UNISON SQUARE GARDEN has announced that drummer Takao Suzuki will leave the band following their July 15 concert 'Sentimental Period' at Makuhari Messe in Chiba. With his departure, the band will end activities under its current three-member lineup and enter hiatus.

In a statement posted on the band's official website, the management thanked fans for supporting the trio throughout their 22-year run and asked for their continued support of the members.

Vocalist and guitarist Kosuke Saito also addressed the news, saying the band had spent the past several years searching for a way to continue as a three-piece. He explained that the values of bassist Tomoya Tabuchi, who remained committed to the band's ideals, and Suzuki, who sought to pursue his own individual expression, had gradually moved in different directions.

UNISON SQUARE GARDEN formed in 2004 and made their major debut in 2008 with "Sentimental Period." The band is known for songs including "Sugar Song to Bitter Step," the ending theme for the anime 'Blood Blockade Battlefront.'