By Celica Cook, SBM Student Life Editor
Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Hole–sound familiar? These are some of the great bands that emerged out of the 1990s grunge scene. Sadly, grunge fell apart almost as soon as it came together, and got replaced with bands like Nickelback and Matchbox Twenty, more commercialized versions of what was once grunge, now called post-grunge.
Pearl Jam is the only band from the original grunge scene left in the current music scene. Their latest album, Gigaton, is their eleventh studio album, and the first album that they have put out in seven years. It is also their longest album to date, with the slower tunes for the win.
Pearl Jam has always been on the softer side of grunge. Their music seems to take its sweet time, unfolding slowly, but powerfully. It draws you in and keeps you there as one melody unfolds to the next. Gigaton is equally as intense and engaging Pearl Jam’s music always was. There is a reason that Pearl Jam is still here and thriving in the music world 29 years after their first album release.
Gigaton is a social commentary on issues surrounding climate change. A gigaton is the measurement of the melting point of polar ice caps. The song lyrics are a rage against the machine, but it doesn’t rage in anger. Gigaton is soft-rock– spacy backgrounds with long, drawn out guitar pieces that put you in a sort of trance. Overall, the point of this album isn’t to help the audience feel their inner rage. It is a call to action for humanity to stand together in a time of chaos.
Sources:https://www.radio.com/music/rock/what-is-pearl-jam-teasing-and-what-is-a-gigaton
https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/90s-nostalgia-where-to-start-with-grunge-music.html/
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/pearl-jam-gigaton/
Image sourced from: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/pearl-jam-gigaton/