HATEBREED guitarist WAYNE LOZINAK is “getting better every day” after undergoing operation to remove benign brain tumor
12-08-2025
HATEBREED guitarist Wayne Lozinak says that he is “getting better every day”, a week after he underwent an operation to remove a benign brain tumor.
On Sunday (August 10), Lozinak took to his Instagram to write: “Hello everyone! I’m finally home. Last week was rough! But I’m getting better every day. Gonna be a while before I get fully recovered, but it’s going good!
“I want to thank you all for all the messages. I didn’t have my phone in the hospital, so that’s why I didn’t respond. Just started to look over them today. I really appreciate it! Made me feel good!
“I also want to thank @katnacario!!! She stayed with me in the room all week, and contacted people to let them know what was going on. She is the greatest! I love You!
“My surgical team was great! Big thanks to @kims.living.life for getting me the best care, and checking on me every day!
“Thanks again, for all the messages! Onward & upward!”
On August 4, Wayne underwent a craniotomy — a surgical procedure that involves opening the skull to access the brain.
When Lozinak‘s brain tumor diagnosis was first announced on June 17, HATEBREED wrote in a statement: “On the night of June 14th, while at Download Festival, Wayne began experiencing mild symptoms that raised concerns of a possible stroke. Out of an abundance of caution, he sought medical attention the following day upon arriving in Lille, France. After undergoing a CT scan at the ER, doctors discovered a brain tumor, leading to his immediate admission for further testing.
“Following a thorough 24-hour evaluation, including an MRI, it was determined that the tumor is a benign meningioma — a slow-growing mass that has likely been present for years. We are immensely relieved that Wayne‘s diagnosis is the best possible outcome given the circumstances.”
Founding HATEBREED bassist Chris Beattie has confirmed his departure from the band earlier this year.
The 49-year-old musician, who has been pursuing a career in real estate, addressed his status with HATEBREED just days after the group announced SHADOWS FALL guitarist Matt Bachand would play bass for the Connecticut-based hardcore/metal act “for the foreseeable future.”
Yesterday, Beattie shared the following statement on his Instagram: “I just want to take the time to let everyone know that I am doing just fine and I sincerely appreciate everyone who has reached out.
“I was under the impression a joint announcement would be agreed upon in advance, but since that was not the case I wanted to address your concerns in my own post.
“At this time I am unable to discuss the specifics surrounding my departure from HATEBREED on November 13, 2024. However, I want to clarify that the decision to leave the band was not mine and that my departure was uncalled for and based on misleading and wrongful statements that will be subject to future actions.”
HATEBREED celebrated its 30th anniversary with a North American tour last fall. The trek kicked off on September 26, 2024 in Portland, Maine and concluded on October 27, 2024 in Norfolk, Virginia. Support on the tour came from CARCASS, HARMS WAY and CRYPTA.
With dozens of pit-stirring anthems across their eight catalog albums, HATEBREED celebrated three decades of ruthless breakdowns and consistently sold-out shows the world over. Over the course of their career, the band has gone from playing basements and backyards to being a featured, must-see attraction on countless festivals like Graspop Metal Meeting, Ozzfest, Warped and Download alongside massive high-profile tours.
Recently described by Forbes as “more relevant than ever in the metal and hardcore community,” HATEBREED remains one of the most definitive live acts in music today and recently celebrated a milestone with their track “Looking Down The Barrel Of Today”, which surpassed 75 million global streams on Spotify alone while generating over 600,000 global equivalents across all digital service providers, making it their single biggest career streaming track of the modern era. To date, HATEBREED has sold over 1.5 million albums in North America alone.
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