Half of the original Smashing Pumpkins reunite for "Zeitgeist," an earnest but clumsy attempt to recapture the distinctive sound that catapulted the group to mega-fame in the 1990s. On the first album to bear the Pumpkins' name since 2000, vocalist/guitarist Billy Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin show no signs of atrophy, but no signs of any evolution, either. The uniformly guitar-heavy tracks rarely deviate from a traditional metal/punk-rock formula and display virtually none of the charm or depth of the '90s hits. There's an attempt at political commentary -- Corgan in "United States" croons of wanting to "fight a revolution," but, like the album, he isn't quite convincing anyone. While the Pumpkins may have been original the first time around, this time they sound like they're covering themselves.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Smashing Pumpkins -- "Zeitgeist"
Half of the original Smashing Pumpkins reunite for "Zeitgeist," an earnest but clumsy attempt to recapture the distinctive sound that catapulted the group to mega-fame in the 1990s. On the first album to bear the Pumpkins' name since 2000, vocalist/guitarist Billy Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin show no signs of atrophy, but no signs of any evolution, either. The uniformly guitar-heavy tracks rarely deviate from a traditional metal/punk-rock formula and display virtually none of the charm or depth of the '90s hits. There's an attempt at political commentary -- Corgan in "United States" croons of wanting to "fight a revolution," but, like the album, he isn't quite convincing anyone. While the Pumpkins may have been original the first time around, this time they sound like they're covering themselves.
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