- Gish (1991)
- Siamese Dream (1993)
- Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)
- Adore (1998)
- Machina/The Machines of God (2000)
- Zeitgeist (2007)
- Oceania (2012)
- Monuments to an Elegy (2014)
- Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 (2018)
- Cyr (2020)
- Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts (2023)
GISH 1991 (Hut)
- Standouts: 'I Am One', 'Siva', 'Rhinoceros', 'Bury Me', 'Crush', 'Snail', 'Tristessa', 'Window Paine'
GISH 1991 (Hut)
- Standouts: 'I Am One', 'Siva', 'Rhinoceros', 'Bury Me', 'Crush', 'Snail', 'Tristessa', 'Window Paine'
It took me a long time before I really became fond of the Smashing Pumpkins, to the point where I actually started to collect all their albums. They're a band I was well aware of even as a kid, because my uncle loves them and my mum had both Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Also, my best mate is a big fan of them, so I knew most of their hits before I actually started picking up any of their records. Anyhow, they started to become more of a big deal for me maybe when I hit my early 20's, and I saw them live in 2018 at Wembley Arena (the only 3 hour concert I've ever attended!). I can't say I'm a fan of all their records, as you'll find out if you continue to read the rest of this page, but I certainly do believe they have a small number of quintessential alternative rock records under their belt.
Well, Gish is the 1991 debut and is probably the most inoffensive, least diverse album in the Pumpkins discography. Don't be fooled however, because that is no bad thing. There's a ton of great songs here, from the big riffy grunge of 'I Am One' and 'Siva', to the floaty, quasi-psychedelic rock of 'Rhinoceros'. The aforementioned 'I Am One' and 'Siva' aren't terribly different to what bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam were doing around the same time - this was the early '90s after all. Obviously the egomaniac himself, Billy Corgan (who at this point hadn't started shaving his head and looking like a complete weirdo), has an unorthodox and nasally vocal style; he's the type of guy whose voice really isn't for everyone, but he can write some fantastic music even if you don't enjoy his singing. Me personally, I never took issue with his vocals. He writes songs to suit his style. Erm, oh yeah, about 'Rhinoceros' - it's probably my favourite track on this album. It's nice, slow and soothing; the psychedelic nature of the music perfectly accompanies the '90s alt. rock vibes. 'Bury Me' is very much back on the grunge spectrum with it's heavy riffing. There's a lot of melody in the guitars however, especially regarding James Iha's lead work.
There's a nice ballad here too, with 'Crush'. It almost feels like a precursor to 'Disarm' from the next album, Siamese Dream. It's a largely acoustic-driven song with lots of murky, yet strangely pretty lead guitars. 'Suffer' too, is something of a cleaner track with a moody atmosphere, although I wouldn't call it a ballad per say. I like it, but it's not a favourite of mine. 'Rhinoceros' is similar in style and tempo, but done better. I do like 'Snail' a lot however - the guitar riffs and bits are so catchy in the second half they might be my favourite individual segment of the entire record. Meanwhile 'Tristessa' is a little more upbeat and comparable again to many of the grunge bands of the '90s. Good stuff. 'Window Paine' is another slow-building, but fine cut.
Gish is not the greatest album Corgan ever put out, but it's a highly respectable debut effort and I really don't have a lot of issues with it. Even the production is top-notch for what was, at the time, an independent release. Maybe 'Daydream' is a subpar note to end the album with; bass player D'Arcy Wretzky sings on it, which I don't have a problem with. It's the generic, basic strumming chord patterns that bug me. But whatever, I can still kinda dig it I guess. Either way, a very strong debut indeed. Better things were to come, sure, but Gish is definitely among some of my favourite rock LP's of the early '90s.
Adam's rating: 8.7/10
SIAMESE DREAM 1993 (Virgin)
- Standouts: Everything.
Adam's rating: 8.7/10
SIAMESE DREAM 1993 (Virgin)
- Standouts: Everything.
Spoilers already, but this is where Billy and the Pumpkins peaked in my honest opinion. I like Gish a lot; it's an album that I feel sits nicely within the grunge timeframe it was released within, but has plenty of it's own unique traits that made the Smashing Pumpkins stand out among their competition. With Siamese Dream however, everything's just gotten better, somehow. Like, every single aspect is better now. From the songwriting, the production, the hooks, the musicianship... it's all just better! True, it does kind of plod along at a rather slow pace for almost all it's entirety (I'll explain this later, 'cos it does affect my enjoyment too, somewhat), so if you have a problem with that then you might wanna bark up a different tree. But if you don't, then please read on. Better yet in fact, just stop reading and go listen to this album right now!
Sooo... the songs speak for themselves. Opening with the grunge-fest that is 'Cherub Rock'. The riffs and overall melody of this track is rather simplistic, but the whole song just has this huge, thick sound and the whole thing has me humming along in seconds once it gets going. It's among the Pumpkins' classics that's for sure. Meanwhile, 'Quiet' rules too. It's a heavy riff-fest, reminding me of the kind of thing Helmet were doing around this period - massive alternative metal riffage and tons of mood. Classic. Then of course, there's 'Today', which is a far more melodic, tuneful number that features some irresistible guitar melodies and vocal arrangements throughout. It was the highest-charting single in the States from this album, for good reason. It's basically a perfect '90s rock song.
I'm jumping ahead of the tracklisting a little hear, but speaking of perfect songs, 'Disarm' is something else. The only reason it isn't perfect is because it ends way too soon. Of course, Corgan's vocals are another reason it may not be perfect for everyone too, but you should know whether you like his weird voice or not by now. Anyway, 'Disarm'. Such a beautiful ballad. The lyrics are wonderful, the way Billy sounds as if he's straining his vocal chords just adds to the emotion. The string sections... it's just a brilliant track. Like I said though, it just fades out quite abruptly, and I've always had a problem with this!
'Hummer' could have quite easily been a boring song if the riff and whole structure of the song wasn't so goddamn memorable! It's the definition of a song that 'plods along', but I love it. I also love the mellow bit towards the end. Keeps it interesting, but it'd still have been great even without it. Of course, 'Rocket' keeps the same slow tempo going, but once again this really doesn't matter. The melodies are so great along with the rich production I can hear it on repeat and not get bored. 'Soma' too, is great. It has a kind of psychedelic touch with it's mellower parts. It eventually morphs into a big dramatic grunge rock piece before ending on a tamer note once again. Things do pick up with a tempo a little on the slightly more punky 'Geek U.S.A.', which at this point was needed to keep the listener hooked. That said, it does have a brief, trippy break in the middle of the song. I'm not entirely sure why, but there's something about some of the lead guitar chops on this track that remind me of Queens of the Stone Age.
The shoegaze-y 'Mayonaise' is yet another favourite from this record. It has a kind of lazy, dreamy feel despite the distorted guitars and prominent melodies. 'Spaceboy' is again, quite mellow and has some nice usage of strings. They're not as in-your-face as they are in 'Disarm', but they add a really pleasant atmosphere to the whole song. The lengthier 'Silverfuck' is probably the most up-tempo track on the album, and I love Jimmy Chamberlain's thunderous drums that hammer away throughout. Given that this song is almost 9 minutes however, it does have some proggy-like transitions and isn't always brash for the entire run-time. 'Sweet Sweet' serves as a melodic introductory to the album's finale, 'Luna', which is a nice and straightforward sleazy, soft way to end the record on.
I originally gave Siamese Dream a 9.5/10, probably because I've always considered it to be one of the best '90s alt./grunge releases of all time. I still do, but the 9.5/10 is definitely a little OTT. I'm a fan of each and every track on this record, and I still listen to songs like 'Rocket', 'Cherub Rock', 'Mayonaise', 'Disarm', 'Soma' and 'Quiet' regularly to this day - but I don't listen to the entire thing all that often. As great as these songs are, I have to be in the mood to hear the whole album at once, and it's probably because of it's pacing. The mood rarely changes and it's over an hour in length, as opposed to the 45-minute Gish. I don't wanna say there's too many songs on here... but maybe there just is?
Either way, I've lowered the score a little to a 9.2/10 instead. Sometimes I go down these weird rabbit holes when scoring albums. I looked at other albums I've scored 9.2/10 - for example, the first Rainbow album, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow (which is not comparable in any way musically of course). It's not that I like Siamese Dream any less than that Rainbow album, but that's a record and band I've listened to religiously since I was a teenager, so I can't exactly score something from the Smashing Pumpkins any higher, if ya get me.
Adam's rating: 9.2/10
MELLON COLLIE AND THE INFINITE SADNESS 1995 (Virgin)
- Standouts: 'Tonight, Tonight', 'Jellybelly', 'Zero', 'Here Is No Why', 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings', 'Muzzle', 'Thirty-Three', '1979', 'Tales of a Scorched Earth'
I guess there's a lot of debate over which album is better - this or Siamese Dream. Maybe you'll get the occasional fan voting for Gish as Billy's finest hour, but it's probably safe to say that the overwhelming majority of people would point to Siamese Dream or Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. I get why some people prefer Mellon Collie, but honestly, for me it's too damn long. And while I do think that some of the best tracks ol' Billy has ever penned are on here, there's also a lot of filler among them. I find this is true with a lot of double albums - none that I can think of reach levels of perfection. I don't even think Physical Graffiti qualifies as one of Led Zeppelin's best. Mellon Collie is over 2 hours long. That makes it a chore to sit through by default. While it does have a lot of variety musically, at least a third of the record is forgettable. Does anyone really talk about songs like 'Thru the Eyes of a Ruby', 'Galapogos' or 'By Starlight' when they talk about the Pumpkins? I think not. And 'Porcelina of the Vast Oceans' is over 9 minutes long and just sounds bloated and unnecessary to me.
That said, there are a ton of classics to be had on here. Basically all the singles are excellent. 'Tonight, Tonight' is just majestic and featured a superb, award-winning music video. 'Zero' displays the heavy, grungy side of the Pumpkins at their best, and is maybe their best-known track of all time... well, maybe, maybe not. '1979' is one of the best pop rock songs ever, and I don't care if it rips off 'What's Going On' by Husker Du, the vibe is still different and less atonal. 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings' has the best chorus Billy ever wrote - 'Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage!'. Then of course, there's 'Thirty-Three', one of the better acoustic numbers among their discography. I also think the album has a handful of strong grungy numbers on it too, like the catchy 'Jellybelly' and 'Here Is No Why'. 'Tales of a Scorched Earth' has some good heavy riffage on it, and Billy incorporates those distorted, Ministry-esque vocals. I like it.
Had this record been released on a single disc and had about a third of the songs slashed, it would be an easy 9/10 for me. Fact is, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is just too damn long for me to enjoy properly. Thankfully the good songs on here are easily some of their best, so it's worthy of an 8 for that fact alone. But I do find it to be overrated in all fairness.
Adam's rating: 8.2/10
ADORE 1998 (Virgin)
- Standouts: 'Ava Adore', 'Perfect'
Hmmm... now things are starting to go wrong. Billy's ego had taken over and he'd made 'an attempt to go back to what's important at a musical core and build it outward'... so that apparently means adding synths, drum machines, more pianos and acoustic guitars and electronica. Yeah, this is different. It's not like they ever weren't experimental, but this album sits more in the artsy, gothy realm of rock/pop than it does alternative/grunge. Don't expect any of the songs on here to sound like 'Zero', 'Cherub Rock' or 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings'. I will admit that I do quite like Corgan's vocal performance on the album. He's more subdued (obviously) and sounds more like he does on '1979' than any of those nasally performances of past songs.
As for the actual music though, there's only one song on here I would really consider to be 'classic', and that's 'Ava Adore' - even if it is basically techno rock. It's a great song that always fits in well live. 'Perfect' has some nice melodies and sort of reminds me of '1979'. 'Pug' is kinda cool too I guess. But really most of this CD is just a chore to sit through. Nothing really stands out apart from said tunes. It even begins with the piano-driven 'To Sheila', as if that wasn't a big enough warning of what's to come. 'Apples + Oranjes' is pretty much entirely electronic. Honestly, this album just passes me by if I'm not careful. I guess if you're chilling out and blazing one, this isn't a bad record to play, but for the most part it just bores me and shouldn't have been released under the Smashing Pumpkins label.
Adam's rating: 5/10
MACHINA/THE MACHINES OF GOD 2000 (Virgin)
- Standouts: 'The Everlasting Gaze'
While I do think this one is an improvement on what I like to think is really a Billy Corgan solo album in all but name (Adore...but then again you could argue that Smashing Pumpkins was always a Billy Corgan solo project), Machina/The Machines of God still comes nowhere near the greatness of the first 3 records. True, it does start off brilliantly thanks to 'The Everlasting Gaze' which has some great riffs and remains a gig favourite. Some people might not like the 10 or so second break where the instruments stop completely and Billy's nasal vox takes over, but I get a kick out of it. Plus there's something oddly amusing about it. 'Stand Inside Your Love' is pretty good too, if a little generic alternative rock-sounding. But nice either way. 'Heavy Metal Machine' isn't bad either, though it isn't heavy metal. The first half off the near-10 minute long 'Glass and the Ghost Children' is listenable, but the second half bores me. Sadly I find much of the record to be a mix of the pretentious goth rock of Adore and dull alternative rock with no real unique traits aside from Billy's nasal voice. 'Raindrops + Sunshowers' features an okay chorus, but the verses are crap and the music is very electronic once again. 'Try, Try, Try' is garbage by this band's standards; it just sounds like late 90's pop.
Apart from 'The Everlasting Gaze', I don't think anything else on here comes close to the pre-Adore days. This late 90's/early 2000's period of the band was just weird to be honest. You could say that they were just trying to stay relevant, but I don't really think this or Adore sound like typical products of their time, aside from maybe a handful of tracks. It's no surprise that the band broke up for a number of years after this release. D'arcy Wretzky was fired after the album, and barely recorded any bass parts on the tracks (most of the bass was handled by Billy). She and ol' Corgy still aren't on good terms to this day. So yeah, I don't particularly like this one either. It's not completely horrible, the music just isn't the Pumpkins style I want to hear.
Adam's rating: 5/10
ZEITGEIST 2007 (Martha's Music)
- Standouts: 'Doomsday Clock', 'Bleeding the Orchid', 'Tarantula', '(Come On) Let's Go!'
The comeback album. Well, I mean that in a literal sense, not in a 'return to form' kind of sense. The band reformed in 2006, but Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin were the only original members at this point. In fact, Corgan plays bass and keyboards on the record, so it's a 2-man effort. Although obviously Billy would argue that he played the majority of the bass parts on the older records too (not sure how true this is). Musically Zeitgeist is an improvement on the lightweight Adore and the directionless Machina/The Machines of God. Lots of good, guitar-driven numbers that have more in common with any of the first 3 albums than the previous 2. Songs like 'Doomsday Clock' (which kicks ass), 'Tarantula' and '7 Shades of Black' are solid and driving guitar-heavy alternative rock songs. 'Bleeding the Orchid' brings back that grunge sensibility. The main riff in '(Come On) Let's Go!' sort of even reminds me of 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings', and that's a good thing. 'For God and Country' does kind of have a gothy touch to it, and I think it's because of the use of atmospheric keyboards in the background. Again though, I like the song. I do think 'United States' is a bit pompous and unnecessarily long at almost 10 minutes running time as the overall musical direction of the song is similar to anything else on the album, but there aren't any flat-out 'bad' parts of the track either.
Come to think of it, I thought pretty much every song on Zeitgeist was either solid or at least listenable. The problem is that the album suffers from a surprisingly poor production job. We're talking near demo-quality stuff here, at least from a band like the Pumpkins, who've sold millions of records. Don't get me wrong, I like a rough production sound on a black metal album, but this just sounds rushed to me. Like Metallica's Death Magnetic, the compression is bad here (not that I know a whole lot about music production), and you can barely hear the bass. It makes everything sound thin. My other issue is Billy himself. Not his handling of instruments, it's his voice this time around. I dunno, he just sounds noticeably worse here than anything that came before. He isn't unlistenable, he just 'sings' in the same subdued style throughout pretty much the whole album, and it sounds lazy.
All in all however, aside from those 2 issues, this one is good overall. It could've been great if Billy put more effort into his vocals and if the album had been produced differently. But even so, it's surprising that Zeitgeist is as solid as it is considering the lack of band members. Some people really seem to hate it, but I never really understood why.
Adam's rating: 7/10
OCEANIA 2012 (Martha's Music)
Standouts: 'Quasar', 'Panopticon', 'Oceania', 'The Chimera', 'Inkless'
Billy's explanation for when he announced Oceania was that this time he was releasing an 'album within an album'. Not sure what that means, but prior to this record's release the band were releasing 44 individual songs as 'Teargarden by Kaleidyscope', a project that was abandoned after 34 songs were released. Anyhow, during this period the entire line-up had changed; aside from Billy, there are no original members left (not even Jimmy Chamberlain). This isn't a huge downer really, because it has it's strengths and weaknesses over Zeitgeist.
The album starts with a couple of brilliant, almost Gish-esque numbers, 'Quasar' and 'Panopticon', which are kind of similar to 'Siva' and 'I Am One' from said debut record. Of course, the musicianship has evolved over the years, but I still think that's a fair comparison. These 2 songs really get the record off to a great start. Track 3, 'The Celestials' is a nice balladish number too. 'Violet Rays' isn't bad either, kind of reminds me of some of the more mellow numbers from Mellon Collie like 'Beautiful'. The album does mellow out for several tracks once 'The Celestials' comes on though. Tracks like 'Violet Rays', 'One Diamond, One Heart', 'Pale Horse' and 'Wildflower' are very keyboard/synth-driven songs that have more in common with Adore-era Pumpkins or Corgan solo material I suppose, minus the whole goth vibes they had back then.
Things pick up again with a handful of powerful numbers like 'The Chimera', 'Inkless' and 'Glissandra'. The 9 minute artsy title song is enjoyable too, and certainly better than the overblown 'United States' from Zeitgeist. Really this record is an improvement on the predecessor in a lot of ways. The production is excellent unlike the former, and Billy's voice sounds a lot better this time too. However, I wouldn't say the songs here are necessarily better. Well, okay, the first 2 tracks I enjoy more than anything from Zeitgeist, but not every track on Oceania really held my attention. That said, I do enjoy most of this album even if it does just fall short of greatness.
Adam's rating: 7.5/10
MONUMENTS TO AN ELEGY 2014 (Martha's Music)
- Standouts: 'Tiberius', 'One and All', 'Anti-Hero'
I wasn't really expecting too much from this CD, truth be told. Even though I thought both Oceania and Zeitgeist were a step in the right direction compared to the mediocrity of Machina and Adore, I'd heard that 2014's Monuments to an Elegy was basically Billy Corgan doing synth-rock, or even synth-pop. While synths are definitely present throughout this record, they don't completely overshadow everything. The album starts with 'Tiberius', which is a solid number with plenty of guitars, and a synth that follows a melody in the background. The synth sort of gives the track more depth. 'Being Beige' is a bit poppy and very melodic, I will admit that. But it's still more alt. rock than anything else. 'Anaise!' is not bad listening either, and could almost fit on Melon Collie if it wasn't for the subtle use of... yep, you guessed it, synths. Really, about 2/3 of this album sounds like Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Oceania and Zeitgeist thrown in a blender, but with the addition of extra synths. 'One and All' is very good, and maybe the best song on here. It could almost qualify as mid-90's Pumpkins. 'Run2me''s synths are annoying and a bit obnoxious during the verses, true, but the melodies are nice, and Billy doesn't sound bad either. 'Drum + Fife' is a bit less experimental, thankfully. 'Monuments' is okay too I suppose, and the ongoing synth does kind of work, but it's not really anything to write home about either. I don't like 'Dorian', as this certainly is synth-driven pop, but thankfully the more driving 'Anti-Hero' ends the album on a higher note.
While this album was definitely better than I was expecting, I just feel like if you took away the synths, many of the stronger tracks on here like 'Anti-Hero', 'Anaise!', 'One and All' and 'Tiberius' would not have lost any of their flair, and if anything, would've sat closer to classic Pumpkins. Usually, the synths on this record don't break the songs (although 'Dorian' sucks, and 'Run2me' is questionable), but I don't feel that they improve them either. The other issue with Monuments to an Elegy is that, even though about 80% of this album was perfectly listenable to me, the songs just didn't stand out that much, even the better ones. I can't pick out any individual factor... the album just isn't as entertaining as the early stuff, nor is it as good as the previous couple of efforts. Still, I gotta admit that I do prefer it to Adore or Machina.
Adam's rating: 6/10
SHINY AND OH SO BRIGHT, VOL. 1 2018 (Martha's Music)
- Standouts: 'Knights of Malta', 'Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)', 'Solara', 'Marchin' On', 'Alienation', 'Seek and You Shall Destroy'
I was lucky enough to see Smashing Pumpkins at the end of 2018 at a sell-out show in Wembley Arena - the only UK show they played during the Shiny and Oh So Bright tour. 'Course, I also saw them at Download Festival about 8 months later, but the less said about that performance the better (it wasn't bad... just a weird setlist for an hour's festival slot). Thankfully the Wembley gig was brilliant; I couldn't believe Billy and co. actually played a 3 hour set, basically everything I wanted to hear was played, plus more. 'Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)' was played at the very end of the set, which was actually unreleased at the time - the show took place literally a few weeks before the release of the Shiny and Oh So Bright album. I liked the song and immediately went out and bought the record when it hit the shelves.
This album, while not really a 'return to form', is another step in the right direction after Monuments to an Elegy, which wasn't a bad album, but certainly nothing special either. Billy's got most of the original line-up back - James Iha is back on guitar and Jimmy Chamberlain is back behind the drum kit, the only original member that's missing is bassist D'arcy Wretzky. Strangely, she was originally supposed to be getting involved with the project and tour, but supposedly fell out with Billy again. Both her and Corgan shared their sides of the story, and I don't really know who to believe to be honest, but either way, having Iha and Chamberlain back has definitely helped contribute towards the noticeably better songwriting within this record.
'Knights of Malta' starts the album on a very melodic note and even features strings. The aforementioned 'Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)' is a very good and catchy single that actually gave me '1979' vibes. Not because of the lyrics as such, there's just something about the overall melody and arrangement of the music. 'Solara' is classic Pumpkins through-and-through. It's heavy, catchy and brooding; deserves to be a regular live. Songs like 'Travels' and 'With Sympathy' are solid, soft and melodic tracks. 'Alienation' is a nice arena number, and 'Marchin' On' brings back 90's vibes. I really don't think any of these songs are bad. Hell, even Rick Rubin - who I think normally butchers the production these days, at least on heavy metal bands - does a decent job with the sound on this thing.
Nope, the album's biggest problem is that it's all over after almost 32 minutes. Maybe the fact it has 'Vol. 1' in the title suggests that the next release will conclude this record. The band are apparently working on the next studio album, but either way I guess I would've liked another 2 or 3 songs on this album, to bring it up to around 40-45 minutes long. Overall though, this is the best Pumpkins album in over 20 years, and that's saying something. It isn't perfect, but there's no bullshit going on with the songwriting, Billy's not being deliberately awkward, and the band (mostly) sound like the band you originally loved in the first place. Shame it's over way too quickly.
Adam's rating: 7.9/10
MELLON COLLIE AND THE INFINITE SADNESS 1995 (Virgin)
- Standouts: 'Tonight, Tonight', 'Jellybelly', 'Zero', 'Here Is No Why', 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings', 'Muzzle', 'Thirty-Three', '1979', 'Tales of a Scorched Earth'
I guess there's a lot of debate over which album is better - this or Siamese Dream. Maybe you'll get the occasional fan voting for Gish as Billy's finest hour, but it's probably safe to say that the overwhelming majority of people would point to Siamese Dream or Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. I get why some people prefer Mellon Collie, but honestly, for me it's too damn long. And while I do think that some of the best tracks ol' Billy has ever penned are on here, there's also a lot of filler among them. I find this is true with a lot of double albums - none that I can think of reach levels of perfection. I don't even think Physical Graffiti qualifies as one of Led Zeppelin's best. Mellon Collie is over 2 hours long. That makes it a chore to sit through by default. While it does have a lot of variety musically, at least a third of the record is forgettable. Does anyone really talk about songs like 'Thru the Eyes of a Ruby', 'Galapogos' or 'By Starlight' when they talk about the Pumpkins? I think not. And 'Porcelina of the Vast Oceans' is over 9 minutes long and just sounds bloated and unnecessary to me.
That said, there are a ton of classics to be had on here. Basically all the singles are excellent. 'Tonight, Tonight' is just majestic and featured a superb, award-winning music video. 'Zero' displays the heavy, grungy side of the Pumpkins at their best, and is maybe their best-known track of all time... well, maybe, maybe not. '1979' is one of the best pop rock songs ever, and I don't care if it rips off 'What's Going On' by Husker Du, the vibe is still different and less atonal. 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings' has the best chorus Billy ever wrote - 'Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage!'. Then of course, there's 'Thirty-Three', one of the better acoustic numbers among their discography. I also think the album has a handful of strong grungy numbers on it too, like the catchy 'Jellybelly' and 'Here Is No Why'. 'Tales of a Scorched Earth' has some good heavy riffage on it, and Billy incorporates those distorted, Ministry-esque vocals. I like it.
Had this record been released on a single disc and had about a third of the songs slashed, it would be an easy 9/10 for me. Fact is, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is just too damn long for me to enjoy properly. Thankfully the good songs on here are easily some of their best, so it's worthy of an 8 for that fact alone. But I do find it to be overrated in all fairness.
Adam's rating: 8.2/10
ADORE 1998 (Virgin)
- Standouts: 'Ava Adore', 'Perfect'
Hmmm... now things are starting to go wrong. Billy's ego had taken over and he'd made 'an attempt to go back to what's important at a musical core and build it outward'... so that apparently means adding synths, drum machines, more pianos and acoustic guitars and electronica. Yeah, this is different. It's not like they ever weren't experimental, but this album sits more in the artsy, gothy realm of rock/pop than it does alternative/grunge. Don't expect any of the songs on here to sound like 'Zero', 'Cherub Rock' or 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings'. I will admit that I do quite like Corgan's vocal performance on the album. He's more subdued (obviously) and sounds more like he does on '1979' than any of those nasally performances of past songs.
As for the actual music though, there's only one song on here I would really consider to be 'classic', and that's 'Ava Adore' - even if it is basically techno rock. It's a great song that always fits in well live. 'Perfect' has some nice melodies and sort of reminds me of '1979'. 'Pug' is kinda cool too I guess. But really most of this CD is just a chore to sit through. Nothing really stands out apart from said tunes. It even begins with the piano-driven 'To Sheila', as if that wasn't a big enough warning of what's to come. 'Apples + Oranjes' is pretty much entirely electronic. Honestly, this album just passes me by if I'm not careful. I guess if you're chilling out and blazing one, this isn't a bad record to play, but for the most part it just bores me and shouldn't have been released under the Smashing Pumpkins label.
Adam's rating: 5/10
MACHINA/THE MACHINES OF GOD 2000 (Virgin)
- Standouts: 'The Everlasting Gaze'
While I do think this one is an improvement on what I like to think is really a Billy Corgan solo album in all but name (Adore...but then again you could argue that Smashing Pumpkins was always a Billy Corgan solo project), Machina/The Machines of God still comes nowhere near the greatness of the first 3 records. True, it does start off brilliantly thanks to 'The Everlasting Gaze' which has some great riffs and remains a gig favourite. Some people might not like the 10 or so second break where the instruments stop completely and Billy's nasal vox takes over, but I get a kick out of it. Plus there's something oddly amusing about it. 'Stand Inside Your Love' is pretty good too, if a little generic alternative rock-sounding. But nice either way. 'Heavy Metal Machine' isn't bad either, though it isn't heavy metal. The first half off the near-10 minute long 'Glass and the Ghost Children' is listenable, but the second half bores me. Sadly I find much of the record to be a mix of the pretentious goth rock of Adore and dull alternative rock with no real unique traits aside from Billy's nasal voice. 'Raindrops + Sunshowers' features an okay chorus, but the verses are crap and the music is very electronic once again. 'Try, Try, Try' is garbage by this band's standards; it just sounds like late 90's pop.
Apart from 'The Everlasting Gaze', I don't think anything else on here comes close to the pre-Adore days. This late 90's/early 2000's period of the band was just weird to be honest. You could say that they were just trying to stay relevant, but I don't really think this or Adore sound like typical products of their time, aside from maybe a handful of tracks. It's no surprise that the band broke up for a number of years after this release. D'arcy Wretzky was fired after the album, and barely recorded any bass parts on the tracks (most of the bass was handled by Billy). She and ol' Corgy still aren't on good terms to this day. So yeah, I don't particularly like this one either. It's not completely horrible, the music just isn't the Pumpkins style I want to hear.
Adam's rating: 5/10
ZEITGEIST 2007 (Martha's Music)
- Standouts: 'Doomsday Clock', 'Bleeding the Orchid', 'Tarantula', '(Come On) Let's Go!'
The comeback album. Well, I mean that in a literal sense, not in a 'return to form' kind of sense. The band reformed in 2006, but Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin were the only original members at this point. In fact, Corgan plays bass and keyboards on the record, so it's a 2-man effort. Although obviously Billy would argue that he played the majority of the bass parts on the older records too (not sure how true this is). Musically Zeitgeist is an improvement on the lightweight Adore and the directionless Machina/The Machines of God. Lots of good, guitar-driven numbers that have more in common with any of the first 3 albums than the previous 2. Songs like 'Doomsday Clock' (which kicks ass), 'Tarantula' and '7 Shades of Black' are solid and driving guitar-heavy alternative rock songs. 'Bleeding the Orchid' brings back that grunge sensibility. The main riff in '(Come On) Let's Go!' sort of even reminds me of 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings', and that's a good thing. 'For God and Country' does kind of have a gothy touch to it, and I think it's because of the use of atmospheric keyboards in the background. Again though, I like the song. I do think 'United States' is a bit pompous and unnecessarily long at almost 10 minutes running time as the overall musical direction of the song is similar to anything else on the album, but there aren't any flat-out 'bad' parts of the track either.
Come to think of it, I thought pretty much every song on Zeitgeist was either solid or at least listenable. The problem is that the album suffers from a surprisingly poor production job. We're talking near demo-quality stuff here, at least from a band like the Pumpkins, who've sold millions of records. Don't get me wrong, I like a rough production sound on a black metal album, but this just sounds rushed to me. Like Metallica's Death Magnetic, the compression is bad here (not that I know a whole lot about music production), and you can barely hear the bass. It makes everything sound thin. My other issue is Billy himself. Not his handling of instruments, it's his voice this time around. I dunno, he just sounds noticeably worse here than anything that came before. He isn't unlistenable, he just 'sings' in the same subdued style throughout pretty much the whole album, and it sounds lazy.
All in all however, aside from those 2 issues, this one is good overall. It could've been great if Billy put more effort into his vocals and if the album had been produced differently. But even so, it's surprising that Zeitgeist is as solid as it is considering the lack of band members. Some people really seem to hate it, but I never really understood why.
Adam's rating: 7/10
OCEANIA 2012 (Martha's Music)
Standouts: 'Quasar', 'Panopticon', 'Oceania', 'The Chimera', 'Inkless'
Billy's explanation for when he announced Oceania was that this time he was releasing an 'album within an album'. Not sure what that means, but prior to this record's release the band were releasing 44 individual songs as 'Teargarden by Kaleidyscope', a project that was abandoned after 34 songs were released. Anyhow, during this period the entire line-up had changed; aside from Billy, there are no original members left (not even Jimmy Chamberlain). This isn't a huge downer really, because it has it's strengths and weaknesses over Zeitgeist.
The album starts with a couple of brilliant, almost Gish-esque numbers, 'Quasar' and 'Panopticon', which are kind of similar to 'Siva' and 'I Am One' from said debut record. Of course, the musicianship has evolved over the years, but I still think that's a fair comparison. These 2 songs really get the record off to a great start. Track 3, 'The Celestials' is a nice balladish number too. 'Violet Rays' isn't bad either, kind of reminds me of some of the more mellow numbers from Mellon Collie like 'Beautiful'. The album does mellow out for several tracks once 'The Celestials' comes on though. Tracks like 'Violet Rays', 'One Diamond, One Heart', 'Pale Horse' and 'Wildflower' are very keyboard/synth-driven songs that have more in common with Adore-era Pumpkins or Corgan solo material I suppose, minus the whole goth vibes they had back then.
Things pick up again with a handful of powerful numbers like 'The Chimera', 'Inkless' and 'Glissandra'. The 9 minute artsy title song is enjoyable too, and certainly better than the overblown 'United States' from Zeitgeist. Really this record is an improvement on the predecessor in a lot of ways. The production is excellent unlike the former, and Billy's voice sounds a lot better this time too. However, I wouldn't say the songs here are necessarily better. Well, okay, the first 2 tracks I enjoy more than anything from Zeitgeist, but not every track on Oceania really held my attention. That said, I do enjoy most of this album even if it does just fall short of greatness.
Adam's rating: 7.5/10
MONUMENTS TO AN ELEGY 2014 (Martha's Music)
- Standouts: 'Tiberius', 'One and All', 'Anti-Hero'
I wasn't really expecting too much from this CD, truth be told. Even though I thought both Oceania and Zeitgeist were a step in the right direction compared to the mediocrity of Machina and Adore, I'd heard that 2014's Monuments to an Elegy was basically Billy Corgan doing synth-rock, or even synth-pop. While synths are definitely present throughout this record, they don't completely overshadow everything. The album starts with 'Tiberius', which is a solid number with plenty of guitars, and a synth that follows a melody in the background. The synth sort of gives the track more depth. 'Being Beige' is a bit poppy and very melodic, I will admit that. But it's still more alt. rock than anything else. 'Anaise!' is not bad listening either, and could almost fit on Melon Collie if it wasn't for the subtle use of... yep, you guessed it, synths. Really, about 2/3 of this album sounds like Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Oceania and Zeitgeist thrown in a blender, but with the addition of extra synths. 'One and All' is very good, and maybe the best song on here. It could almost qualify as mid-90's Pumpkins. 'Run2me''s synths are annoying and a bit obnoxious during the verses, true, but the melodies are nice, and Billy doesn't sound bad either. 'Drum + Fife' is a bit less experimental, thankfully. 'Monuments' is okay too I suppose, and the ongoing synth does kind of work, but it's not really anything to write home about either. I don't like 'Dorian', as this certainly is synth-driven pop, but thankfully the more driving 'Anti-Hero' ends the album on a higher note.
While this album was definitely better than I was expecting, I just feel like if you took away the synths, many of the stronger tracks on here like 'Anti-Hero', 'Anaise!', 'One and All' and 'Tiberius' would not have lost any of their flair, and if anything, would've sat closer to classic Pumpkins. Usually, the synths on this record don't break the songs (although 'Dorian' sucks, and 'Run2me' is questionable), but I don't feel that they improve them either. The other issue with Monuments to an Elegy is that, even though about 80% of this album was perfectly listenable to me, the songs just didn't stand out that much, even the better ones. I can't pick out any individual factor... the album just isn't as entertaining as the early stuff, nor is it as good as the previous couple of efforts. Still, I gotta admit that I do prefer it to Adore or Machina.
Adam's rating: 6/10
SHINY AND OH SO BRIGHT, VOL. 1 2018 (Martha's Music)
- Standouts: 'Knights of Malta', 'Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)', 'Solara', 'Marchin' On', 'Alienation', 'Seek and You Shall Destroy'
I was lucky enough to see Smashing Pumpkins at the end of 2018 at a sell-out show in Wembley Arena - the only UK show they played during the Shiny and Oh So Bright tour. 'Course, I also saw them at Download Festival about 8 months later, but the less said about that performance the better (it wasn't bad... just a weird setlist for an hour's festival slot). Thankfully the Wembley gig was brilliant; I couldn't believe Billy and co. actually played a 3 hour set, basically everything I wanted to hear was played, plus more. 'Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)' was played at the very end of the set, which was actually unreleased at the time - the show took place literally a few weeks before the release of the Shiny and Oh So Bright album. I liked the song and immediately went out and bought the record when it hit the shelves.
This album, while not really a 'return to form', is another step in the right direction after Monuments to an Elegy, which wasn't a bad album, but certainly nothing special either. Billy's got most of the original line-up back - James Iha is back on guitar and Jimmy Chamberlain is back behind the drum kit, the only original member that's missing is bassist D'arcy Wretzky. Strangely, she was originally supposed to be getting involved with the project and tour, but supposedly fell out with Billy again. Both her and Corgan shared their sides of the story, and I don't really know who to believe to be honest, but either way, having Iha and Chamberlain back has definitely helped contribute towards the noticeably better songwriting within this record.
'Knights of Malta' starts the album on a very melodic note and even features strings. The aforementioned 'Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)' is a very good and catchy single that actually gave me '1979' vibes. Not because of the lyrics as such, there's just something about the overall melody and arrangement of the music. 'Solara' is classic Pumpkins through-and-through. It's heavy, catchy and brooding; deserves to be a regular live. Songs like 'Travels' and 'With Sympathy' are solid, soft and melodic tracks. 'Alienation' is a nice arena number, and 'Marchin' On' brings back 90's vibes. I really don't think any of these songs are bad. Hell, even Rick Rubin - who I think normally butchers the production these days, at least on heavy metal bands - does a decent job with the sound on this thing.
Nope, the album's biggest problem is that it's all over after almost 32 minutes. Maybe the fact it has 'Vol. 1' in the title suggests that the next release will conclude this record. The band are apparently working on the next studio album, but either way I guess I would've liked another 2 or 3 songs on this album, to bring it up to around 40-45 minutes long. Overall though, this is the best Pumpkins album in over 20 years, and that's saying something. It isn't perfect, but there's no bullshit going on with the songwriting, Billy's not being deliberately awkward, and the band (mostly) sound like the band you originally loved in the first place. Shame it's over way too quickly.
Adam's rating: 7.9/10
CYR 2020 (Martha's Music)
- Standouts: 'Wyttch', plus a couple of parts here and there, but that's about it...
Goddamn you Billy Corgan and your ever-changing musical habits! I enjoyed the Shiny and Oh So Bright album - sure, it wasn't perfect, but with most of the original lineup back, it was definitely a step in the right direction after the disappointing Monuments to an Elegy - a record I've probably only ever listened to three times in total, and have zero urges to revisit. Hell, I even like Oceania and Zeitgeist. The point is, when Cyr was announced surprisingly shortly after Shiny and Oh So Bright, I had pretty much zero feelings of doubt. Of course, when 2020 came along and I actually heard it myself for the first time, it's clear that Corgan uses Smashing Pumpkins to write whatever the hell he wants, rather than what the fans want. I guess you could say that Billy's technically been doing this ever since Adore, but in my head, when James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlain rejoined in 2018, I suppose I just assumed that Billy would deliberately try to recapture the glory days of early Pumpkins, and really try to draw back as many new and old fans as he could. Fair enough for writing whatever he wants - I respect that up to a point, but the bulk of the 'newer' Pumpkins releases feel more like Corgan solo efforts than anything else, so why not just release albums like this and Monuments to an Elegy as solo records? Because MONEY of course.
Man, I haven't even explained yet why I've not been enjoying Cyr since it's release in late 2020. Well, the reason is because after the more traditional alternative rock sounds of Shiny and Oh So Bright, Billy's decided to make what is essentially a synth rock/pop/electro album with Cyr. A really fucking long synth rock/pop/electro album at that. Yep, this thing consists of twenty songs in total, with a run-time of one hour and twelve fucking minutes!! Corgan apparently considers Smashing Pumpkins to be a 'contemporary' band, which is a big reason for why this record sounds the way it does. Frankly, this still doesn't make sense to me. I mean, is synth pop really 'in' at the moment? Is it any more popular than alternative rock right now? When I look at the charts, all I see are pop singers like Harry Styles, Taylor Swift and Sam Smith as well as all the garbage that passes for 'rap' these days. That's not to say Cyr sounds 'outdated' as such, but it doesn't really fit in amongst what you hear on the most mainstream of radio and chart playlists. And it certainly doesn't fit in with the current popular rock demographic of Arctic Monkeys, Foo Fighters and whoever else.
As for the songs themselves, I mean, I can't really pick many songs here that I genuinely really like across the board. There's bits and pieces of songs that I like. For example, 'Anno Satana' has some potential I guess; I mean, James Iha actually does something on this one, 'cos I can hear guitars on it. 'The Colour of Love' has some nice melodies and backing vocals, and I guess kinda sounds like Adore-era Pumpkins. The same can be said for 'Purple Blood', which is not too bad either I guess. Not 'good', but not 'bad'. 'Wyttch' is rather good- it's built around an interesting, bassy riff, while the synths add a nice layer of gothic atmosphere, but it's hardly enough to save this record in the long run. I'll admit too, that Corgan, despite having one of the most nasally voices ever, almost always makes his vocals work regardless of what style of music he's singing over.
In general though, many of these tunes just aren't my cup of tea at all. The title track sucks arse - Billy can write a good pop rock songs when he wants ('1979' anyone?), but there's a difference between 'pop rock' and 'synth pop', and it certainly falls into the latter category. Same with annoying pop songs like 'Birch Grove' and 'Starrcraft'. 'Adrennalynne' is slightly more upbeat, but still lame. Many of the songs are slow, tepid and morph into one for me though. Is Billy really going to drop mellow snore-fests like 'Black Forest, Black Hills' and 'Telegenix' into a Pumpkins live setlist anytime soon? Actually, he probably will because he's Billy Corgan - the same man who played 'The Aeroplane Flies High' and a cover of Sabbath's 'Snowblind' instead of '1979' and 'Tonight, Tonight' at Download 2019, with his one hour slot. Naturally, people started to walk away mid-set.
All in all I really don't care for most of what this massive album has to offer. Well, at least the packaging is nice; the album is presented beautifully with it's artwork, slipcase and digipak, so it looks nice on my shelf, but the music's a different story. Like I said, there's bits and bobs here and there that I kinda like. If the album wasn't twenty fucking songs long, it would make the album much more tolerable. But when the good parts are spread so few and far between, as a whole this whole record is an overblown, boring and pretentious mess. The predecessor put James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlain to good use; Cyr on the other hand, once again feels like a Billy Corgan solo album in all but name. Like, how much did James Iha actually contribute to these songs?! Also, how much of the drums/percussion work is actually acoustic and not electronic? 'Cos Jimmy most likely recorded fuck-all here too. I've listened to Cyr three times in total - once when it first came out, again a month or so after release, and one more time in 2023 for this review. I really don't think I'll be revisiting it again any time soon. Nope, I think I'll go listen to Siamese Dream instead.
One more thing - what's with all the deliberate spelling errors within the song titles?! 'Wyttch', 'Starrcraft', 'Tyger, Tyger', 'Adrennalynne'... like, whut?!
Adam's rating: 3.9/10
ATUM: A ROCK OPERA IN THREE ACTS 2023 (Martha's Music)
- Standouts: 'The Good in Goodbye', 'Steps in Time', 'Empires', 'Moss', 'Beguiled', 'The Culling', 'Springtimes', 'That Which Animates the Spirit', 'In Lieu of Failure', 'Harmageddon', 'Intergalactic'
Smashing Pumpkins are hugely inconsistent for me (or do I just mean Billy Corgan?) . On the one hand, they have outstanding records like Gish, Siamese Dream, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness under their belts, but then Billy will put out a mess of a record like 2020's Cyr, which has almost none of the same traits that made their early albums so enjoyable for me. I know I'm not the only one disappointed by Cyr; I watched a few guys on YouTube review the album with similar opinions to mine, yet all the comments were bombarded with angry fanboys who were mad at the fact someone else didn't enjoy the fact Smashing Pumpkins had put out a synth pop record. I'm sorry, but I don't want to hear a synth pop album from Mr. Corgan either - I just don't! If that doesn't make me a true Smashing Pumpkins fan, then whatever.
Needless to say I wasn't particularly excited when Atum was announced in September 2022; Bill called it a 'rock opera', and it would be released in 3 parts throughout several months, and released as a full physical product in May 2023. I just assumed it'd be another massive, bloated and pretentious mess of a record. And it kinda is I guess, but I can at least say that there are some genuinely great moments to be found scattered across this ambitious 3-CD project. The single 'Beguiled' returned to a heavier, guitar-focused sound and it did make me somewhat hopeful for the rest of the album upon it's release. FYI, I didn't listen to Atum in full until I acquired my physical CD copy. I heard 'Beguiled' last year, and then deliberately avoided the rest of the album until I could buy a product that I could hold in my hands. Let's dive right in anyway.
Act One:
The first disc opens up in a sketchy manner; to be fair, the instrumental title track is kind of vast and pretty, but it soon leads into 'Butterfly Suite', which is something of a synth-driven number once again. Thankfully it has more of a synth-rock vibe more-so than synth-pop, but it's not exactly grown on me. The female backing vocals from Sierra Swan and Katie Cole are beautiful and really well arranged, but this one's not for me overall. Things swing back in the right direction with 'The Good in Goodbye' however, which is a very strong artsy slice of alternative rock. It's what made the band so popular in the first place. Shame then, that 'Embracer' is another synthy pop-rock number. I will say that I like this one better than 'Butterfly Suite'; the melodies are kinda nice, but it's not what I'd consider a true highlight. 'With Ado I Do' sucks though. Sorry, it just does. It's the same kind of crap you heard on Cyr, and would sit quite comfortably within that record's tracklisting. I get that we've already sat through 2 synthy numbers before already, but even those don't sound like Cyr leftovers, whereas this one does.
'Hooligan' is better, reminding me a little of the synth-rock Muse did a few years back. Kind of. But again, while it might qualify as listenable synth-rock for me, it just isn't what I turn to Smashing Pumpkins for. Although at this point, it might as well just be expected from Billy. Even 'Steps in Time' has synths on it, although this time they're used sparingly and in a way that actually manages to enhance the big guitar sounds of the track. Yeah, I actually like it a fair bit. Great guitar leads and distorted chords paired with some nice keyboard touches. Oh, but then guess what? 'Where the Rain Must Fall' sucks arse too! Boring, dull, slow, tedious, repetitive poppy shite. Garbage. But of course, Billy turns things round yet again with 'Beyond the Vale'. Well, maybe that's being too kind; it's a mediocre alternative rock number with some poppiness to had within it's hooks. It's definitely not flat-out crap like the previous track, but certainly not great either. Next to 'Hooray!' however, it might as well be a masterpiece.
I thought 'Where the Rain Must Fall' was bad, 'Hooray!' might just be the worst song Corgan ever penned!! It's so bad that it'd sound out of place even on Cyr! I must admit, I lied when I said I hadn't heard anything other than 'Beguiled' before I bought my copy of Atum. My best friend is a big SP fan and listened to Atum as it was released on Spotify, and he had to play me 'Hooray!' because of just how bad it actually is. He described it as a knock-off Mika track. And he's right!! For those unaware of who Mika is, he's a god-awful Lebanese pop singer who was popular for maybe a year in the UK with that fucking abysmal single 'Grace Kelly'. And that's what 'Hooray!' sounds like - a terrible Mika single with some fairground music melodies (!!!) thrown in for good measure. Tragic. To think that Corgan once wrote songs as good as 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings' and '1979', and then 25 years later he writes a steaming pile of shite like this tune.
Act One isn't saved by it's closer, 'The Gold Mask' either. I got nothing to say about it, other than the fact it sounds like any of the other weaker tracks from this disc (save for 'Hooray!', 'cos that has it's own category). So yeah - I can't say I'm a fan of the first disc. A couple of good tracks ('The Good in Goodbye' and 'Steps in Time') and a few others that are somewhat listenable, but with songs like 'Hooray!' and 'Where the Rain Must Fall', this project sure ain't off to a good start in my books. Just two more acts to go...
Act Two:
Well, at this point I'm gonna assume that every other track is a synth-focused Cyr reject. So lets just talk about those first. The second part opens with 'Avalanche'. This one is listenable despite the synths and some of James Iha's guitar leads are nice, but it's not exactly what I look for in a Smashing Pumpkins record. 'Neophyte' drifts back into Cyr territory. At this point, you might as well just assume that every other track on Atum is going to be synth-focused. Anyhow, 'Neophyte' is just another one to add to the list. Meh. 'Night Waves' can fuck off too. It's not 'Hooray!' bad, but it still kinda sucks.
'Space Age' isn't as bad, fortunately. It has a ballad-like quality about it, and it blends into 'Every Morning' seamlessly. Both these tracks together are fairly listenable to me, because they're mellow and chilled-out, but I don't find them to be memorable either. As for 'To the Grays' however... well, it's another poppy number that I could do without. Please stop now, Billy! Of all the synthy stuff within this act, I'd probably say 'The Culling' is my favourite. It doesn't stack up to any of the actual rock-based numbers here, but it has a proggy, arty vibe about it and makes for nice background music.
Thankfully 'Empires' is much, much better - nice riffs, good vocal arrangements and no synths. It sounds like prime Corgan to me, and even has a vintage Smashing Pumpkins quality about it. 'Moss' is really solid too. Heavy, sludgy riffage, sorta like 'Quiet' from Siamese Dream. It's cool. This act is also responsible for 'Beguiled', which I've already mentioned. It's a fantastic song that blends the old-school grungy Pumpkins with the best of the experimental tones of Atum. There should be more songs like 'Beguiled' on this so-called 'rock opera'. I think 'Springtimes' is a decent enough conclusion to this disc too. Despite the annoying intro, the rest of the track is a pleasant acoustic ballad, with some very pretty arrangements throughout, as well as some fine electric guitar lead work.
Overall, the second act is definitely stronger than the first. There's a handful of tracks I really like on this disc, but I can't avoid the fact there's also a fair amount of bullshit to sit through. Still better than Cyr so far, although that ain't saying much. Onto the last disc...
Act Three:
Part three opens with the snooze-fest that is 'Sojourner'. Well, maybe 'snooze-fest' is a little unkind. It's actually not bad, just a bit long (over 7 minutes) and almost adult contemporary-like to me. Better than 'The Canary Trainer' that's for sure, but I don't really dislike this tune either. It has a slight whiff of '80s goth about it, actually. 'Pacer' is lame however. More Cyr-level synthy shite. I'm actually running out of stuff to say about these kind of tracks now. I can at least say that when the band break out the acoustic guitars, the electronicness can be tolerable once again, as is the case with the somewhat enjoyable 'Cenotaph'. Same can be said for 'Fireflies'. 'Spellbinding' really isn't a bad pop rocker either. I quite like it's upbeat catchiness, but the synth usage doesn't always do it justice. Shame that the first half of the finale, 'Of Wings' is a silly, pretentious mess of vocal harmonies. Bleh. When the drums kick in, it improves, but I still don't like it overall.
Part three opens with the snooze-fest that is 'Sojourner'. Well, maybe 'snooze-fest' is a little unkind. It's actually not bad, just a bit long (over 7 minutes) and almost adult contemporary-like to me. Better than 'The Canary Trainer' that's for sure, but I don't really dislike this tune either. It has a slight whiff of '80s goth about it, actually. 'Pacer' is lame however. More Cyr-level synthy shite. I'm actually running out of stuff to say about these kind of tracks now. I can at least say that when the band break out the acoustic guitars, the electronicness can be tolerable once again, as is the case with the somewhat enjoyable 'Cenotaph'. Same can be said for 'Fireflies'. 'Spellbinding' really isn't a bad pop rocker either. I quite like it's upbeat catchiness, but the synth usage doesn't always do it justice. Shame that the first half of the finale, 'Of Wings' is a silly, pretentious mess of vocal harmonies. Bleh. When the drums kick in, it improves, but I still don't like it overall.
There's still some rock-solid stuff to digest among this third act, thankfully. 'That Which Animates the Spirit' is very strong, riff-driven grungy goodness. Billy even repeats "Zero, zero zero!" on it, which I can only assume is a reference to you know what. I also really like 'In Lieu of Failure' - this is another prime example of what modern Smashing Pumpkins should sound like, in my opinion. It still has touches of synths here and there alongside the heavy bleakness, but this can still work if done in moderation. The riffage in the up-tempo 'Harmageddon' is about as metallic as Billy's ever got, and this cut is a definite standout for me, as is the lengthy, proggy 'Intergalactic' (not a Beastie Boys cover!). This track has some fantastic drum work from Jimmy Chamberlain, and kind of drifts between being a floaty ballad and an intense rock piece.
I'm gonna say that Atum is a mostly failed attempt at a rock opera. The Smashing Pumpkins are not Queen, and the music often doesn't even qualify as 'rock'. There's far too many synth-dominated songs on here for my liking, some of which sound like Cyr leftovers to me. Thing is though, not every synthy track on this record is bad in my opinion, even if I don't like the majority of them. And as for the actual guitar-based band stuff that you want to hear, many of these tracks are some of the best Billy's penned in years. So scoring Atum is difficult really. There's a really good, solid 13 or so track, single-disc SP album within this entire package, but listening to 33 fucking tracks in one go is just insanity. I listened to each act separately while writing this review, with a break in between each one. Act Three is by far the best one. It's still not entirely consistent, but it has far more songs on it that I actually like than the other way round. I think I might be too generous with the 5.5/10 score, but many of the good songs on here sit within a 7 - 9/10 range, and I still think it's worth owning or at least listening to Atum for the good tracks alone. And all in all it's far better Cyr, thank god.
They knocked it out of the park with the packaging once again too. I have the CD version and it's a thing of beauty. One of the nicest physical products in my CD collection for sure. It comes in a digipak format, and the artwork and booklet are wonderful, plus it comes with a large, ribbon-like paper band that has the band name printed on it, and holds the digipak together nicely. Considering how nice the CD version is, the vinyl must be a work of art - and it fucking well should be, because it retails for more than £70!!
Adam's rating: 5.5/10
