Pearl Jam tease ‘Gigaton’ with augmented reality treasure hunt

Pearl Jam appear to be teasing something called ‘Gigaton’ via a worldwide augmented reality treasure hunt.

• Read more: Pearl Jam rock for freedom and equality in the free world at Mad Cool

It comes after the band unveiled two previously unseen pieces of artwork on their Twitter account this week, causing fans to speculate whether they could be linked to a new album.

Pearl Jam posted the images on Friday (January 10), with one of them showing the band’s name incorporated into a heart rate monitor design and a second depicting three symbols.

Now, an interactive map on the band’s website has led fans to visit coordinates in multiple cities around the world, which has resulted in them discovering giant billboards with what appears to be cover artwork and the word ‘Gigaton’ on them.

Look for Pearl Jam in cities around the world… https://t.co/uDIWRrKT1y pic.twitter.com/qEB9yLhWd2

— Pearl Jam (@PearlJam) January 10, 2020

Viewing the billboards through the Gigaton Instagram filter plays a snippet of sound and shows an animation of polar ice caps melting. (The melting of polar ice caps is measured in gigatons.)

It’s not clear whether ‘Gigaton’ is the name of an album or single as of yet, but Italian fan site Pearl Jam Online reports that ‘Gigaton’ is the name of Pearl Jam’s 11th studio album that will be released in March.

According to several Instagram posts, the artwork on the billboards is allegedly shot by renowned arctic wildlife photographer Paul Nicklen.

View this post on Instagram

Pearl Jam. Gigaton. Coming soon. #PearlJam #Gigaton ? @PaulNicklen

A post shared by PearlJamOnLine.it (@pearljamonline) on Jan 10, 2020 at 12:47pm PST

View this post on Instagram

What makes a work of art timeless? This is obviously a very subjective question, but I want to share my personal take on this topic through my photos. To me, my work is timeless because what I photograph is not timeless at all. When I am shooting, I am looking to capture a unique moment that will never occur again. The animals and places in my work are not promised tomorrow, and it is my mission to capture their elegance and grace to be preserved in time. My photos depict the delicate pieces to the larger picture of a troubled planet. Always remember that hope is not lost, and it is through my work that I wish to inspire, uplift and provoke change in these unique times. Visit the link in my bio to explore all of my fine art. To learn more, please contact Lauren at fineart@paulnicklen.com.

A post shared by Paul Nicklen (@paulnicklen) on Jan 3, 2020 at 9:21am PST

Meanwhile, Pearl Jam have been confirmed as the latest headliners for Hyde Park’s British Summer Time Festival next summer.

The annual concert series, which boasted performances from the likes of Robbie Williams and Celine Dion in 2019, will see Pearl Jam performing on Friday July 10.

They’ll be supported by Pixies and White Reaper with more acts to follow.