In a press release statement, the album was described by the band as being "darker" lyrically than previous records, a quality that was attributed to a sense of tension and a rushed urgency that was felt during the writing and recording process. During the recording process it was learned that lead vocalist Chibi had developed polyps, which in effect, altered some of the qualities of her voice during the album's final recording. In an interview with Auxiliary Magazine, the album's theme was described by the band as being loosely based on Chibi's fascination with unsolved murder mysteries, the idea of the city, and death; particularly, the thirty-year-old mystery of a missing girl. The song "Leaving Tonight" in particular is loosely inspired by the unsolved kidnapping/murder of Christine Jessop.
On October 3, 2012 the song "Down" was made available for free download through rcrdlbl.com. The same day, an instrumental track called "Night Shift" was released through Rue Morgue for the band's later supporting tour, to open as their live set intro song. On October 5, 2012, the entire album was made available for free online streaming exclusively on RevolverMag.com via Metropolis RecordsSoundCloud account. On October 9, 2012, the album was released worldwide through Metropolis Records in CD, digital download, and limited edition vinyl formats.
Reception
The album has received mostly positive reviews from fans and professional critics. Bloody Disgusting's Jonathan Barkan called the album "another winner", stating, "Even though Hide and Seek is criminally short, it’s a catchy, addictive album that I found myself spinning over and over again without caring that I’d already heard the tracks before". D. Gabrielle Jensen of Blogcritics characterized the album as "consistently good from beginning to end, making a nearly impossible task"; echoing previous reviews, she commented that the album could have benefited from having 2 or 3 more tracks, and that the album felt like it ended too soon. Comparing the record to their previous albums, Gregory Burkart of FEARnet commented "...you may find yourself pulled to a darker place by the more pensive lyrics and shadowy mood, delivered with less of a wink and a smile than you might be expecting from their previous work". COMA Magazine and ReGen Magazine both gave the album mixed reviews, praising Chibi's "mature" sounding vocals, theme and production, but noted the album still follows a "familiar formula". In a more critical review, Miranda Yardley of Terrorizer described the album as "forgettable", criticizing the album for being pop-like but without any of the catchy hooks that makes pop music redeemable.
Track listing
;Notes
"Calling" features elements from "God Given" by Nine Inch Nails.
"Play with Fire" was credited as "Written by 'Wight Eyes' - " The song is notably the first time anyone from outside the band itself has ever contributed lyrics to a song.
