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Wall of Sound

At nearly an hour and a quarter, the album does feel a little long, especially when it falls prey to the ponderousness that made Adore drag...

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Q Magazine

MACHINA/the machines of God is, mostly, a wonderful rock album.

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Checkout.com

The album is not without its flaws (some of the songs are less than memorable, and as always, the proceedings are dampened somewhat by Corgan's nasal drone of a voice), but it's a welcome return to form for one of music's original alt-rock heroes.

Sonicnet

From its thunderous beginning to its quiet, echoing end, MACHINA/the machines of God is perfect dancing-in-the-dark-with-yourself-'cause-you-have-angst-in-your-pants music.

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CDNow

The record does go on a bit long, flagging at the end. But there are enough wonderful songs on this disc to knock at least a couple of boy bands off the radio.

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Spin

Confused and lapsed Pumpkins fans have reasons to rejoice... this is a necessary, welcome return. Unfortunately, MACHINA does linger a bit too long on the softer side of things. But every time the tempo veers towards screeching to a halt, there's a well-timed boost of adrenal sound.

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Rolling Stone

The songs go back to the basics of would-be hit singles: riffs, hooks, bridges, choruses, often with voice and guitar tossing the same short phrase back and forth. Corgan hasn't radically changed his songwriting; he still goes for anthems, riff rockers and dirges. But there are no more fantasy epics or muses named Daphne, and there's hardly a keyboard to be heard. Guitars rule: distorted electrics and hard-strummed acoustics, sitarlike drones and orchestral reverberations, tolling Pink Floyd tones, and jabbing, wriggling leads, with plenty of echoes of the Cure and U2.

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New Musical Express

Producing an album that distorts time so each second is the temporal equivalent of War And Peace is almost a perverse triumph.

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All Music Guide

Overall, MACHINA meanders due to a combination of amorphous songs and precisely detailed production.

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The Onion (A.V. Club)

Everything about MACHINA is capital-I Important, with virtually every element delivered in gaudy excess?

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Entertainment Weekly

The heavy-handedness is as bald as Corgan's dome, and often just as unappetizing.

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Mojo

Though never dragging its feet, it rarely stretches its creative muscles.

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Pitchfork

Billy Corgan needs someone on his shoulder to whisper "no."

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MTV.com

Rather than highbrow art-rock, we just get a really pretentious heavy metal album.... the Pumpkins' worst album to date.

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Billboard

On "Machina," the Pumpkins don't sound creatively bankrupt as much as they sound burned out, uninspired, and not living up to their potential.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 25 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Nick gave it a7:
A solid album with excessive production and a bloated concept. Overall though most of the songs hold up, highlights are "Stand Inside Your Love", "I Of the Mourning", and "Age of Innocense"

Peter B gave it a9:
This must be the definition of an album that grows on you! At first I thought it was alright, than I thought it sucked and now I think it's one of the best albums I own. There are so many great songs on this album. It starts off wtih a bang (The Everlasting Gaze) and than it delves into both electronica (Raindrops + Sunshowers), gorgeous pop-ballads (Stand Inside Your Love, Blue Skies Bring Tears), amazing pop-gems (I of the Mourning, Try, Try, Try, This Time), catchy pop-rock (Sacred and Profane, Wound) and also weider experiments like the jazzy "With Every Light" and the industrial "The Imploding Voice". Only a few songs fall flat like the horrible "Heavy Metal Machine" and the too-strange "Crying Tree of Mercury". All in all it's still The Pumpkins' weekest effort, but it's still a great album!

[Anonymous] gave it a7:
A decent album, but spotty. Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie are superior, but this one has some moments of its own to offer, like "The Imploding Voice", "I of the Mourning", and "Stand inside your love". If it wasn't padded with lame stuff like "Heavy Metal Machine", it'd be great rahter than decent of good.

Chris W gave it a10:
This album is awesome. Had it for years and, if you listen to it really loud, it really shakes. I had it on in the car and I thought I was going to flip. Owning this album is a must!

Joris gave it a10:
This album really grows on you! The first year i thought it was their worst cd, now 5 years later (:p) I can honestly say this is their best after Siamese D and Mellon Collie. Another SP-album with a new sound uncomparabl to their previous work! Full of classics and so varied! Dream-pop like Wound or This Time Rockers as Heavy Metal Machina, Everlasting Gaze Epic SP tearjerker: Glass+The Ghost Children, one of their best songs ever, along with I Of The Mourning and then there's that awesome Stand Inside Your Love-bridge/drumsolo/outro starting at about 2:30 I believe

Randy B gave it a7:
The last album to come of The Smashing Pumpkins begins with a bang: the hard-hitting ‘The Everlasting Gaze’. The quality of the record jumps around, but every time you think it’s going to become something to toss in the used bin, it comes back with something awesome. Not that any of the tracks are really that bad, but there is a difference between the forgettable ‘Try, Try, Try’ and ‘The Imploding Voice’, ‘Stand Inside your Love’, or ‘Heavy Metal Machine’. Not as good as Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, but definitely a welcome return back from the pain that was Adore. Not the best close to a career, but not the worst either.

Pierre B gave it a9:
Don't listen to the critics. This is a great album!

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