The Hilltop Hoods announce first album in six years, Fall From The Light, to be released on August 1

The South Australian hip-hop legends reveal why it’s taken them so long to return from their musical hiatus, and share the heartfelt meaning behind a new single.

Hilltop Hoods member Bazz (DJ Debris), Matt (Suffa) and Dan (Pressure). Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

It’s been a long time coming but hip-hop heroes the Hilltop Hoods say their first album in six years will be worth the wait.

The groundbreaking Adelaide trio – Suffa (Matthew Lambert), DJ Debris (Barry Francis) and Pressure (Daniel Smith) – have unveiled their new record, Fall From The Light, which will be available on August 1.

Lambert said the album has been a “exercise in patience”.

“Six years is a long time between albums, but there’s a good reason for that. There was a lot happening, in the world and in our lives,” he said.

“But it turns out (from my perspective anyway), that time was the album’s strength, not its weakness.

“We’ve never been so thorough, so pedantic with an album before. The result is something that’s been carefully crafted with an extreme attention to detail.”

The 12-track album includes already released music such as lead single, The Gift feat. Marlon, and recent fan favourite, Don’t Happy, Be Worry.

The Gift, featuring former Port Adelaide AFL player turned musician Marlon Motlop, is an emotional tribute to their parents after the death of Lambert’s father last year.

“To be honest, it was really f … ing difficult to write. It’s about the role that music played in our homes when we were growing up, and how it’s a gift that our family gives us,” Suffa shared on social media earlier this year.

“Writing about family’s always hard, but I feel like it’s a song that everyone can connect with.”

There will also be further collaborations with New Zealand group, SIX60, and Australian songstress Nyassa.

It’s been the longest break between albums for the Hoods, one of Australia’s biggest and most influential groups with more than 1.6 billion streams and six No. 1 records that have sold more than one million copies.

Their catalogue of hits across eight previous albums include hits 1955, the Nosebleed Section, Leave Me Lonely and Exit Sign.

Hilltop Hoods will perform at the 2025 Handpicked Festival in Langhorne Creek. Picture: Supplied

The news of the new album comes as the trio return home to perform their first South Australian show in two years as headliners of the Handpicked Festival at Langhorne Creek.

The November 8 event at Lake Breeze Wines will also feature Xavier Rudd, The Rubens, Meg Mac, Mia Wray, Lotte Gallagher, Marlon Motlop and Hot Dub Time Machine.

Festival organiser Kate Cooper said this year’s theme would be “Wine Down Weekend” and feature the biggest line-up in the event’s 11-year history.

“Hand-picked fans can expect nothing less than a high-energy, electrifying set that will leave them buzzing,” Ms Cooper said.

The Hoods, who formed at Blackwood in 1994, last played in SA as part of the Spin Off Festival at Adelaide Showground in 2023.

Ms Cooper said the Handpicked Festival generated more than $2m in economic activity for the Fleurieu Peninsula.

“Last year, we hit our 7500 capacity – a sellout crowd ready for good wine, great vibes, and incredible music. Hand-picked is where boutique meets festival.”