Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Akron, Ohio instrumental post-rock outfit If These Trees Could Talk return with their fourth full-length, “The Hidden Hand,” landing July 10, 2026 via Metal Blade Records. The record marks the band’s first album in a decade, following 2016’s “The Bones of a Dying World.”
Alongside the announcement, the group has shared the first single, “Blurry Creatures,” now streaming with an accompanying visualizer. The new album spans nine tracks and arrives after years of anticipation from longtime fans.
The release also follows 2024’s standalone single “Trail of Whispering Giants,” which broke an eight-year recording silence and signaled the band’s return to active output. Co-founder Zack Kelly, who started the project with his brother Cody Kelly back in 2005, described the album as a deeply personal release shaped by a long and uneven creative process. He noted that the writing took longer than planned, but the goal remained the same throughout: to make music carrying real emotional weight.
Kelly added that the band aims to keep its core sound intact while still allowing room for evolution. He also explained how the trio of guitars functions almost like sections of an orchestra, with bass, rhythm, and lead each covering distinct sonic territory.
“The Hidden Hand” will be available on CD, digital, and multiple vinyl variants through Metal Blade Records. Pre-orders are open now.
