![]() ![]() Some artists just have a knack for capturing the zeitgeist of a particular moment in time. That album was full of rousing anthems like “Where’s The Revolution” and “Going Backwards.” Some critics were put off by Depeche veering into the realm of political commentary in song but I felt it was perfect for the times. We absolutely loved their last LP, 2017’s Spirit. I will admit, anticipation for this new Depeche Mode album, their 15th studio record, was running high here at B&V. I realize not everybody is going to be willing to work for the rewards this album will bring but for those who are patient, this is a really good album. Many records click in my head on the first listen but that didn’t happen with Memento Mori. ![]() I had to listen to it repeatedly to crack the code. Depeche Mode’s new album Momento Mori, which came out a few weeks ago, is that type of record. Some records take time… Like any work of art – be that a movie or a book – sometimes it takes a while for the work to “grow” on you. I can’t say enough about Mike McCready’s guitar solo on this track. At points in the song his voice becomes more of a pained howl. Vedder’s vocal is as impassioned and intense as usual. It’s a halting riff that throbs in your ears. Stone Gossard is a masterful rhythm guitarist. It starts off with some great tribal drums from Cameron. It kind of reminds me, stylistically, of “Mind Your Manners” the first rocking track off of Lightning Bolt. The track rocks but it isn’t that old anthemic style from their early days. I played “Dark Matter” for the Rock Chick and her response was, “Hey, that’s good.” And trust me, that’s high praise from her. This new single is an 180 degree turn from the first track released off of Gigaton, “Dance Of The Clairvoyants,” which sounded like early Talking Heads to my ears. If “Dark Matter” is any indication, it will indeed be heavier… almost more Soundgarden-y. The band has also hinted that this album is going to be much heavier than recent work. Vedder has been quoted as saying this is the best thing they’ve done… Having been a long time fan of albums like Ten or Vitalogy, that’s a pretty bold statement. Pearl Jam remains Eddie Vedder (vocals/occasional guitar), Stone Gossard (guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), Jeff Ament (bass), and Matt Cameron (formerly of Soundgarden on drums). Andrew Watt came in and “kicked the band’s ass” to get it done. Dark Matter was recorded over a three week stint at a studio in Malibu. Typically when Pearl Jam record a new album it’s a long and laborious process. I haven’t seen Pearl Jam in ages and would love to see them again live, they’re sensational. Anymore with Pearl Jam one gets the sense that it’s more about the touring than the new albums. I do think they did play some shows but not till much later. Any big tour plans they had were cancelled. It dropped in March of 2020 right when the COVID pandemic started. I think we all got “jipped” a little bit on Gigaton. I was thrilled it’s only been four years since their last LP, 2020’s Gigaton… they took seven years between albums prior to that one. Perhaps that was just an audition for this band album. And perhaps more relevant to this discussion, Watt also worked on Eddie Vedder’s fine solo project, Earthling. ” The song and the new album were produced by red hot producer Andrew Watt who has recently worked on LPs with Ozzy (on 2 different ones), Iggy Pop, and the Stones. After teasing it for a few days on “the social media,” Pearl Jam have just dropped the first song from their upcoming twelfth album, the title track “Dark Matter. Oh man, I wish I could tell you how excited I am about new Pearl Jam. “It’s strange these days when everybody else pays for someone else’s mistake…” Pearl Jam, “Dark Matter” ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |