Smashing Pumpkins [ tickets ]--in piecemeal fashion and for free on the Internet--have unleashed what is being billed as the band’s final album. The album, dubbed “Machina II/The Friends and Enemies of Modern Music,” is currently available on Napster and other MP3-trading websites, and one track is being released each weekday through the band’s fan club site.

The album consists of 25 previously unreleased tracks and outtakes. According to various sources, 25 vinyl copies of the album--which consist of three 10-inch EPs and two LPs--were recently were pressed and shipped to people close to the band, including the Smashing Pumpkins Internet Fan Club. The fan club website--which claims no official affiliation with Smashing Pumpkins--has been offering its members a single cut from the album in MP3 format each weekday since Sept. 7. The club plans to eventually release the entire album on cassette or CD on an at-cost basis.

Various sites are also distributing suggested artwork for the album, including one “resource site” that claims to be organizing a promotional CD of the album for distribution to radio stations.

The unconfirmed story that has emerged from several fan sites is that Smashing Pumpkins [ tickets ]' label Virgin Records supposedly was not interested in releasing a new Pumpkins album at this time for fear that it would cut into the sales of the band's latest album “MACHINA: the machines of God,” released last February. Spokespersons for the Pumpkins and Virgin could not be reached for comment by press time.

According to Billboard, just under 500,000 copies of “MACHINA: the machines of God,” have sold to date. The band’s 1995 double album, “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” sold more than 4 millions copies.

Smashing Pumpkins are scheduled to open a tour of Europe on Saturday (9/16) in Berlin. The band recently taped an episode of "VH1 Storytellers" which will air on Nov. 4.

In May, head Pumpkin Billy Corgan said in an interview on Los Angeles radio station KROQ that Smashing Pumpkins will break up at the end of this year.