November is here and with the colder weather and the shorter days, one thinks about the passing Halloween. It is at this point during the year when the sorrowful chore of taking out the rotten pumpkins to the mulch pile is bestowed upon the lowly Halloween celebrant. It is also at this point that a certain music enthusiast looks back upon one of the most successful, yet quickly forgotten, acts of the 1990s.

Nearly every fan of the 1990s alternative genre that exploded with Nirvana, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots owns a copy of "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness," by The Smashing Pumpkins. The album - widely considered the band's opus - stands as the top-selling double-disc album of its time and was well represented at the 1997 Grammys, winning "Best Hard Rock Performance" for "Bullet With Butterfly Wings." However, it was after the release of this album that the following of the Chicago-based four-piece shrank remarkably.

A great deal of the band's downfall is credited to singer Billy Corgan's outspoken demeanor. After his statement that "rock is dead," he received a volley of flack from the press, particularly those magazines covering heavy metal. However, this was only one of the reasons the band's fan base continued to decline.

Drummer Jimmy Chamberlin was incarcerated after a highly-publicized, tragic overdose in which tour-pianist Jonathan Melvoin died. This could very well have been the coup de gras as Chamberlin's drumming was as pivotal to the band as Corgan's howling vocals, but the band soldiered on. As it approached the recording of 1998's "Adore," it was faced with the problem of filling Chamberlin's position and brought in numerous drummers from other bands (such as Matt Cameron of Soundgarden) as well making use of drum machines.

With the changing of the guards behind the kit, the band's attire changed remarkably as well. Corgan and company traded in their alternative hipster style of torn jeans and his famed Zero shirt for gothic dress and makeup.

Experimenting with a synth-heavy sound and electronic beats, The Smashing Pumpkins were able to craft a sound very unique and, consequently, underappreciated. It is in this album that The Smashing Pumpkins were able perform as the three founding members of the band. The cohesive product is shocking considering the great rift between Corgan and guitarist James Iha. Written in the wake of Corgan's mother's death, he shows a vulnerable side unseen by his fans previous to the release of "Adore."

Opening with the soft acoustic ballad, "To Sheila," the band was able to make an impressive showing without the presence of Chamberlin. Though the song only utilizes acoustic tracks and a scant amount of drumming, it is layered well and produces a heavy, brooding sense - setting the audience up for the moody Pumpkins release.

The most moving song of the album is clearly "For Martha." An ode to his late mother, the pain is so genuine as he sings the chorus, "if you have to go don't say goodbye / if you have to go don't you cry / if you have to go I will get by / I will follow you and see you on the other side." In live performances, this would cause Corgan to break out in tears mid-performance.

Their final official release, "Machina: The Machines of God," proclaims, with the disco-drum beats in the beginning of "The Everlasting Gaze," the return of Chamberlin. The album also heralds the return of one of Corgan's favorite mechanisms: the concept album. In the same vein of "Mellon Collie," 2000's "Machina" tells the story of a singer named Glass and the downfall of his one-time popular band (sound familiar?). The singer is supposedly spoken to by God and is chosen to speak on his behalf. Unfortunately the storyline to "Machina" is cryptic, making it impossible to understand through solely listening to the album.

The album as a whole, however complex the storyline, contains some amazing tracks in the last gasp of The Smashing Pumpkins.

"Stand Inside Your Love" is a classic Pumpkins song - layers upon layers of guitar, the heroic and stirring drumming of Jimmy Chamberlin and an e-bow solo at the end of the song to wrap it up.

The Pumpkins' last hurrah, "Machina II: Friends and Enemies of Modern Music" was released solely on the Internet. These tracks continued the tale of Glass and his quest as the self-appointed Metatron, trying to save the music industry from what Corgan called the "Britneys."

Yes, the Pumpkins may not have been in vogue and they were lampooned openly at this point of their career, but that did not stop them from producing quality releases. "Machina" may not have had the majesty of "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" and "Adore" may not have been their most accessible album, but they display an aura of emotion and art by way of music.

Though Virgin Records brushed these releases aside like the remains of a rotten jack-o-lantern, the albums have the timelessness of a lacquered gourd.