Over the last three decades, the Smashing Pumpkins have operated strictly within their guidelines, embracing the outlandish and unknown; going beyond what was accepted and into entirely new realms of alternative music.
The Smashing Pumpkins have long been a force of nature in the alternative scene. Unlike many of their grunge contemporaries who came from Seattle; the Smashing Pumpkins originated in Chicago in 1988 by lead singer Billy Corgan. Early in the band’s career, They released several genre-defining albums like Gish, Siamese Dream, Pisces Iscariot, and Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness. After the release of their fifth studio album: Adore, to less than savory reviews, the band quickly fell into the camp of “I like their old stuff, but I don’t listen to their new stuff”. A fate worse than death for still blossoming alternative bands, freezing any creative development the band would have encountered. But the Smashing Pumpkins persevered and embraced their creative process and continued to be uniquely themselves.
The Smashing Pumpkins have kept the same three core members: Billy Corgan, James Iha, and Jimmy Chamberlin, with a revolving door of bassists to accompany them. Billy Corgan’s signature voice has dropped in pitch but kept its nasaliness, helping to signify the band’s maturity and evolution into the modern age. The instrumentation of Iha and Chamberlin reinstates the band’s earlier anger and trashiness. This album signifies the band’s full creative revolution.
Their recent projects have often bordered on experimental and antithetical all in pursuit of creative excellence. The band is no stranger to pushing the boundaries of the genres they’ve been put into. Amidst a sea of legacy bands releasing remasters and super-mega-ultra-deluxe editions with new releases few and far between; the Smashing Pumpkins stand as a pillar of unwavering commitment to their craft.
Following the band’s three-part rock epic “ATUM,” comes their newest project: Aghori Mhori Mei. This latest installment in the band’s discography is an incredible work of this band of musical savants. Aghori Mhori Mei brings a sense of nostalgia for the band’s past while skirting around being self-referential and derivative. This album embraces modern recording techniques while reviving the band’s classic sonic signature for a beautifully produced and written album.
Aghori Mhori Mei is a welcome return to form for this band while embracing modern budgets and techniques. Songs like “Edin” and “War Dreams of Itself” paint a perfect portrait of what you’d imagine for a modern Pumpkins album, ominous guitars, crashing vocals and drums, all perfectly conducted in a way signature to this band. This album is an incredible fusion of their classic sound and their contemporary works to produce a nostalgic festival for the ears.
This album touches on themes of religion and love. Songs like “Pentagrams” and “999” invoke Pink Floyd or Depeche Mode-esk echos and atmospheres; contrasted with songs like “Sighommi” rip and tear in the vein of bands like Deftones or Superheaven. While these aspects seem rival to each other, this album beautifully weaves them for an incredible sonic experience.
“Aghori Mhori Mei” by the Smashing Pumpkins is a welcome return to form for a band that has long been plagued by flawed releases.
