Local US musician, Ben Marshall, joined the band on drums in New York to finish recording their third album, "Secret Rituals" (17 June 2011), which peaked at No. 11. Matt Shea of Mess+Noise felt it was "a little like a ledger of artistic assets: for the band to come out on top, the final statement needs to show a positive balance of improved songwriting over receding whacked-out style." The Alphabet Pony's reviewer found the work had "benefited from this increased sensibility, and the time taken to marinate in the creative hub of Brooklyn has done wonders for their revitalised sound... It's classic Grates sound, brought kicking and screaming into 2011 – but it's in the conflict between the old stuff and the new stuff that's the killer." Marshall toured with the band in Australia in June to July on the Secret Rituals tour with auxiliary member, Miranda Freeman on bass guitar and keyboards. Freeman is Hodgson's former high school mate.