The Smashing Pumpkins released their 12th album, “ATUM- Act 1” on November 15th, 2022. The album is part one of a three part “rock opera”, and is supposed to be a sequel to both “Machina/ The Machines Of God” and “Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness.” This statement is a surprise, as there was never any implication that these were continuous albums and “ATUM- Act 1” doesn’t reflect any kind of recognizable plot in the lyrics.
This statement also came as a surprise because there is no apparent continuation of the instrumentals used in these two albums. Although “ATUM- Act 1” is described as a “rock opera”, it doesn’t have a lot of characteristics of the band’s usual sound. Although their sound has distinctly changed since their breakup in 2000 and the following reunion, “ATUM- Act 1” sounds more like synth-pop rather than rock.
The vocals are also very different- instead of frontman Corgan’s usually growl, his voice is EXTREMELY over-processed. Although it matches the synth in the rest of the album, it sounds very nasally. Corgan’s usual voice isn’t exactly standard, it matched the tone of the previous albums and was enjoyable due to that fact. The overall sound in this album was very experimental, and although it may not be their fans’ favorite, The Smashing Pumpkins have definitely earned their right to experiment.
Regardless, there are still several great tracks on this album. “Butterfly Suite” was reflective of their new sound, beginning with slow piano and overly synthesized vocals, and moving into heavier guitar as the song progresses. The Good in Goodbye gave a taste of their previous music, utilizing heavier guitar and less synthesizer.
Although “ATUM- Act 1” may not be to everyone’s taste due to the experimental nature of the overly synthesized instrumentals and vocals, the instrumental range they accomplish is both impressive and striking, and hopefully these traits continue with parts two and three of “ATUM”.