Zeitgeist

Album: Zeitgeist (Smashing Pumpkins) - By Tetsuo

Depending on where you buy it, there are several colour variations of Shepard Fairey's cover artwork.

A lot has changed (and gone terribly wrong) for Billy Corgan since Smashing Pumpkins dissolved in late 2000. The underrated sinking ship of Machina/The Machines of God dealt with regret and the loss of his beloved band, whilst the doomed Zwan project, a mediocre solo album and writing poetry all failed to re-ignite the drive that propelled his songs to the forefront of the alt-rock scene during the 1990's. It takes some honesty (or perhaps desperation) to admit that what you really want back is everything you threw away. But Corgan continues to follow his heart, so this Smashing Pumpkins record sees only himself and creative link Jimmy Chamberlain take responsibility for the rebirth - Iha and D'arcy do not return.

For the first half hour, Zeitgeist explodes in anger and disillusionment. Many have already (perhaps wishfully, but certainly misguidedly) likened it to a Siamese Dream-era sound, but that simply isn't the case. It has a rawness more reminiscent of early Melon Collie, and contains some of their heaviest material to date. Doomsday Clock hits hard, starting as things mean to go on with crashing drums and dense guitars. During Neverlost in particular, there are hints at the Pumpkins' revival as being simply a way of keeping things moving ("let's kill these hours and fill desire"), whereas other points in the record repeat the general message that we're fucked, and that certain doom is on its way. To be fair, it probably has a point. Zeitgeist isn't completely self-congratulatory you see: it has an agenda.

Corgan seems to have taken things personally, and he's pissed. The sneering 7 Shades of Black takes shots at the state of today's posturing, ball-less mainstream music; a scene without tangible heart, without truth. United States is the album's centre-piece, a 10-minute charge towards Corgan's uncertainties and the rejection of his ever-present detractors, and when he shouts "do you want to watch me die?!" you can almost feel his defiance through the speakers. This track is also notable for a monster, single-take drumming performance from Jimmy. That's the Way (My Love Is), is perhaps the album's stand-out track, and demonstration again of Corgan's understanding of melody. Sitting mostly at odds with the other titles, it's an unapologetic Zwan-era love song, with a thrilling swirling guitar solo towards the end. Bleeding the Orchid, a slow-burning dirge, is another highlight. The latter half of the album slows and rolls on in a mostly forgettable style, but the triumphant Pomp and Circumstance wraps things up nicely.

Now at 40, Corgan's voice has understandably lost a lot of its bite, and there's little of his trademark snarl or impassioned screams to be found in the vocals. Instead, his voice generally sounds as though it's "speaking" to us, rather than singing, and this isn't helped by some raw production which sometimes gives the vocal track too much prominence.

Zeitgeist could have been a huge disappointment. Although it struggles to really match any of the highs of their earlier work, it does move the new Pumpkins forward with a sound and purpose that is often exciting. When Billy declares in closing Tarantula - "If it's a white-hot soul they want, it's a black heart they'll get" - it's gladly enough: enough to have them fighting the corner for that spirit once again.

Seven out of Ten