Hiatus Realm of Nightmares 12″
Damn, this is a difficult one to review. I have loved HIATUS since I first heard them in the early ’00s (a time when they were inactive), and as a result, looking at this new album objectively and critically is no easy task, a bit like when an old mate asks if you like his new haircut. Tricky, indeed. This is also the first HIATUS record without Wills who sadly passed away in 2024, so it cannot have been easy for the band to keep going and writing new songs without their charismatic singer. I have to confess that I could not get into their 2023 LP Out of Hand, which I felt a little bad, if not guilty, about, and when I got assigned their new record for review, I felt almost nervous. Well, I think it really holds its own. The sound is powerful, the songs are solid, and it definitely packs a good crusty punch. If you were to draw comparisons with the band’s older body of work, Realm of Nightmare would sit well between El Sueño and The Brain (basically, the mid-’90s). You will get some all-out crustcore attacks, but also mid-paced, heavy hardcore punk numbers with the trademark HIATUS style: inventive, thrashing riffs and clever songwriting to hook the listener without giving up on the intensity and the energy. I mean, the band basically invented Eurocrust, so they know what they are doing (and drinking). I can hear hints of CELTIC FROST in the vocals, now handled by guitar player Azill and bass player Paskk. The one criticism that I have is that the album is quite short and I would have enjoyed two or three more songs, but one cannot have everything. By the way, if HIATUS ever plays in your town, do yourself a favour and go—they are one of the best live bands I have ever seen.
