ATUM - Act 1 is the first part of The Smashing Pumpkins’ 33-song rock opera, which serves as a sequel to Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness (1995) and Machina/The Machines Of God (2000) – i.e. exactly the kind of pretension you’d expect from Billy Corgan. If you go in expecting the band to sound like they did in the 90s, you’ll be disappointed. They’re a lot more polished these days and appear to have lost their grungy charm. Distorted guitar riffs have been swapped for synth melodies and the drums just aren’t hitting like they used to. Corgan’s iconic vocals still shine, but The Smashing Pumpkins have failed to reach that critical balance of modernising yet maintaining the unique roots that grew them such a following. LT