The band: After spontaneously delivering the bombastic ‘Tiberius’ to the public on Tuesday, a reinvigorated version of The Smashing Pumpkins have aired another excerpt from their upcoming album. Once ‘Tiberius’ came to light, many would have assumed that there would have been radio silence in the weeks prior to the release of the new LP, but it appears they wish to provide us with one last snippet in the form of ‘Drum + Fife’.
The sound: The track itself is somewhat paradoxical, combining elements of traditional folk music with stadium rock sensibilities. Beginning with wistful flute before descending into a military beat that segues into Billy Corgan’s trademark guitar, it is another indication of the level of diversity which can be expected from the band on their tenth record. Their willingness to experiment at this stage of their career is to be commended as there are many bands who are content to simply rest on their laurels once established.
The lowdown: Monuments to An Elegy will be released on 9th December 2014 via Martha’s music/BMG. Following that another album, Day For Night, is slated for release in 2015. Its release will signify the end of their ongoing concept and album cycle Teargarden by Kaleidoscope that featured 2012’s critically acclaimed Oceania among other EPs and standalone releases.
