Billy Corgan has said that "the mythology of the '90s is now irrelevant" and bemoaned the "menace" present in modern music.
In an interview with the Guardian, Corgan noted that bands from the '90s aren't charting anymore and dismissed the idea that new bands are being influenced by artists of that era.
The Smashing Pumpkins frontman added that the amount of money DJs are making is reflective of the state of modern music, which is predominately EDM-focused. "People can get rosy and sentimental about something, but if it can’t compete it doesn’t mean anything," he said. Meanwhile, EDM is kicking everybody's fucking ass. Look at the numbers the DJs are making! They're kicking rock bands' ass. And we're sitting here talking about an era from 20 years ago because it's misty in people's minds. Meanwhile, there's 60,000 people in a field watching a guy with lights behind him."Corgan also discussed the three-star reviews his band received for new album 'Monuments to an Elegy', pointing out that the record is no different to the band's previous poorly reviewed albums, which are now considered classics.
"Here I am all these years later making a Smashing Pumpkins record that sounds a lot like Smashing Pumpkins and, childish as it may be, I thought there might be a moment of repose this time," the singer said. "But here comes the guy with the fucking steak knife that just can’t give the credit. So it reminds me of that 25-year-old that wasn't getting the credit either. I'm never going to get the credit. That game is over. So I'm going back to being an aggressive, street-level artist."
This isn't the first time Corgan has gone on the offensive during the promo for his new album. Earlier this month, the singer dismissed fellow '90s alt-rockers Pearl Jam as "derivative" and Foo Fighters as undeveloped, adding that Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins were in a class of their own. "I think the work speaks for itself," he said.
'Monuments to an Elegy', Smashing Pumpkins' ninth studio album, was out this month. Before the record's release, Corgan told NME he was forced to change his approach to making music with the band ahead of the album, explaining that if they didn't update what they were doing the band would be "dead in the water".
Smashing Pumpkins are nominated in the Best Reissue category at the NME Awards 2015 with Austin, Texas. Visit our awards page to cast your vote on who you want to win. You can also buy tickets for the awards ceremony which takes place at London's O2 Academy Brixton on 18 February.
