3/10

Despite it being more than two years since we last heard any new material from The Smashing Pumpkins, 2014 has been a very prolific year for the band as they not only release their tenth studio album but also plan to release another full-length in the coming months. 'Monuments Of An Elegy' sees the band return to the grungier roots but all doesn't seem to gel as it once did as this new release doesn't have that same magic they were once known for.

While the band's core sound hasn't changed, the intentions within the record seem very weak compared to their previous material. Even after just hearing the lead singles 'Being Beige' and 'One And All (We Are)', it doesn't feel like the band have any fire or passion left in them at all. This new record seems to just be going through the motions of what they think they should be producing rather than going wherever inspiration takes them. Nostalgic at times but overall, they just seem like a group that has run out of ideas but can't quite give up on attempting their past glories.

It's a real shame to see what was once a very successful and inspirational band reduced to angst-by-numbers renditions and clichéd torched lyrics. While you have to respect them for continuing with their dreams, sometimes it is best to give up when the time is right.