HATEBREED's WAYNE LOZINAK Opens Up About His Brain Surgery: 'I Couldn't Talk' And 'I Couldn't Write'

In a new interview with The Mike James Rock Show, HATEBREED guitarist Wayne Lozinak offered an update on his health, more than two months after he underwent an operation to remove a benign brain tumor. Regarding how he was initially diagnosed with the tumor, Wayne said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): " I had symptoms at [the U.K.'s] Download festival [in June]. I went to the doctor in France the next day. It was weird — my lip got numb, and I was, like, 'That's kind of weird.' But then I couldn't talk. It was almost like I was having a stroke. So then we had a day off in France the next day. I was fine the next day, but I was, like, 'Let me go see the doctor.' My girlfriend actually told me… I was, like, 'I'm fine.' She's, like, 'You'd better go or I'm gonna come out there.' I was, like, 'All right. All right. I'll go. I'll go.' And then I got the scan and they saw a big tumor. I had to stay overnight. Then they did the MRI and then they finally said it was benign. [There was] no cancer, which was good, but it was big. And they said it's probably been there for years, the doctor said. And they were, like, 'It's not an emergency, but get it done within the next three months.' So I went back to the U.S., made an appointment with a surgeon. I got it taken out, and now I'm here [back on tour with HATEBREED]."

Regarding his recovery, Wayne said: "I got the surgery August 4th… I couldn't even talk when they first took [the tumor] out. 'Cause it was in my speech center, so I actually had a mild stroke when they took it out. So I couldn't talk, I couldn't write. It was almost like I just forgot how to speak. So I needed speech therapist, all this stuff."

Asked if it was challenging relearning how to play guitar after his surgery, Wayne said: "I was in the hospital for five days, something like that. So I was just in bed. When I got home, it was slow. When I first got home, I picked it up. That was one of the first things I did. I was, like, 'All right, I know the chords.' And then as time went on, then I was fine."

He continued: "They said I should probably be doing normal things withing four to eight weeks. And then I was, like, 'Well, can I go on tour?' And they were asking me questions and doing tests. They were just, like, 'Don't headbang too crazy.' That my one thing. I'm, like, 'I'll try not to.' It's hard, but, yeah, that was about it. But I'm pretty good now, so I'm happy. The brain had to relearn after the disruption."

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."

In the meantime, HATEBREED continued its European and American tours, with touring bassist Matt Bachand stepping in on guitar, and Carl Schwartz of FIRST BLOOD and TERROR joining the group on bass duties.

Lozinak has been a key part of HATEBREED's sound since rejoining the band in 2009.

In July, HATEBREED released the official lyric video for its first new single in nearly five years, "Make The Demons Obey". The track is the first taste of new HATEBREED material after the group's "Weight Of The False Self" album which came out in 2020.

This past April, HATEBREED announced it was resurrecting the beloved and annual "Summer Slaughter" tour for 2025, which kicked off on July 8 in St. Petersburg, Florida and ran through July 28 in Grand Rapids. Support for this year's run included FUGITIVE, GRIDIRON, INCITE, ESCUELA GRIND and SNUFFED ON SIGHT on select dates.