Sauce

OK, first things first. Smashing Pumpkins – are they still the same? Yes. Do they still hold the same musical power as they’ve had in the past? Yes. Should you buy it? Hell fucking yeah! Is this the start of a new revolution for Smashing Pumpkins? The answer to that is up to you, my friends.

As you may or may not be aware, Zeitgeist is the first release that the Smashing Pumpkins have had in over six years! Some of you old-school SP fans might be wondering whether this is actually going to be worth thirty dollars, or if it’s a last ditch effort to keep the dream alive. If this is what you think, then you are wrong on both accounts; for me, this album definitely represents every minute of those six or so years we’ve lost.

The opening track Doomsday Clock wastes no time letting the punter know who’s boss for the remaining eleven tracks. Blistering drum tracking and epic riffs throughout each song are very much apparent, and complimented perfectly by the unique voice and musicianship of Billy Corgan.
The vocals in particular nearly seem to have their own separate type of personal vibe from the music, which leads me to think that this album might actually hold some deeper meaning for the band, being that the recorded sound represents emotion in every sense of the word, but still holds and portrays that figure of authority that the band are famous for.

The overall sound on the album is very clear cut, and nuances are noticeable, which give you a good chance to critique to your heart’s contempt. There aren’t a lot of mega effects or piss-farting around; it’s pretty much cut to back to the important ingredients of the band – the instruments! That’s The Way (Love Is) is a great example of the above comments, and is a current single. Starz, another personal favourite from the album, really ties together the past and present status of the band.

After saying all these great things about the new SP release, you might be asking yourself, “Is there anything actually bad about it?” The answer is yes. The first thing you get to see when you open the sleeve is a bunch of trashy pics from our favourite famous jailbird Paris. Sorry fellahs, but I’m going to have to deduct some points for that. I hope it didn’t take SM six years to come up with that idea! Other than that, there is a collection of what seem to be random pictures of weird things filling the rest of the sleeve (I’m sure they have some kind of meaning to someone).

All-in-all, the new album is tops guys. Whether you’re a newcomer to SP or an old-school die hard fan, you will definitely find a spot in your playlist for this album.

MATTHEW LABEDZKI