IF THESE TREES COULD TALK Return With “Blurry Creatures” And Announce The Hidden Hand
After an eight year silence, acclaimed instrumental post rock outfit IF THESE TREES COULD TALK are finally back with a brand new album on the horizon.
Set for release on July 10 via Metal Blade Records, The Hidden Hand promises to continue the band’s emotionally immersive and cinematic approach to instrumental music while also pushing their sound into deeper territory.
The first single, “Blurry Creatures”, captures exactly why this band have built such a dedicated following over the years. Massive crescendos, ambient textures, crushing heaviness and soaring atmosphere all collide in a way that feels less like a song and more like an experience.
Drummer and co founder Zack Kelly described the music of IF THESE TREES COULD TALK as a slow wordless conversation between the inner and outer world, something designed to feel like a soundtrack for meditation, healing and reflection. That feeling runs all through “Blurry Creatures”, which balances emotional depth with immense sonic weight.
For longtime fans, this is a huge return. For newcomers, this feels like the perfect entry point into one of instrumental heavy music’s most evocative acts.
Find preorders at
metalblade.com/ifthesetreescouldtalk
LIFESICK Hit Hard With The Crushing “Die With Me”
Danish death and metallic hardcore wrecking crew LIFESICK waste absolutely no time getting straight to the violence on “Die With Me”.
The track opens in pure grind mode before diving headfirst into frantic hardcore aggression, all while carrying a suffocating heaviness that only grows more intense as the song progresses. By the time the final breakdown lands, it feels like the room is collapsing around you.
Lyrically, “Die With Me” tackles mortality head on, confronting death without fear and refusing to go quietly into the dark.
There’s no polish here and that is exactly why it works so well. Raw, ugly and confrontational, this is the sound of a band fully embracing chaos.
INGESTED Push Forward With “Oaths Betrayed”
Manchester death metal juggernauts INGESTED continue charging forward with the release of their new album Denigration, and “Oaths Betrayed” stands out as one of the record’s fiercest moments.
Built around relentless groove driven death metal, the track balances technical precision with pure crushing force. There’s a militant urgency running through it, with riffs that march forward like a declaration of war before collapsing into massive breakdowns.
Lyrically, the band explore themes of broken systems, betrayal and personal agency in the middle of collapse. It is dark, confrontational and deeply aggressive, perfectly matching the intensity of the music itself.
Nearly two decades into their career, INGESTED still sound hungry, and Denigration feels like a major statement from a band continuing to evolve without losing the brutality that built their name.
Find orders at metalblade.com/ingested and the INGESTED webpage at ingested.co.uk
SPELL Deliver Gothic Heavy Metal Magic On Wretched Heart
SPELL continue carving out their own hypnotic lane within heavy music with the release of Wretched Heart, a record soaked in gothic atmosphere, classic heavy metal spirit and deeply human emotion.
The standout new single “Exquisite Corpse” perfectly captures what makes SPELL so compelling. It blends infectious melody with theatrical darkness, balancing arena sized hooks with occult rock mystique and emotional vulnerability.
Cam Mesmer explained the track explores the tendency to idealise people after they are gone, mourning a version of them that may never have truly existed. That emotional honesty gives SPELL a depth that separates them from simple retro worship.
There’s something timeless about what this band do. Heavy metal roots remain front and centre, but they constantly push beyond nostalgia into something more cinematic, emotional and alive.
Purchase/stream ‘Wretched Heart’ at
https://hypeddit.com/spell/lilac
ENDSEEKER Prepare To Say Goodbye With Coffin Born
After more than a decade of destruction, German death metal hellraisers ENDSEEKER are preparing to bring the band to a close with their farewell EP Coffin Born, arriving June 19 through Metal Blade Records.
The first single, “Enemies Of Peace”, hits with raw punk energy, hardcore aggression and crushing death metal grooves, all wrapped around a fiercely anti fascist message.
There is a real sense of urgency and purpose running through the track, both lyrically and musically. It sounds like a band refusing to fade quietly into the background and instead choosing to leave one final mark with maximum force.
ENDSEEKER have built a strong legacy over the years, and Coffin Born feels like the right way to close that chapter. Honest, furious and completely uncompromising.
Find preorders at
STORMKEEP Expand Their Symphonic Black Metal Universe
Denver symphonic black metal force STORMKEEP continue building their fantasy driven world with the release of “Imperious Sanguine Eroticism”, the latest glimpse into their upcoming album The Nocturnes Of Iswylm.
Since first emerging with the Galdrum EP and later Tales Of Othertime, STORMKEEP have established themselves as one of the most exciting modern acts in symphonic black metal, balancing atmosphere, melody and storytelling with impressive precision.
“Imperious Sanguine Eroticism” pushes deeper into that world, delivering towering orchestration, razor sharp riffs and sweeping medieval atmosphere. It feels massive in scope while still holding onto the darkness and aggression at the core of black metal.
With production handled alongside Michael Zech and mastering from Arthur Rizk, The Nocturnes Of Iswylm is shaping up to be a major step forward for the band.
Metal Blade Continue To Showcase The Full Spectrum Of Heavy Music
What stands out most across this latest roundup is just how broad the Metal Blade roster continues to be.
You have IF THESE TREES COULD TALK delivering emotional cinematic post rock, LIFESICK bringing hardcore chaos, INGESTED crushing with modern death metal precision, SPELL embracing gothic heavy metal atmosphere, ENDSEEKER going out swinging with punk infused death metal and STORMKEEP expanding symphonic black metal into epic fantasy territory.
Different sounds. Different approaches. Same commitment to pushing heavy music forward.
