Riot Act

We’re forever indebted to Pearl Jam for showing hair metal the door in the early ’90s, so we’ve struggled along with them as pretenders like Candlebox and Creed neutered their signature sound. With Riot Act, though, Eddie Vedder and Co. quit their search for a new identity and accept what they really are: a damn fine rock band. The shadow of the band’s spiritual godfather, Neil Young, looms large, especially in the righteous indignation that stomps front and center on many of these tunes. “Fuck me if I say something you don’t wanna hear,” Vedder howls over furious riffs and the thunderous drumming of ex-Soundgarden hand Matt Cameron on “Save You,” pretty much summing up the group’s new attitude. There’s also a renewed sense of purpose: Post-9/11 fear and confusion energize “I Am Mine,” a soaring anthem that’s the best thing they’ve done since Vitalogy. Few of the songs smack you with the force of their early hits, but after seven albums Pearl Jam know it’s not how hard they hit that counts; it’s the lasting impact.