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    • #108

      Superlordspamulon
      Spectator

      found on amazon.

      In touch with you, 16 Jul 2007
      By E. A Solinas \"ea_solinas\" (MD USA)

      The Smashing Pumpkins are back. The legendary rock band, which blossomed like a dark rose in the musical wasteland of the 1990s.

      Okay, only frontman Billy Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin have returned from the original lineup, and their sound is a touch less epic than before. But their return album \"Zeitgeist\" is still worthy of epic praise — dark, passionate hard-rock, written with a darkly poetic sweep.

      The drums smash, the bass roars like unleashed tornado. \"Is everyone afraid?/Is everyone ashamed?/They’re running towards their holes to find out/Apocalyptic thieves/Are lost amongst our dead,\" Corgan drawls, telling us a story of gas masks, Kafka and fear.

      It’s followed with the roiling rocker \"7 Shades of Black,\" with the level of depression you’d expect (\"And without peer/And without fear/I’m without anyone at all!\"). Then it pours into a series of blazing hard-rockers — soaring grimy epics, buzzing and cascading bass rockers, a stripped-down melodic tune, and the soaringly exquisite \"Pomp and Circumstances,\" which is only marred by Corgan singing \"la la la la…\"

      \"Zeitgeist\" probably won’t be gently compared to the Pumpkins’ earlier classics, especially since it doesn’t have James Iha and D’arcy Wretzy. And it does lack a certain quality in the bass playing. But taken on its own virtues, it’s brilliant in its own way — epic, dark, and with moments of sheer poetry woven into the stormy music.

      If I had a main complaint, it would be that most of the songs are fast and hard — where are the ballads? But Corgan is blazingly passionate in his playing, layering and building a storm of driving guitar and fuzzy bass. He pushes on the fiery melodies of each song, with Chamberlin smashing the drums beside him. These guys mean business.

      And Corgan’s nasal voice sneers and drawls through the harder songs, but he can also sound wistful and tender, like when he sings, \"that’s the way my love is.\" And he pours plenty of passion into songs about longing for love, a crumbling world, a grey world, and bitter loneliness.

      Some of his songs aren’t up to par, like \"God and Country.\" But Corgan spins beautiful poetry in other songs, the ethereal \"Pomp and Circumstance\": \"Torn, broken and frayed/Oh don’t we face/War, sunshine and grace/Oh won’t you stay/For a while/We can fail in style…\"

      The Pumpkins aren’t quite all they once were, but Corgan and Chamberlin are enough to make \"Zeitgeist\" a brilliant hard-rock album with some vintage flourishes. Just take it for itself, with no comparisons.

    • #2615

      and another one from amazon

      Smashing Pumpkins have aged well, but have their fans?, 13 Jul 2007
      By Alex (Hull, England)

      I’m pleased I am not the only one who thinks too many people are living in 1993. This album isn’t Siamese Dream, and the Smashing Pumpkins will never make another album like that, even if they tried. And thank god too. Is there anything worse than a great band repeating themselves?

      So…it’s 2007, and this time we’re presented with Zeitgeist. Following news of its release came a flood of cynicism. I can almost understand some of it, given the absence of certain band members, and the fact that the cover and inlay artwork – coupled with the title – seemed like a political statement (and a fairly unoriginal one at that).

      (Before I continue, if you have any beef with their current line-up, let me remind you that this band has always revolved around Billy Corgan. He was always the main driving force and songwriter, and even though Jimmy Chamberlain is also present, Smashing Pumpkins will always be Billy Corgan and whoever else. You may dislike the idea, but I don’t exaggerate when I say there are many bands like this.)

      I have news for you. You can take any preconceived ideas you may have had about this album, and kiss them goodbye. Not only does this album holds its own against their previous releases, but it contains tracks that will no doubt become lost Pumpkins classics. There are, as with most albums, tracks I rate less than others, but I cannot fault any of the material here. This is 100% Smashing Pumpkins. They’ve returned with a mature sound that does the name ‘Smashing Pumpkins’ proud. They have aged well, but unfortunately it seems like many of their fans haven’t.

    • #2616

      yay good reviews!

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