Pearl Jam have announced “Dark Matter”, their 12th album and the successor to “Gigaton” from 2020. The work will be released on April 19th, and the title track can already be heard now. The producer is Andrew Watt (Rolling Stones, Ozzy Osbourne, Post Malone, Miley Cyrus).
Guitarist Mike McCready said the record is “much harder than you would expect. When we were in the studio with Andrew last year, he really kicked our asses, got us focused and playing, song after song. It took a long time to make ‘Gigaton’, but the new album didn’t take long. Andrew said, ‘It takes you forever to make records. Let’s do this now.’”
“Andrew pushed us to play hard and melodically and thoughtfully in a way we haven’t played in a long time,” McCready continued. “I feel like Matt Cameron’s drumming has elements of what he did at Soundgarden.”
“Dark Matter” tracklist
Scared of Fear
React, respond
Wreckage
Dark Matter
Won’t Tell
Upper hand
Waiting for Stevie
Running
Something special
Got to give
Setting Sun
Back in November, Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron hinted at a new album for 2024. On January 31st, the group held a listening party at the Troubadour club stage in Los Angeles. A selected audience was able to listen to her 12th studio album.
The band members Eddie Vedder, Mike McCready and Jeff Ament were on stage to present their new work. The audience consisted of a few hundred family members, friends, industry insiders and journalists.
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Rockier than “Gigaton”
According to Spin, the album offers a diverse palette for longtime Pearl Jam fans. Vedder expressed his enthusiasm: “Without exaggeration – I think this is our best work.” Ament added: “I couldn’t be prouder of us as a band.” The LP is said to showcase some intense rock pieces that feature the powerful drumming of Matt Cameron and to highlight the skills of guitarist Mike McCready. Many of the songs begin with the drums, which “sometimes drown out the bandmates’ playing and Vedder’s singing,” ABC News reported. Typical Pearl Jam stylistic devices are also at the start, such as the time changes known from “Parachutes” or “All Those Yesterdays”.
Thematically, Vedder’s lyrics address topics such as human connection (or lack thereof), aging, parenthood and the state of the world. “We’re still looking for ways to communicate,” the singer commented on his inspiration.
“We sat on it”
“We made this record about a year ago,” Jeff Ament told the audience. “We sat on it.”
When it comes to 2024 tour plans, Pearl Jam is expected to announce details soon, having already confirmed a few shows in the US and Europe.
The European dates so far:
- July 11, 2024 – Madrid, Spain
- July 13 – Lisbon, Portugal