Many times over have we seen bands of all different types come together and create evocative works centered on the travesties that plague our planet. It’s something that still holds great weight as we witness all sorts of natural disasters and the bastardization of nature, yet it can still be quite a feat for any band of any genre to throw down a work that not only encapsulates the toll of such damage upon our world but manages to bring forth the overwhelming emotion that comes with such a topic. Having long stood out from the crowd, If These Trees Could Talk have been stalwart in their aural defense of our world with their forthcoming effort only furthering their grandeur.
The tool of a silent voice is something that we’ve seen given great justice over the decades as music has found new ways to deliver evocative notions without uttering so much as a single syllable, but it’s even today we’re able to bear witness to talent taking it all to new heights. They’ve been veterans of their sound for quite some time already, but it’s clear with each new effort that If These Trees Could Talk still have so much more to say with their music should we simply allow them to come back around. Throughout the whole of “The Hidden Hand”, it is made exceedingly obvious that the ten years since the previous album of If These Trees Could Talk were well worth the wait. This record is anything but a pensive reflection on the state of the world. Rather, this feels like one of the most active and forward creations from If These Trees Could Talk with each of these nine tracks ripping our eyes wide open such that we have no choice but to look upon the collective choices of our species. For years it has been clear that post-rock was lifted up to its greatest embodiment so long as this band had anything to say about it, and it’s the sheer existence of “The Hidden Hand” that shows us the brilliance that still resides within the forces of If These Trees Could Talk. Influenced by the machinations of hidden societies and secrecy amongst humankind, it’s with “The Hidden Hand” that this band steps out into the open with power and vision the likes of which are a breath of fresh air in a world that oftentimes chokes on ash.
This is what happens when an icon of a genre refuses to give up and returns to us in such a form that is nigh on thrilling. From the beginning, If These Trees Could Talk has made itself known as a force not to be reckoned with lest you face the power of a fierce tempest, and that proves to be no different here. For everything summoned throughout “The Hidden Hand”, we’re reminded many times over that this band is well and truly a cut above the rest.
“The Hidden Hand” releases on July 10th via Metal Blade Records!
LISTEN to an advanced track from “The Hidden Hand” on Bandcamp here, or via YouTube below.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piZ0Dpo7KPg