Wattie Buchan, lead singer for the stalwart U.K. punk band the Exploited, is currently in a Belgian hospital due to what's being called a "very serious heart condition." The band is in the midst of a European tour with the Casualties and Code Red.

"Just to let you guys know that Wattie was taken to hospital yesterday in Belgium," the band wrote on its Facebook page. "He has a very serious heart condition and almost died. I saw him today and would like to thank the doctors who saved his life. Also he wanted to thank all the fans at last night's show and who turned up to support him and the band. Wattie would like us to continue the tour with out him. We will still be playing our set with guest vocalists from the Casualties and others. We want to thank everyone for their support for us and Wattie. I know it means a lot to him. We wish him a speedy recovery."

A little more than three years ago, Buchan suffered a heart attack while onstage in Portugal as part of the Resurrection Tour of Chaos with Hatebreed and Napalm Death. As a result, the band then canceled all of its dates for the next few months while he recovered.

Recognized by his trademark orange Mohawk, Buchan has fronted the Exploited since 1979, shortly after he left the British Army. The group became one of the bigger names in the oi! movement and are associated with anarchist views, starting with their 1981 debut, Punks Not Dead. To date, they've released eight full-length albums, with the most recent being 2002's F--- the System, with Buchan as its longest-serving member.

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