News
31 October 2026 – Things of Stone and Wood Release The Final Forest and Complete an Extraordinary Two-Album Comeback Year
By Editorial Team - October 31, 2026
Summary
Australian folk-rock favourites Things of Stone and Wood release The Final Forest on MGM, marking their second album of 2026 alongside a national tour.
Key Facts
- Australian folk-rock icons Things of Stone and Wood release 'The Final Forest' via MGM, their second album of 2026.
- Follows their top-ten comeback album 'Rae Street', ending a twenty-three-year recording hiatus with two acclaimed LPs in one year.
- A national Australian tour kicks off in Melbourne on November 3, visiting Perth, Fremantle, and major regional festivals.
- Entities: Things of Stone and Wood, Greg Arnold, Michael Allen, Tony Floyd, The Final Forest, Rae Street, MGM, Ellington Jazz Club, Freo Folk Festival
- Tags: things-of-stone-and-wood, the-final-forest, greg-arnold, michael-allen, mgm, folk-rock, australian-music, roots
Beloved Australian folk-rock icons Things of Stone and Wood have completed an extraordinary creative comeback year with the release of The Final Forest on October 30 via MGM, celebrated with a comprehensive national tour announcement on October 31. The release marks the Melbourne group's second complete studio album of 2026—a staggering achievement considering the band previously spent twenty-three years without releasing a full-length collection.
Earlier this year, founding members Greg Arnold and Michael Allen reunited for Rae Street, an intimate acoustic record that scored widespread critical acclaim and landed in the Australian Albums Chart top ten. In contrast, The Final Forest embraces a full, warm ensemble sound inspired by 1970s organic folk-rock, powered by rich piano melodies, pulsing upright bass, energetic drums, and three-part vocal harmonies.
The ten-song tracklist includes "The Hills of Johanna", "The Final Forest", "Open My Eyes", "Miles Away", "One Day", and soaring closer "Take to the Skies". Their upcoming national Australian tour kicks off in Melbourne on November 3 and runs through January 2027, featuring Arnold on piano and lead vocals, Allen on bass, and Tony Floyd on drums, with headlining stops at Perth's Ellington Jazz Club on November 20 and the Freo Folk Festival in Fremantle on November 21.
Things of Stone and Wood originally won national devotion in the 1990s with anthems like "Happy Birthday Helen" and "Share This Wine", connecting alternative rock hooks with distinctively Australian storytelling. Nearly four decades into their history, the band are not content simply resting on legacy laurels. Delivering two vital records in eight months proves that creative vitality knows no expiration date. Explore more roots and acoustic sounds in our folk hub and check out daily music coverage in the news section.