Smashing Pumpkins channel Aeon Flux in first 2 episodes of new sci-fi dystopian animated series

Wanna go for a ride? The Smashing Pumpkins has a new album coming out in November, but that’s not the reason why a website dedicated to entertainment in the sci-fi, fantasy, and horror genres is writing about it. In advance of the band’s upcoming album Cyr, The Smashing Pumpkins has produced a five-part dystopian animated series called In Ashes, which will feature music from the album. And the band has recently unveiled the first two episodes of the series that’s very reminiscent of the animated show from the '90s Aeon Flux.

While the story for the five-part series is still a bit unclear, various media outlets have quoted series creator and band frontman Billy Corgan (credited as William Patrick Corgan) as describing In Ashes thusly: “The original story is something I’ve written and although it’s (mostly) lighthearted, ‘IN ASHES’ does address many things we face each day. That is if we live in dystopia, or paradise, or both. The choice, some say, is yours; and could even be a quantum issue.”

Bit lost? Don’t worry. Corgan has also described the album Cyr as "a dystopic folly ... One soul against the world sort of stuff, set against a backdrop of shifting loyalties and sped-up time. To me it stands as both hopeful and dismissive of what is and isn’t possible with faith." Okay, so that ... that’s not much help, either.

Well, okay. Based on the first two episodes, it so far appears that In Ashes takes place in a dystopian future where a widespread blackout has conked out all technology: lights, automobiles, music providers, communication devices. So a group of young people decide to go out into the woods, where trouble awaits them.

The first episode, "As the Crow Flies," both kicks off the story and also serves as the official video for "The Colour of Love."

In Episode 2, "Inspirations, Aspirations," our heroes go on a psychedelic journey after taking some sort of futuristic hallucinogen that vaguely resembles Lucky Charms and you know what? Just see for yourself. The episode also acts as the video for the track “Confessions of a Dopamine Addict.”

No word yet on when the next three episodes will appear on the band’s YouTube channel, but Cyr launches Nov. 27, but the future is now for folks wanting to pre-order the double album.