Smashing Pumpkins harness metal chugs and Whammy squeals in first track from upcoming sequel to Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

Smashing Pumpkins have premiered new single Beguiled, the first track to be taken from forthcoming 33-track album ATUM, which is billed as the sequel to 1995’s Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and 2000’s Machina/The Machines of God.

Beguiled is a four-to-the-floor riffer that rarely lets up in its barrage of palm-muted chugs, interspersed with DigiTech Whammy wails in the vein of classic Pumpkins cut Zero.

It’s a surprisingly restrained track given the levels of distortion on display, so we can only assume Billy Corgan and co loosen the reins elsewhere on the record.

There’s certainly a lot of room for experimentation and a lot of time in which to explore them: ATUM’s 33 tracks will be released as three 11-track ‘acts’, eventually culminating in a three-act rock opera.

Written and recorded by Corgan over the past four years, the album features the current SP lineup of guitarists James Iha and Jeff Schroeder, plus drummer Jimmy Chamberlin.

As well as the new record, Corgan has also debuted his own podcast, Thirty-Three with William Patrick Corgan, each episode of which will unveil a new track from the forthcoming album, and delve into classic Pumpkins tracks and history.

Act 1 of ATUM will be released on November 15 2022, Act 2 on January 31 2023, while Act 3 lands along with a special-edition box set featuring all 33 album tracks plus 10 additional unreleased songs on April 21, 2023. It’s available to preorder now.

Smashing Pumpkins are due to commence their North American trek with Jane’s Addiction next month, spanning dates through November.

Earlier this year, Billy Corgan unveiled his latest signature model with Reverend, the Z-One, which is designed to deliver the Pumpkins’ heaviest tones.