Pumpkins Return With ‘Machina’

Mon., March 13, 2000

Brian Thorpe Ferris

The Smashing Pumpkins are the musical equivalent of an identity crisis. From their guitar-based alt-rock approach in the early and mid-1990s, the Pumpkins suddenly and inexplicably tripped and stumbled over to the techno-chunky, electronica-laden music featured on 1998’s “Adore.”

Their sixth and latest slab, “MACHINA / the machines of God” is heralded as the Pumpkins’ return to alt-rock and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin’s return to the band amid internal troubles.

“MACHINA” starts off strong with a riff-based track that ladles guitars over muscular drumming and electronic effects, a recipe that is the basis for nearly every song on the album. This approach is nice at first, but then one notices hazy, echoing synthesizers in the background, which to me seem misplaced and annoying.

Fortunately, this isn’t hugely detrimental to the musical quality of the CD. The full and sweeping instrumentation still manages to almost envelope one’s sense of hearing, and vocalist and guitarist Billy Corgan’s voice seems to be on key a lot more than in the past, possibly because of the lessstraining vocal stance this album takes.

Although it’s clear by this album that the Smashing Pumpkins haven’t entirely graduated from synthesizer use, any Pumpkins fan should venture a listen to “MACHINA.”

Grade: B+

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