Dark Matter: Official Album Thread

[VinylGuy]

I agree. Its very loud but i prefer it to whatever they did with LB. I like the mix enough and totally love the guitar tones. Drums should have been way better though.

[Jaeti]

Trag is totally right, there is a reason why they bring watt in and it’s not for his recording skills.
Exhibit b: The Rolling Stones
Exhibit c: Ozzy

U2 is next (at some point)

I think maybe when Trag was pursuing his remastering projecting he got hold of some stems (is that the right word?) that convinced him Watt wasn't even the problem; it's was just Ghenea's work.

[Bi_3]

I loathe this album yet I agree — they did seem to relish in exploring these songs live noticeably more than the last couple albums.

I thought you loathed the production but generally thought the songs were solid. Granted, it's been a year.

My appreciation there has really cooled. I’d be glad to get Scared of Fear, React/Respond, or Something Special in a set. But there’s nothing on the album I’d consider an all-timer.

Pass!


But, I agree with the last part. Nothing top 25. Won't Tell, Stevie, DM, and Setting Sun are songs that can stick in the setlist rotation and I'd be happy and that says a lot about the album vs LB or BS.

[Monkey_Driven]

I'd say Setting Sun, React/Respond, and Upper Hand will be the songs that stick around. Maybe Dark Matter as an early set rocker. It has to be murder on Ed's voice though.

[jtmack20]

It’s Lightning Bolt with better songs but worse production.

This is spot on to me. I really want to like Dark Matter as much as everyone else. Really like the first 5 songs, but after that is just mediocre PJ to me. Eddie's story about how Waiting for Stevie was just like a riff he wrote back in the day sounds fishy to me. Didnt Watt write the Wreckage riff as well? Most fans probably don't care who wrote it, and I get that. I'll still take the intricacies of Gigaton over the straightforward PJ by numbers of Dark Matter. (even if its good PJ by numbers)

[epilogue]

I'd say Setting Sun, React/Respond, and Upper Hand will be the songs that stick around. Maybe Dark Matter as an early set rocker. It has to be murder on Ed's voice though.

I'd be thrilled to get any/all of those at any show in the future.

[Monkey_Driven]

I'd say Setting Sun, React/Respond, and Upper Hand will be the songs that stick around. Maybe Dark Matter as an early set rocker. It has to be murder on Ed's voice though.

I'd be thrilled to get any/all of those at any show in the future.

Same!

[epilogue]

I'd say Setting Sun, React/Respond, and Upper Hand will be the songs that stick around. Maybe Dark Matter as an early set rocker. It has to be murder on Ed's voice though.

I'd be thrilled to get any/all of those at any show in the future.

Same!

React, Respond really landed the one DM Tour show that I attended. That was so great live. Upper Hand and DM were also great live, but I expected them to be. I was pleasantly surprised how great R,R was.

[stip]

It’s Lightning Bolt with better songs but worse production.

This is spot on to me. I really want to like Dark Matter as much as everyone else. Really like the first 5 songs, but after that is just mediocre PJ to me. Eddie's story about how Waiting for Stevie was just like a riff he wrote back in the day sounds fishy to me. Didnt Watt write the Wreckage riff as well? Most fans probably don't care who wrote it, and I get that. I'll still take the intricacies of Gigaton over the straightforward PJ by numbers of Dark Matter. (even if its good PJ by numbers)

I don't recall the wreckage story, but the Watt wrote WFS perspective feels pretty overblown

[stip]

I'd say Setting Sun, React/Respond, and Upper Hand will be the songs that stick around. Maybe Dark Matter as an early set rocker. It has to be murder on Ed's voice though.

I'd be thrilled to get any/all of those at any show in the future.

Same!

React, Respond really landed the one DM Tour show that I attended. That was so great live. Upper Hand and DM were also great live, but I expected them to be. I was pleasantly surprised how great R,R was.

that was really elevated. Running sounded great too. Everything I heard sounded really great except for Wreckage and Scared of Fear (which was fine)

[Birds in Hell]

It’s Lightning Bolt with better songs but worse production.

This is spot on to me. I really want to like Dark Matter as much as everyone else. Really like the first 5 songs, but after that is just mediocre PJ to me. Eddie's story about how Waiting for Stevie was just like a riff he wrote back in the day sounds fishy to me. Didnt Watt write the Wreckage riff as well? Most fans probably don't care who wrote it, and I get that. I'll still take the intricacies of Gigaton over the straightforward PJ by numbers of Dark Matter. (even if its good PJ by numbers)

I don't recall the wreckage story, but the Watt wrote WFS perspective feels pretty overblown

I don't think it's overblown at all, Watt wrote the main musical motif of the song.

I'm sure the band built around that idea to some extent but it still had its genesis in an outside writer.

From memory, I'd seen it suggested Watt also provided the main riff that leads the second half of Setting Sun.

I'm not sure about Wreckage but he's playing one of the main electric parts in the song.

For me, it basically an album with an asterisk. It's not really a Pearl Jam record, it's a collaborative exercise with another artist. That's fine but I'm not particularly interested in that as a concept.

Gigaton, for its faults, feels much closer to the essence of the band.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Bi_3]

Would you guys feel differently if you did not know of Watt’s involvement?

[Birds in Hell]

I'm not sure that hypothetical hangs together for me.

Broadly understanding how music was created and something about the people involved in its creation is pretty integral to how I think about and enjoy music. The writing, the personnel, the recording process: all of that stuff contributes to the art.

I'd either have to imagine I'm someone who doesn't care about that information or a scenario where the band engaged in some kind of elaborate scheme to hide how the album was made.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Birds in Hell]

I'm not sure that hypothetical hangs together for me.

Broadly understanding how music was created and something about the people involved in its creation is pretty integral to how I think about and enjoy music. The writing, the personnel, the recording process: all of that stuff contributes to the art.

I'd either have to imagine I'm someone who doesn't care about that information or a scenario where the band engaged in some kind of elaborate scheme to hide how the album was made.

the very same band that glossed over the revolving cast of drummers in 90 seconds in their self-produced documentary?!

Maybe not so far-fetched after all.

[epilogue]

Would you guys feel differently if you did not know of Watt’s involvement?

Yes, they would.

[Monkey_Driven]

But Merkinball is cool, right?

[Birds in Hell]

But Merkinball is cool, right?

Yes!

But also, not really comparable to Dark Matter.

[coptheriotact]

andrew watt should remix mirrorball