Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

[Tj]

After listening to this album constantly since its release I can honestly say that Dark Matter is my favorite Pearl Jam album. It’s phenomenal from start to finish.

That has got to be beautiful feeling congrats. Did you catch it live yet? Also the live comp on here is a must download. I can see becoming my favorite. It will never be the best , but favorite I bet it will down the road.

[Gigalogy84]

After listening to this album constantly since its release I can honestly say that Dark Matter is my favorite Pearl Jam album. It’s phenomenal from start to finish.

That has got to be beautiful feeling congrats. Did you catch it live yet? Also the live comp on here is a must download. I can see becoming my favorite. It will never be the best , but favorite I bet it will down the road.

No, unfortunately I couldn’t get tickets. If I managed to get to a show they could play this entire album front to back and I’d be happy with that. I’ve watched some YouTube videos of the new songs live and they sound great.

[stip]

After listening to this album constantly since its release I can honestly say that Dark Matter is my favorite Pearl Jam album. It’s phenomenal from start to finish.

Do you have a song ranking?

It's not my favorite, but this is not a crazy statement to me. it's incredible.

[Got Some]

After listening to this album constantly since its release I can honestly say that Dark Matter is my favorite Pearl Jam album. It’s phenomenal from start to finish.

Do you have a song ranking?

It's not my favorite, but this is not a crazy statement to me. it's incredible.

What is your Song ranking atm Stip ??


WFS
SOF
Upper Hand
Setting Sun
R/R
Wont Tell
Dark Matter
Wreckage
Got To Give
Running
Something Special

[stip]

Waiting For Stevie
Settting Sun
Scared of Fear
Wreckage
Dark Matter

(those are all 5 star songs)

Running
React Respond
Upper Hand
Something Special
Wont Tell
Got to Give

But those bottom 3 are all pretty close to the point of being interchangeable. And still in the 4 starish range. This is top to bottom one of if not the most consistently great set of songs

[Tj]

Upper Sun and Setting Hand no way I can pick between these two
Wreckage
Won't Tell this may leap frog Wreckage soon
SOF Has jumped
WFS
Got to Give

All the above are 5 star. With the top 2 all timers

React Respond
Running
Dark Matter

All the above are 4.5 stars

Something Special
3.5 but I could almost give it 4

I will call it a masterpiece. Top since Yield for sure. It sits with the Titans for sure.

I am only listening to the live comp now. Won't Tell lifted the most by the live version.

[Kevin Davis]

Won't Tell lifted the most by the live version.

Agree! I've been pretty out of the live PJ loop over the last decade or so, but this one definitely brought back some of that old feeling I used to get when a song that felt kind of ho-hum on record really took off live. Haven't really felt that since S/T.

[dimejinky99]

I finally got some brand new good headphones and this got very first spin.
I can hear it all at last. Still not loving the drum sound in fact I hate it.
That aside looking forward to spending more time with it and hopefully make friends with it.

[basically_infirmed]

I finally got some brand new good headphones and this got very first spin.
I can hear it all at last. Still not loving the drum sound in fact I hate it.
That aside looking forward to spending more time with it and hopefully make friends with it.

welcome to the party. the drums never get better

[Ms Harmless]

I don't actually hate the drums except on SOF, where they are particularly kids cartoon; I've made my piece with kids cartoon, modern PJ seem to be OK with it

[dimejinky99]

Just a headfuck.

I was halfway through and went into settings on my phone (iPhone) and turned off the sound check/ safety limiter thing.

And it again is a whole new mix with different things going on.
It sounded flatter and more cohesive with the sound check on. Mad loud and all over the place with it off.

I didn’t even go into the eq settings that’s all shite in there.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[dimejinky99]

Just a headfuck.

I was halfway through and went into settings on my phone (iPhone) and turned off the sound check/ safety limiter thing.

And it again is a whole new mix with different things going on.
It sounded flatter and more cohesive with the sound check on. Mad loud and all over the place with it off.

I didn’t even go into the eq settings that’s all shite in there.

Sound check is a limiter that makes things louder/less dynamic.

I’m aware. I just don’t listen to music at all ever anymore.
This sounded crazy when I turned it off.

Now I know why I don’t listen to music anymore.

[Gigalogy84]

After listening to this album constantly since its release I can honestly say that Dark Matter is my favorite Pearl Jam album. It’s phenomenal from start to finish.

Do you have a song ranking?

It's not my favorite, but this is not a crazy statement to me. it's incredible.

I know it’s a very bold statement for me to say Dark Matter is my favorite. Especially above albums like Ten, Vs, Vitalogy, and Yield. I’ve been listening to them since Vitalogy and that album had always remained my favorite. My song ranking goes…

1. Scared of Fear
2. React, Respond
3. Wreckage
4. Setting Sun
5. Waiting For Stevie
6. Dark Matter
7. Upper Hand
8. Running
9. Won’t Tell
10. Got To Give
11. Something Special

Even with my song ranking all songs are good regardless.

[Bi_3]

Stone on DM (in case this was posted yet)

https://x.com/altnationnet/status/1807972505568882881


Brutal

[Birds in Hell]

Brutal

Very interesting change in position from what Stone was saying only a few months ago, e.g. that he can’t wait to go straight back into making another record with Wotman the same way.

In a new interview with NME, when posed the question as to whether he sees “Dark Matter” as a career high, Gossard replied:

“I wouldn’t say that. I think it will end up being an impactful record – looking back at some point this record will be significant. Working with [producer] Andrew Watt was effective for us. In a sense, he was going back in time and saying, ‘You did this so well, just do this’. It makes me think ‘OK, we did that, now what’s the opposite of that? Let’s lean in the other direction’.”

[RockPusher]

I don't see anything brutal in what Stone is saying. I love the album and agree with him. Many here have suggested a back and forth of Gigaton and Dark Matter type albums would be nice, and it sounds like Stone agrees.

Good point, Birds, re: what he had been saying before.

[Matters]

Dark Matter’s brought out more emotion in me than any Pearl Jam album since Riot Act. That’s reason enough to consider it for their best album.

[Matters]

What do you have against Wreckage and Upper Hand?

Nothing against.

They just, you know… didn’t do it for me

[Birds in Hell]

Brutal

Very interesting change in position from what Stone was saying only a few months ago, e.g. that he can’t wait to go straight back into making another record with Wotman the same way.

In a new interview with NME, when posed the question as to whether he sees “Dark Matter” as a career high, Gossard replied:

“I wouldn’t say that. I think it will end up being an impactful record – looking back at some point this record will be significant. Working with [producer] Andrew Watt was effective for us. In a sense, he was going back in time and saying, ‘You did this so well, just do this’. It makes me think ‘OK, we did that, now what’s the opposite of that? Let’s lean in the other direction’.”

Full interview is here: https://www.nme.com/news/music/pearl-ja ... ry-3769205

Another interesting quote:

Billie Eilish recently said that three-hour gigs are “psychotic”. Would you agree?

Well we’ve started to play a lot shorter gigs these days for our own well-being and longevity. We’ve done the three-hour gigs many, many times and there is something fun about having accomplished that and there might even be something fun about witnessing it and lasting through it. But I don’t want to go to a three-hour gig in general.

In two hours we can still create that atmosphere of a Pearl Jam show where there’s gonna be some things you know, there’s gonna be some things you don’t know, it’s gonna have some climaxes that hopefully feel the right shape. We all know what it’s like to go to a movie or read a book that should have been edited. We’re trying to be conscious of that.