"Dark Matters" is the eighteenth studio album by British rock band The Stranglers, released on September 10, 2021, through Coursegood. The album holds particular significance as it features the playing of keyboardist Dave Greenfield, who passed away in 2020. It is also the first studio album recorded without founding drummer Jet Black, who retired from performing with the band in 2015.
Upon its release, Dark Matters entered the UK Official Albums Chart at number 4, marking the highest chart position for a Stranglers studio album since Feline in 1983. The album received the "Album of the Year" award from Vive Le Rock magazine in its December 2021 issue.
Dark Matters is the first studio album by The Stranglers since 2012's Giants and the first following the death of keyboardist Dave Greenfield in May 2020. The track "And If You Should See Dave..." was written by bassist and singer Jean-Jacques Burnel as a tribute to Greenfield. Greenfield features on eight of the album's eleven tracks, while the remaining tracks were completed remotely by other band members due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The album was recorded over a period of two years with long-time producer Louie Nicastro. Recording took place mainly at the Stranglers' own studio near Bath in Somerset and at Mark Gardener's OX4 Sound Studios in Oxford, with additional sessions at guitarist Baz Warne's home studio in Yorkshire and at a studio near Burnel's home in the south of France.
One notable track, "If Something's Gonna Kill Me (It Might as Well Be Love)," includes a lyrical tribute to Greenfield and was arranged by Warne as a Kraftwerk-inspired electro-pop track. The song features keyboard bass and programmed drums, with Nicastro using keyboards like the Oberheim, PPG Wave, and Minimoog, which Greenfield had used in the early days of the band.
The album also features "The Lines," a one-take recording with Burnel on acoustic guitar and Warne on lead vocals, with keyboards added later.
Dark Matters is the first Stranglers studio album since original drummer Jet Black retired from active performances in 2015. Although Black does not perform on the album, he is acknowledged in the sleeve notes. He is replaced by long-time touring drummer Jim Macaulay.
The track "This Song" is a cover of "This Song Will Get Me Over You" by the band Disciples of Spess, but is co-credited to The Stranglers. The music video for this track features former England footballer Stuart Pearce, a long-time fan of the band.
