Ok, raise your hand if when you heard they were reforming you were absolutely assured that any reunion album by The Smashing Pumpkins would be a trivial, indulgent train wreck of useless ideas and throw-away studio tracks. Let's see...that many of you?! Ok, now a show of hands for those who really, really wanted it to work; those who sat patiently through Zwan and "The Future Embrace" just trying to catch the tiny fragrant raindrops of Corganly genius. Yeah, that's what I thought. You people are way too cynical.
Approaching this review I was presented with two alternatives: hold "Zeitgeist" up to the lens of the past, testing it's mettle against it's predecessors, the essential SP albums like "Gish" and "Mellon Collie...", or consider this new album to be the work of a familiar but wholly separate band. After all, it's been seven years since "Machina", the band only contains two original members and the world is a completely different place musically, culturally and politically. I decided that the best course would be the latter, to take the album at face value, to essentially treat it as the first album by a new band who sound a lot like The Smashing Pumpkins. That being said this album is nothing compared to "Gish" and "Mellon Collie..."! (Just kidding)Actually, "Zeitgeist" is surprisingly relevant, Corgan was obviously serious when he announced to the world his intentions to reform the Pumpkins. Nearly every track on the album feels as though it was thought out, organized and passionately considered; there's no sense that these songs were thrown together to make a quick buck. Corgan maintains his ability to shred as is evident on the lead single "Tarantula". When this track first came my way I let forth a huge sigh of relief; it had all the elements necessary to put the band's newly shoed foot forward: squelching, incendiary guitar, Corgan's impish snarl and a deliciously distorted, driving chug backed by the comforting sound of Jimmy Chaimberlain beating his snare like he caught it breaking into his house. I hoped to high heaven that they could back up that kind of musical statement on the rest of the album. Well, to those who were hoping for a flat, flaccid album; sorry to disappoint you, this album is actually pretty good. Understandably it sounds much different than the old band, with two relatively unknown new members (guitarist Jeff Schroeder and bassist Ginger Reyes) there's an inherently original element, but the key ingredients of this Pumpkin pie are still here, namely Corgan and Chaimberlain. These two have been making music together for almost 20 years and they're as tuned in as ever. Not just on the fast and heavy numbers like "Tarantula" and "Doomsday Clock" but on the more complex and open-ended tracks like the "Silverfuck"+"Heavy Metal Machine" epic lovechild "United States". There are lots of bands that get back together and release an album, the trend seems to be "re-form, release, regress", one album later the bands are back in obscurity. With such a strong release paving the way it's not completely crazy to assume that The Smashing Pumpkins, in whatever form they take, are back for real. Though we long time fans will think wistfully on the days of Wretzky and Iha, of Corgan with hair driving an ice cream truck, and of the two hour adventure that is "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness", there's still room for this new incarnation, too.Puffmagic gives "Zeitgeist" by The Smashing Pumpkins 4 out of 5 Rob Gordons
Mog Score 8/10
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