Smashing Pumpkins : Atum -Act 1"

 This is a weird album, but it makes sense now that I looked into where the hell has Billy Corgan been, he has been hanging with shapeshifter and starting his own religion when he is not a wrestling promoter, so he finally found time to make music. With the exception of D'Arcy, this is pretty much the original line up as James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin are back in the band.  Their 1998 album "Adore" is the last album I paid attention to. The first two are the ones I was the biggest fan of then they got too flowery and sounded too much like a gay version of Meatloaf on "Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness". I reviewed one of their albums a few years ago and it was god awful, things have improved by are on the flowery side. It opens with a grandiose instrumental, that has some decent guitar playing so I am not complaining about it.   

"With Ado I do" is the first song I really like so you have to sort through some sappy oddities, the most peculiar being "Butterfly Suite" which I had to listen to a few times to wrap my head around. Corgan's voice sounds youthful, but you gotta wonder about a man in his 50s sounding like a little British boy. He remembers they are a rock band on "the Good in Goodbye" which musically sounds like Lenny Kravitz covering Queen. Billy's doing what he does with little balls to it, but it still manages to work. I am not sure about the synths on "Embracer". The split the difference between who they are and this new turn to who they are trying to be on "Hooligan" with hooky songwriting. The fuzzed out grunge tinged guitar that has been toned down returns to some extent on "Steps in Time ". Then things take a questionable step back with the ballad "Where Rain Must Fall" 

The guitars get more rocking on "Beyond the Vale". These guys have always seemed like they were more influenced by T-Rex than Black Sabbath, the glam thing is more prevalent on this album than anything heavy, His vocals lines work, but as not supporting melodies that come close to the first two albums. "Hooray" is one of the bands worst songs ever, it's way too happy and sound little like the band. While the last so is not as ineffective at sounding like the Smashing Pumpkins as the previous song it is not their best work either. I will give this album a 7.5, they show at times the are capable of doing better and I have heard them do worse for sure. This is not the band that made "Gish" and that makes me a little sad.