Polish black metal titans BEHEMOTH have been forced to cancel their upcoming appearance on the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, due to their drummer Inferno taking ill and requiring surgery.

The band’s frontman Nergal comments: "This must have been the most difficult decision we were forced to make in recent years. Behemoth is known for not canceling any shows or tours. But this is not something we can do when we are missing our driving force, the man behind the drums - Inferno. Unfortunately, he was hospitalized due to appendix surgery and it's gonna take him few months to fully recover and get back to shape. We are trying to save selected European Festivals with a fill in drummer (Krimh, ex-DECAPITATED), but we won't be risking doing a full-on prestigious tour like the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival without Inferno. Behemoth is a solid unit and any part of this unit missing makes us weaker, and that is not how we want to present our new material to our fans. Please, accept our apologies and be patient, we shall return to Europe (this fall) and US (early 2014) empowered and motivated as never before!"

The Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival is set to kick off on Saturday, June 29th in San Bernardino, CA and features bands such as ROB ZOMBIE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, MASTODON, AMON AMARTH, MACHINE HEAD, JOB FOR A COWBOY, BATTLECROSS, CHILDREN OF BODOM, and many more.

Behemoth have been holed up in Hertz Studios working on their tenth full-length album, which will be titled The Satanist, and is scheduled to be released in the fall of 2013 via Metal Blade.

"It took us over two decades to come up with a title that…says it all. While our new songs artistically take surprisingly adventurous directions, our message stands steadfast—Proud and Radical. The Satanist stands for undying yearning for liberation and love for freedom in all aspects of life. Considering all our life experiences that often took dramatic curves, I couldn't think of a more appropriate and fitting statement of who and where we are now," comments Behemoth frontman Nergal.

In live news, catch Behemoth at the following shows:

June

4 - Warsaw, Poland - Impact Festival
8 - Amneville, France - Sonisphere
15 - Bergen, Norway - Bergenfest
21 - Graz, Austria - Seerock Festival

August

9 - Gävle, Sweden - Getaway Rock
10 - Jeromer, Czech Republic - Brutal Assault