MACHINA is great-combines the best of "Adore" & more...

"MACHINA/ the machines of God" is a great album, let's start from there. But I've got a bone to pick with music reviewers, because I feel there has been a lot of misinformation regarding the descriptions I've heard about it.

Every review I've read-and believe me, I've read a lot-have contained pretty much the same phrase, something like this: "thankfully, the Pumpkins are back to rock and roll, after their mis-hit-album "Adore". I've heard critics call "Adore" a techno-attempt, or a goth-rock failure. Although I don't think of it in any of those terms, that's not my point: my point is that "MACHINA" sounds more like "Adore" than any other Pumpkins album, and not one critic has seemed to recognize this. Let me also say that, so far, "Adore" is my favorite Pumpkins offering-I do enjoy their earlier works, but I tend to get sick of Corgan's harsh whining, and some of their harder, less melodic tunes like "Bullet With Butterfly Wings". Back to "MACHINA".

The reason I compare "MACHINA" to "Adore" is because of the overall sound, production, instrumentation & tone. There's a definite lush feel to the album, and a cohesive string that ties it all together. There's many mellow tunes that really stick in your head ("stand inside your love", "this time", "the sacred and profane") that flow together in an extremely similar way to "Adore". This is not to say "MACHINA" doesn't rock-it does, but I just wouldn't consider it a "hard rock" album. "Heavy Metal Machine" is an awesome rocker, but it is also melodic, which is the key, at least for me.

I would definitely recommend "MACHINA" to every Pumpkin fan, especially if you liked "Adore". However, from the reviews (including the ones on Epinions!) I've read of others, it seems most fans who didn't care for "Adore" love this one as well. It's a solid album that sticks in your head, and works in a multitude of moods. I really think the Pumpkins as a band have grown in the last couple of years for the better-even if it means some of their "hard" edge has softened.

ADDENDUM:

It's now 4 days after I initially wrote this review, and I just have to update my "epinion". In a nutshell, I cannot stop listening to "MACHINA". The more I listen, the more I get hooked. Songs 1-10 are all amazing, and the only reason I don't include the rest is due to the amount of time I usually get to listen in one sitting (usually I can't make it through the entire album). But, to sum up, this is clearly the best album I've gotten this year. A really melodic, pretty, and rocking disc.