Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

[Arthur Morgan]

I hope they don’t use the same mic Jeff used for Tuesday night.

lol, the one with the Kylo Ren effect? That as so funny and awkward. I still laugh thinking about why is the camera so far away? Why is he alone? Why in gods green earth does he sound like that.


I thought it was hilarious

[Kalevi]

Listened less than 10 times so not settled in yet. ( Had to buy the CD for $20 at a record store fri to get a physical copy) I think I will rate this towards the back half. They are all enjoyable to me though.

I'm with Matty 1908. My first ever album purchase was ten. It blew me away. But the deconstruction of ten blew me away further at each step with vs, vitalogy and no code ( took years for no code to resonate but it's my favorite now).

I don't seek any nostalgia w PJ and WFS is not really doing it for me so far. I don't feel the riff is on the level w the ten songs and eds soaring vocals don't sit right with me in his current form. They feel a little forced. ( Those choices might be where he is but I'm not sure that he is pulling them off)

I like the audibly difficult to decifer lyrics and the quality of the lyrics are not excessively on the nose.

W gigaton they added these great endings and mostly carried that to DM, however I don't care for ed singing over them. I think there is merit to the assault on the ears criticism among others regarding the production.

I don't feel cheated at all and love their catalog as is but most of all vitalogy, no code, yield, binaural, riot act and gigaton. They were the world's biggest band and said no thanks. I wished they trusted those instincts more but I understand they have a legacy to mind. I'd be happy if any of these songs became closers or staples. Well maybe not any of them.


I took it all, I took the oath
I took it all till I had most
I took what's left, I gave it breath
I had it all once, I gave it back
I gave it back

[Arthur Morgan]

Listened less than 10 times so not settled in yet. ( Had to buy the CD for $20 at a record store fri to get a physical copy) I think I will rate this towards the back half. They are all enjoyable to me though.

I'm with Matty 1908. My first ever album purchase was ten. It blew me away. But the deconstruction of ten blew me away further at each step with vs, vitalogy and no code ( took years for no code to resonate but it's my favorite now).

I don't seek any nostalgia w PJ and WFS is not really doing it for me so far. I don't feel the riff is on the level w the ten songs and eds soaring vocals don't sit right with me in his current form. They feel a little forced. ( Those choices might be where he is but I'm not sure that he is pulling them off)

I like the audibly difficult to decifer lyrics and the quality of the lyrics are not excessively on the nose.

W gigaton they added these great endings and mostly carried that to DM, however I don't care for ed singing over them. I think there is merit to the assault on the ears criticism among others regarding the production.

I don't feel cheated at all and love their catalog as is but most of all vitalogy, no code binaural, riot act and gigaton. They were the world's biggest band and said no thanks. I wished they trusted those instincts more but I understand they have a legacy to mind. I'd be happy if any of these songs became closers or staples. Well maybe not any of them.


I took it all, I took the oath
I took it all till I had most
I took what's left, I gave it breath
I had it all once, I gave it back
I gave it back

I don’t agree with most of your post but that’s ok.

I am responding cause I love the last lyric you posted. Love that whole album! Cheers


Oh and also maybe you will come around with more listens. The album was a grower for me.

[RockPusher]

Nice peace and love quote. Love that one.

[Oversize]

I can't believe people aren't talking about the clipping that happens at the end of the Upper Hand intro... that is next level

First order of business - your new moniker is :chef's kiss: (nicely done!)

Second, wow... since the first non record store leak (aka post bluestate recording), I have been hearing this and concerned. Like, wait, this beautiful, elaborate intro goes into this beautiful verse but is interrupted by "pfffftttrwarrrrggghh!"

I had hoped this was just a really low frequency that was pushing my headhpones suffered from lossfulness. Same came later with my car speakers...

I've heard it on literally every version. I think I even heard it in the theater. If someone is looking at the waveform, tell me WFB and I aren't going crazy? This is the only thing that bugs me every time I play the album.

[Birds in Hell]

Are you guys talking about that low frequency BRRZZZ around 1:37?

That’s definitely an intentional fuzzy synth/bass sound, not an overdriven signal.

It might also be causing some clipping but that sound itself clearly forms part of the instrumental tracks.

(Sorry if I’ve misunderstood!)

[sweeper]

Yeah, that's on purpose for effect. Like the intro being landed as a plane.

[Vindicator]

The songs that originally hit (R/R, Upper Hand, Got to Give) are still top level for me. But it's the magnitude of growth from the lukewarm songs on initial listen (SOF, Wreckage, Won't Tell, Stevie, Setting Sun) that has me so shocked.

Further proof that trying to write reactions after first listen is a silly experiment. If I went back and read my original notes I would probably cringe at most of it.

Damn if this isnt true. On my initial listens I wrote some notes like

Scared of Fear - soft opener, eh

React Respond - OK chorus

Setting Sun - decent closer


Many listens later and these songs having me shedding tears, all of them 5 stars. This album is a huge grower but its greatness is apparent after just 2-3 listens.

[Tj]

It has been 5 stars since day one . Every day since he keeps revealing more.
# 1 the improv nature of the outro should provide unlimited freedom to let this rip live and take it where ever it could replace Yellow Ledbetter a bit.

2 the instrumental break between this and Running is stunning and it is the end of track 7 that actually makes it a coda to Wfs could be get so lucky to really see this expand live into something much larger like the Layla coda. I can only dream.

[Oversize]

Are you guys talking about that low frequency BRRZZZ around 1:37?

That’s definitely an intentional fuzzy synth/bass sound, not an overdriven signal.

It might also be causing some clipping but that sound itself clearly forms part of the instrumental tracks.

(Sorry if I’ve misunderstood!)

Yes, that's the one.

I figured it being so blatant that it must be intentional. I don't know that it sounds as intended... Rest of the song is amazing.

[Oversize]

It has been 5 stars since day one . Every day since he keeps revealing more.
# 1 the improv nature of the outro should provide unlimited freedom to let this rip live and take it where ever it could replace Yellow Ledbetter a bit.

2 the instrumental break between this and Running is stunning and it is the end of track 7 that actually makes it a coda to Wfs could be get so lucky to really see this expand live into something much larger like the Layla coda. I can only dream.

Interesting thought about Upper Hand live... It does feel like we're walking through a funeral. I'd really dig this with Immortality and Alive immediately following.

[Angus]

Thank you Stip for that review. Just incredible.

Been on RM since like forever. 2002 I think. Stopped posting a lot since getting married. But I still very much appreciate such a write up.

[stip]

thanks - that means a lot. you were a major fixture in my early days on the board

[stip]

even though i mostly stayed out of the across the atlantic thread

[Angus]

Haha, what happened in the ATA thread, stays in the ATA thread.

I have to be honest, I was completely underwhelmed by Dark Matter (song) & Running. And the album took a couple of listens as well. But it really needs attention & good sound. It's not your casual background album.

Every album also has that 'one' song for me, which totally captures where I am at that moment. In this case, Something Special is the one. I read you have daughters too, I now have an almost 4 month old one and can't stop listening to that song. The emotions that are already there inside of me that this song brings out are just incredible.

[B]

Has anyone posted this? The album is dedicated to Po.

That's apparently Aubrey "Po" Powell of Hipgnosis who designed album covers for, among others, Pink Floyd, UFO, and Led Zeppelin, including Presence.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipgnosis

[sward]

The songs that originally hit (R/R, Upper Hand, Got to Give) are still top level for me. But it's the magnitude of growth from the lukewarm songs on initial listen (SOF, Wreckage, Won't Tell, Stevie, Setting Sun) that has me so shocked.

Further proof that trying to write reactions after first listen is a silly experiment. If I went back and read my original notes I would probably cringe at most of it.

Damn if this isnt true. On my initial listens I wrote some notes like

Scared of Fear - soft opener, eh

React Respond - OK chorus

Setting Sun - decent closer


Many listens later and these songs having me shedding tears, all of them 5 stars. This album is a huge grower but its greatness is apparent after just 2-3 listens.

This was me almost in a nutshell!

I was just listening to React/Respond and wondering how I could ever debate casting it aside as just alright. Often I have to get around how Ed is singing it before it settles in. Sometimes his approach knocks me off my feet right away, others it takes me a few listens (if at all but I usually do catch on). But once I do this, I can start hearing the different parts of the song. Running is another great example of this for me. It took hearing the song in album context and then I suddenly embraced where he went vocally. I really enjoy it now.

[Farmer John]

So the band is performing live from their Seattle headquarters at 6am PT? That seems early!

[WaitingForBluey]

Are you guys talking about that low frequency BRRZZZ around 1:37?

That’s definitely an intentional fuzzy synth/bass sound, not an overdriven signal.

It might also be causing some clipping but that sound itself clearly forms part of the instrumental tracks.

(Sorry if I’ve misunderstood!)

Hmm, yeah I guess you're right. It makes zero sense that a deep-pocketed, professional band with a whole team of sound engineers would accidentally let that slip through. But still, it's not very musical and does not deliver on its intended effect and, in light of RM's production woes, I prefer to think of it as a major mishap.. hehe

[igotworms]

Has anyone posted this? The album is dedicated to Po.

That's apparently Aubrey "Po" Powell of Hipgnosis who designed album covers for, among others, Pink Floyd, UFO, and Led Zeppelin, including Presence.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipgnosis

Ahhhh that's what that means. Someone pointed out that the diagram was the Presence ornament. Mystery solved.