The 11th album of "The Smashing Pumpkins" was released on November 27, 2020 and is called "Cyr".
This is the band's first double album since "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" released in 1995. It includes 20 songs that were filtered out of 35 sketches that Billy Corgan sent to drummer Jimmy Chamberlin back in 2019, to work on their drum sound.
In early 2020 Billy Corgan noted that he has 23 new songs the band is working on, which will likely be split into two different albums. Later that number was reduced to 20 songs that Corgan promised will sound different than the band's albums.
Although we are dealing with 3/4 of the original band members, listening to the songs on the album reveals that Billy Corgan, James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin have indeed taken it in a completely different direction...
The rough guitars were replaced with synthesizers and electronic beats and the roaring drums shrank to a muffled, dry sound that Chamberlain noted was influenced by the Progressive Rock bands of the 70s, is it do?
It is interesting to note that the album abounds in the synthesized sound even though on paper the band has two guitarists. James Ayah who returned to the band in 2018 and guitarist Jeff Schroeder who replaced him in 2007 and remained as a member of the band.
The one who took over the production craft this time, from the legendary Rick Rubin, is Billy Corgan who noted that he forced himself to work outside his comfort zone. Billy Corgan also added that he thought of bands like "Siouxsie and the Banshees", "Sisters of Mercy" and "Joy Division" during the production and on how they used modern technology to achieve their sound.
For Listening: Spotify
Comments