Smashing Pumpkins — Machina/The Machines Of God

When Billy Corgan failed to deliver the angst-rock anthems everyone was expecting of him in favour of the majestic ballads of Adore, you could literally feel the anger welling in the rock geeks still debating the relative merits of Siamese Dream and Gish. Thankfully, on the pretentiously titled Machina/The Machines Of God Corgan stays the arty course, making few concessions to the Pumpkins' rocker past. With the exception of "Heavy Metal Machine" (which, oddly, makes you feel like you're being insulted somehow), few songs — even the surefire radio hits — nod to the rocking Pumpkins of days gone by. Instead, there's broad Joy Division/Cure hints to Corgan's secret goth fetish. "Glass And The Ghost Children" is unsettling, "Stand Inside Your Love" is morbid sweet and "The Mercury Tree," revealing. It may not be a roaring monster comeback record, but maybe it's better this way.

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