Hiatus

Hiatus is a band from Liège, Belgium that built a name on loud, distorted crust and hardcore, packed onto vinyl and taken on long tours. Their history moves from scrappy rehearsal tapes to international runs, a breakup in the 1990s, and later reunions that brought the noise back.

How The Band Got Started

Hiatus formed in May 1989. The first lineup featured Phill, Ben, Raf, and Phil, who were inspired by the heavy, politically charged sound of groups like Doom, Discharge, and Extreme Noise Terror. Rather than waiting for perfect conditions, they started by recording rehearsal demos that captured their rough early sound.

The first tape, titled The Frightening Men Story, arrived soon after the band formed. In May 1990, they recorded a second rehearsal demo called In My Mind. Around this time, Wills joined the group on bass, solidifying a lineup that could handle touring and studio work.

Tours, Splits, And LPs In The 1990s

After the rehearsal tapes, Hiatus moved into proper studio sessions. They recorded songs that would appear on two 7-inch records and several compilations. Their first 7-inch, I Don’t Scare Easily But…, was released on the French label Urban Alert Records and later re-pressed by Nabate/Mother Peace Records.

A split 7-inch with Japanese band RMR, titled Severe Existence, followed on MCR Co. Lineup changes came with this activity. Phill and Raf left, and Azill joined on guitar and vocals. For a short time Vrokker and Leffe from Chronic Disease also took turns on vocals.

In August 1991, Hiatus toured the United States and Canada with The Wurst from Rhode Island, sharing bills with bands such as Rorschach and Born Against. That same year they recorded another studio session which produced the Way Of Doom 7-inch and the Hiatus/Embittered split 7-inch, both released in 1992.

Touring remained a priority. In February 1992, Hiatus toured Europe with Swedish band No Security, and later that year they toured the UK with Mushroom Attack from the Netherlands. Their first LP, From Resignation… To Revolt, came out in 1993 on Sound Pollution, backed by tours across Europe and Eastern Europe. They played dates in Sweden, France, Spain, and Luxembourg, often working with local collectives and bands to string the shows together.

In early 1994, the split 7-inch with Doom arrived. The band recorded the LP El sueño de la razón produce monstruos in February 1995 and returned to the United States and Canada for another tour in June of that year. A self-titled mini LP, often called “the brain,” followed in 1996 on Skuld Releases and Profane Existence. The newer songs showed a step forward, adding elements of modern hardcore to their crust-driven base.

Hiatus split up in 1997 after this intense stretch of writing, recording, and touring.

Reunions And Later Activity

Members of Hiatus stayed active in related projects after the breakup. Azill and Willy played in Unhinged, which released a 7-inch and an LP on Nabate, and also in Skewwhiff, whose LP Taedium Vitae came out on Life Is Abuse and Trujaca Fala.

In 2009, twelve years after the split, Willy, Phil, Ben, and Azill reunited for three shows in Liège, Lille, and London with Chris from Health Hazard and Doom on bass. After those dates the band went quiet again, but the story was not over.

Hiatus reunited once more in 2019, this time with Sam (from Werly and Suitside vs Vedaplight) on bass. They returned to live activity and began recording new material, working on an album at the beginning of 2022. This later chapter showed that the band’s interest in loud, political music had not faded with time.

Members

Final line-up:

• Willy “Wills” – lead vocals (1990–1997, 2009–2024).
• Azill – guitar (1990–1997, 2009–present).
• Phil – guitar (1989–1997, 2009–present).
• Ben – drums (1989–1997, 2009–present).
• Sam – bass (2019–present).

Past members:

• Fred (“alabas”) – bass (1992–1994).
• Chris Gascoigne – bass (1994 and 2009).
• Phill – vocals, guitar (1989–1990).
• Raf – vocals, bass (1989–1990).
• Jonas – bass (1994–1997).
• Vrokker – lead vocals (1990).
• Leffe – lead vocals (1990).
• Hannes – drums (1997).

Discography

Albums:

• From Resignation… To Revolt (1993).
• El sueño de la razón produce monstruos (1995).
• Old-fashioned Shit for Consumers (1995).
• The Brain (mini album, 1996).

EPs:

• Hiatus (1990).
• I Don’t Scare Easily But… (1991).
• Way Of Doom (1991).

Splits:

• Severe Existence – split with RMR (1990).
• Blind Justice For All – split with Embittered (1992).
• Split with Fleas And Lice (1992).
• Split with Doom (1994).
• Split with Subcaos (1994).

Compilations:

• They Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet (1991).
• Walk Across America (1992).
• Machination World (1993).
• Sons Of Bleeuargh 2 (1993).
• Die Human Race (1996).

Live albums:

• Hiatus / Sauna / Svart Snö – Live in Copenhagen (1992).

Demos:

• The Frightening Men Story (1989).
• In My Mind (1990).