Smashing Pumpkins
Zeitgeist

THE REVIEW

One thing is certain, the Smashing Pumpkins are back, without a doubt.

"Zeitgeist" finally brings us back (unlike "Mary Star of The Sea" and "The Future Embrace", Corgan's last two works), with tones and solutions different from the past, that fiercer anger and more childlike sweetness that are a peculiarity in the soul of the Smashing Pumpkins.
The lyrics are also interesting, with Corgan seeming to want to merge a private dimension with a public one, a world in ruins where everything is commodified, from love to what one believes in, even to the image of a band, the Smashing Pumpkins, dead and buried by their own image.

The beginning is overwhelming, "Doomsday Clock" is a track that grows with each listen, with a dark riff and apocalyptic lyrics preparing the field for Corgan's intentions, who seems to have found a fruitful source of inspiration. The rulers of the world lead us to death, relegating us behind days of loneliness; the end of the world is in our hearts that still beat (They're bound to kill us all...when will they ever stop? ...the doomsday clock ticking in my heart not broken).
"7 Shades of Black" continues along the same lines, with a driving rhythm (reminding me of "beginning is the end is the beginning") to construct the image of the man of the new millennium: I want you bad and without peer and without fear, only to remain definitively alone: I'm without anyone at all.

"Bleeding the Orchid" is, in my opinion, the masterpiece of the entire album. An aggressive and melancholic dark piece, here is the entire soul of the best Smashing Pumpkins. Corgan's reflection turns to what the band represents today, back on the scene with all the dreams and hopes saved from the past: so here we are upon your stage, the laughs we shared, the dreams we saved, we're bleeding the orchid. Perfect.
"That's the Way (My Love Is)" takes up the typical sounds of Machina, returning to a more intimate dimension. In a senseless world, with nothing to believe in, love can be the anchor, like an age that is about to come (I feel a coming age now), a sun that will rise (a certain sun keep rising on my belief in you), a dream, a hope to start anew.
"Tarantula" represents the desire to take refuge in this dream that is love (I don’t wanna fight, every single night, everything I want is in your eyes). For the first time, the tones become cheerful, but it's a restless happiness; just close your eyes, and the evil reappears (then close your eyes you'll see the angel dust). The two lovers are the ruins of society in a society that knows not how to love but knows how to fake smiles and happiness to mask its evil, knowing they are alone because of it (I don't wanna be alone). The final line is an acknowledgment (If it's a white hot soul they want, then a black heart they'll get).

"Starz" exalts, with an almost march-like rhythm, the fighting strength of men who know how to love, immortal, fearless. An anthem to courage, to commitment, stars that bleed, stars that shine, willing and able to suffer to regain their freedom. The final cry (we are free) seems to prepare the ground for the inevitable.
"United States" could be the "Silverfuck" or the "X.y.u." of "Zeitgeist," but in my view, it is superior for its deep meanings and the tension it manages to create. The dark riffs alternate with hysterical gallops, the unlistenable solos, Corgan’s screams like echoes seem to create a panorama only dreamed of, an aspired but unattainable perspective: the revolution. What will they do to me when revolution breaks out, what will they do to you, asks Billy. The piece literally explodes at the end, like an uprising in the making; Corgan's screams screech for a revolt that can be cultural before it is bloody (do you wanna watch me die??, let me do something good, let me prove something real like I should, let me embrace every single living thing, let me be every single moment I ever misunderstood).

"Neverlost" returns to earth, to hopes betrayed and those still standing. A beautiful ballad, to remember that "if you love you'll find certain truths left behind". Once again it may represent the only reason to claim that one has never lost a war, a revolution, an ideal (I lost my place, I never lost, there’s no disgrace in falling me). Stunning.
"Bring the Light" aims, therefore, to restart from personal relationships, not just to survive, but to be alive. The album regains altitude, the rhythm and riffs reminiscent of Queens of the Stone Age's "Songs for the Deaf".
"Come on Let’s go", a track where the unfortunate Zwan passage can be heard only in the initial part. The overall tone is much more aggressive, and the ending is simply stunning. "C’mon let’s go" is the second invitation to change the world, a new revolution proposed after that of United States, the finale reprising it with similar riffs but with different meanings. This time the only revolution proposed is love (I wanna love!).

"For God and Country" instead marks total failure in a climate of total sterility and indifference rendered great in the album's electronic version (It’s too late for some, for what you’ve done, for everyone). Corgan seems to surrender (I can’t help what I divide in you) and enlists in the mass army that defends its country and its God in search of new recruits. Disturbing.
"Pomp and Circumstances" represents the classic closing of the album for the Pumpkins, reminiscent of a "Daydream", a "Sweet Sweet", or "Farewell and Goodnight"; in short, the little song that Corgan loves to place at the end of his works as a charming goodbye to his fans. The melody is simple, and the arrangement deserves attention.

The Pumpkins take their leave (torn, broken and frayed...war, sunshine and grace), acknowledging their defeat, with sweetness... and a solo.