To follow up the 3/27 release of new Monkeywrench/Republic album Gigaton, Pearl Jam had originally planned a one-night-only Gigaton Visual Experience: an immersive audio-visual event in Dolby Atmos-equipped movie theatres around the world. The immersive experience was designed to intensify the aural and visual attributes of the set. For obvious reasons, that couldn't happen.

Instead, the band has announced that starting on 4/24, the visual album experience will be available (in Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision) to fans with an Apple TV or via the Apple TV app. The project is currently among the top trending shows on the platform and will be free for seven days before being made available for purchase or rental. (Click here for more details.)

“I’m excited for fans to be able to immerse themselves in the sound and to hear the depth and layers of these songs and performances,” Gigaton producer Josh Evans said. “It’s truly a unique way to experience this album.”

Fans will need an Atmos-compatible receiver and speakers to hear it at its best, and a 4k TV (though not required) will provide the full-bore visual effect. (We also recommend a couple of those Pineapple Habanero gummies, which has made watching our air conditioner as mind-blowing as Floyd in '75). Though Dolby Atmos has figured in other on-demand music experiences, such has in Netflix’s concert from Taylor Swift’s Reputation tour, this is a first of its kind for a new studio album.

It's also the latest move the band has made in response to the pandemic. In March they postponed their North American tour as well as their 3/26 Sirius XM concert at the Apollo Theatre, and more recently postponed their European tour dates. Gigaton, which debuted at #4 on the HITS Top 20 chart was the band's first studio album in almost seven years; the band's single "Superblood Wolfmoon" is currently Top 10 at Active Rock radio.

Our fearless leader added that injecting oneself with disinfectant will create a whole other kind of visual experience.