Smashing Pumpkins is finally back after seven years with their newest album, Zeitgeist, and it is a modern rocker. Any big Smashing Pumpkins fan should enjoy this album, even though it might not be their very best. This album is politically intense, which is obvious from even the first glance at the Statue of Liberty drowning on the cover. The theme throughout the album can lyrically get tiresome. However, the strong instrumentals make up for that. The vocals are mature and strong, with no pitch issues, as expected. The maturity of the band is simply amazing. This CD is seemingly flawless musically. The instruments will blow your mind away, regardless of what you think of the lyrics. The first track, “Doomsday Clock”, hits you like a train with distorted guitar, bashing drums, and all around energy. The furious fretwork displayed in the solo in “Tarantula” is sensational. Hearing that guitar solo was refreshing in today’s music scene where the guitar solo is not what it used to be. All of the guitar solos scattered throughout the album will be music to your ears. Jimmy Chamberlin is amazing on the drums. He plays what the song asks for and provides that extra spark of energy that makes the songs, and the band, what they are. Billy Corgan plays the rest of the instruments on the album and everything sounds exceptional. This gives the band an advantage in the studio because the chemistry is perfect; there is not a problem of having several band members agree something. However, it would be interesting to see what the album would be like if it had more personality and different musical perspectives. Nonetheless, Corgan did an excellent job with all of his music, along with Chamberlin on the drums. Overall Zeitgeist is a good album. On first listen, the album is hard to get in to, but once you can appreciate the songs, you will be sitting there singing along to the music.
