Pearl Jam has announced their newest studio album and 12th overall. The band released the song "Dark Matter," which references heavy metal icon King Diamond in its lyrics.
The band, led by vocalist Eddie Vedder , is closer to rock and grunge than to the heavy metal practiced by the Danish vocalist. Therefore, one would never think Pearl Jam could make this comparison, but both artists are storytellers. Pearl Jam deals with everyday subjects and human experiences, while King Diamond, whether in his brilliant solo career or with his band Mercyful Fate, brings themes more focused on occultism, horror with satanic undertones.
In the lyrics, Eddie Vedder expresses his discontent with people suffering the consequences of others' mistakes and actions. Two parts open with: “Denounce the demigods / King diamond to discard” and “Renounce the demagogues / King diamond to discard.”.
The possibility exists that Vedder omitted the "of" in the expression and didn't use "King of Diamonds," which refers to a playing card, or it could be a matter of syllables to avoid completely losing the meaning. Or it might simply be a subtle way of referencing King Diamond in the song's lyrics.
Listen to the new Pearl Jam song in the player below:
But are the members of Pearl Jam fans of metal?
Whether or not the members of the Seattle grunge band are fans of Metal is uncertain, as it depends on which styles they're referring to.
In 2022, vocalist Eddie Vedder was involved in a discussion where he criticized hair metal, saying he "despised" the subgenre. Nikki Sixx, bassist of Mötley Crüe , responded by calling Pearl Jam "one of the most boring bands in history." Vedder retorted during a stage performance Tommy Lee 's acrobatic performances.
Stone Gossard later confessed that he, bassist Jeff Ament guitarist Mike McCready
In 2017, at Pearl Jam's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Ament wore a shirt showing their discontent with the institution, which had not yet included some of the biggest names in Rock and Metal, including Slayer , Mötley Crue, Iron Maiden , Motörhead , Judas Priest , Dio , and… King Diamond.
READ ALSO: Pearl Jam: new album is heavier, says Mike McCready
