ferocity that’s defined his entire career. Whatever’s driving it — we’re just glad it’s happening.
And He Never Stopped Working
The kicker to all of this? He’s been doing his best work in years while carrying it.
DevilDriver released their eleventh album, Strike And Kill, on July 10 via Napalm Records — a record that brought founding bassist Jon Miller back into the fold and swung hard back toward the band’s California groove roots. Metal Hammer gave it an 8 out of 10 and called it the best thing to carry the DevilDriver name in more than 15 years. When Dez announced it back in April, he said his headspace hadn’t changed, that he hadn’t gone soft in his view of the world or in his music.
We now know exactly what he was carrying when he said it.
And he isn’t slowing down. The band’s North American headlining tour kicks off in August. This is a guy who has been open with us before about the physical and emotional toll of this career, who has fronted two genre-defining bands across four decades, and who still turns Coal Chamber sets into an event whenever they play.
Sixty years old. Tumor in his head. Career-best reviews. Getting back on the road anyway.
Strength to Dez, his family and everyone around him. Go buy the record, and if that tour comes near you — go be loud for him.
TL;DR
- Dez Fafara revealed on the Garza Podcast that doctors found a brain tumor almost two years ago.
- The tumor is non-cancerous, but surgeons can’t safely remove it yet — operating now could cost him his speech, so it has to grow first. He has scans every six months.
- The tumor has been shrinking on its own, surprising his doctors; Dez credits prayer and intermittent fasting, though the Brain Tumour Charity notes there’s no medical evidence any diet treats brain tumors.
- It was discovered through treatment for the vertigo that followed a 2024 blackout — the same health crisis that forced Coal Chamber to cancel their “Fiend For The Fans” tour.
- DevilDriver released their 11th album Strike And Kill on July 10 via Napalm Records to career-best reviews, with a North American headlining tour starting in August.
FAQ
Does Dez Fafara have cancer?
No. Fafara has stated that the brain tumor doctors found is non-cancerous, or benign.
Why can’t doctors remove Dez Fafara’s brain tumor?
According to Fafara, the tumor is located in a position that makes surgery too dangerous right now — operating could result in the loss of his speech and other complications. Doctors have told him it needs to grow before removal can be attempted safely, and he undergoes scans every six months.
How was the tumor discovered?
Fafara suffered a blackout at home in 2024 that left him with severe vertigo, forcing Coal Chamber to cancel a tour. It was during treatment for the vertigo that doctors discovered the tumor. Fafara has said that without the vertigo, he might not have found out until much later.
Is Dez Fafara still touring?
Yes. DevilDriver’s North American headlining tour begins in August 2026, following the July 10 release of the band’s eleventh studio album, Strike And Kill, via Napalm Records.
Can fasting or diet shrink a brain tumor?
Fafara has credited prayer and intermittent fasting for his tumor shrinking. However, The Brain Tumour Charity states there is no medical evidence that any specific diet can treat a brain tumor, though a balanced diet can help maintain strength, lower infection risk and support recovery from treatment. Anyone facing a diagnosis should follow the guidance of their own medical team.
Send Dez some strength, metal family — drop a message for him in the comments, and if you’ve got a favorite DevilDriver or Coal Chamber record, name it while you’re there. Follow Loaded Radio for daily rock and metal news.
The post DevilDriver’s Dez Fafara Reveals He’s Been Living With A Brain Tumor For Nearly Two Years appeared first on Loaded Radio.
After weeks of hacking through uncharted wilderness, you break through the brush and into a large clearing. Ruins of long-abandoned homes and shops line the main drag. You walk down what was once a bustling Main Street, which eventually leads to a large and overgrown village green. In the center stands a modest and surprisingly intact…church? Sepulcher? Town hall? You’re unsure, but at least you know you didn’t pay for a wild goose chase. A suspiciously knowledgeable drunk in a nameless bar told you about a building in a long-forgotten town in what would—in a different universe—become Warsaw, Poland. Built by the trio Torpor, the halls beneath this temple promise mystery, danger, ancient power, and above all, treasure. So, intrepid adventurer, do you have what it takes to brave this Đungeon Đescent?
