Pearl Jam Binaural (Vinyl 2LP) * * *

Remastered Reissue / Not Remixed

With ex-Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron replacing Jack Irons, Pearl Jam cut their sixth LP, Binaural, in 2000. The record's title referred to new producer Tchad Blake's adoption of the binaural recording technique, wherein two microphones are used simultaneously to try and simulate the experience of being in the room with the band. Lyrically, this dark, brooding album frequently railed against injustice, with tracks such as Eddie Vedder's "Grievance" inspired by the anti-corporate World Trade Organization protests in Seattle in 1999 and Stone Gossard's "Rival" based on the Columbine High School massacre. Going gold, Binaural peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.