Reviews (page 6 of 13)
Starting strong. Depeche Mode was always a favorite of mine, and Violator is, undoubtedly, their best album.
I've always hated Depeche Mode, hanging out with a bunch of goth kids in high school I've heard plenty of them. They are just a bit too much of a bummer for me. Listening to them with some time having passed, they aren't too bad but still not my cup of tea. I think I just really don't like electronic music paired with a low energy singing, it just doesn't do it for me, a bit of a slog to get through. I'll give it a middle of the road 2.5 review because I can understand the influence it had on music at the time.
Slight complaint that the songs are longer than they should be. 4/5
Started off sounding like missed potential but clutched up by the second half. Simple bangers
Depeche Mode has been on my “to listen” list for a long time, mainly because they’re probably my stepbrother’s favourite band. At first, it’s hard to listen past the synth instruments, which often sound like a $100 Soundblaster in a PC in ~1993. SO much goth emo drama with just 1-2 voices and minimal synths. But then I started thinking about Nine Inch Nails. This is basically a softer version of Pretty Hate Machine, or Downward Spiral. I can totally see leaning into this as a teenager in the 80s if I was looking for a dark alternative to New Wave. Personal Jesus is still great crossover pop — cynical, confident and provocative. Waiting for the Night is a great vampiric ballad; almost a music theatre song. And Enjoy the Silence fucking slaps. +1 just for that song. Policy of Truth is ridiculous and pretty groovy. But yeah, without the vocals, most of the record sounds like the soundtrack to Quake, or some homemade beats shared on a cyberpunk webring in the late 90s.
I liked this one a lot more than the other Depeche Mode album we’ve had - might just be because I was more familiar with this one. But I think this one just has melodies that I like better and lyrics that were more engaging. Fav song: Enjoy the Silence Least fav: Sweetest Perfection
Some of the songs were too techno for me but still an incredible album. Enjoy the Silence and Personal Jesus are such iconic and brilliant songs. Favourite song: Enjoy the Silence (also love Personal Jesus) Least: World In My Eyes
Liked this a lot - sounds much more recent than it is!
Sea of sin and enjoy the silence total highlights
Album che segna la svolta synth wave e elettronica dei depeche mode. Ci sono tutti i loro pezzi piú famosi e che dire grande album
The 1-2 punch of 'Songs of Faith & Devotion' and 'Violator' is pretty much unparalleled for synth-pop in the early 90's. Hard to beat this one. Still a viable listen 30+ years on.
An alternative classic.
Later Depeche Mode, synth pop/new wave as expected with that darker sound. More experimental, more polished, accomplished, better production. Some guitars too, adding balance to the sound. Still sounds great, not dated at all! Despite this and some great ideas, standout tracks are not forthcoming. Best track (other than Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence) - Policy of Truth 4 stars (mainly for incredible ideas and production rather than wow factor on any given song)
I really like World In My Eyes. Personal Jesus is good, very popular song. Halo was fine. Waiting for the Night is not great on its own but I think it's a good lead in to Enjoy the Silence.
Defined a sound. Amazing
The singles were excellent and I owned a couple from the time but never the album. It's consistently good throughout and was understandably massive. A solid 4 stars.
Im a Depeche Mode fan. Also one time I was driving to Philly and clean just kept playing like alot so that was funny so now its like associated w/ joce in my head which is fun.
These dudes lowkey solved synth pop with enjoy the silence. The rest of the album is good not great, but that song is just something else
So good and nostalgic.
4- Stars (10/15)
Almost a greatest hits album from these guys with "Your Own Personal Jesus," "Enjoy the Silence," and "Policy of Truth." But the rest of the album is solid as well and I really enjoyed the deeper cuts like "World in My Eyes" and, especially, "Clean." That song is one of the best I've ever heard about what it means to try to stay sober. They are the ultimate synth pop band and we're at their peak on this album.
Some certified bangers on this one. Enjoy The Silence especially is just so good. I dont often go for melodrama in music but I love how melodramatic Depeche Mode is both lyrically and musically, like a gothic Tears for Fears. Idk if people thought this sounded ahead of its time, but i can think of plenty of talented young groups like Nation of Language now who are super inspired by these guys, and probably this album in particular
The good old days when the best songs were the singles
Definitely more than just the well known singles and a clear reason why Depeche Mode became as big as they did. Hard to believe they're the same band who made I just can't get enough. A good listen.
This one rocks.
Enjoy the Silence is GOATed. Definitely one of the more sonically pleasing albums I’ve heard on this list so far.
8 - GOOD
Never really considered myself much of a Depeche Mode fan, but after listening to this album I now get it. I enjoyed how sparse a lot of the songs sound at first before layering up the synths and drum machines until they became something quite spectacular.
Very good album! Love Depeche mode! They just have such a good vibe! This also has some very good songs that they killed it on!
I love this band
This is the best album by them I have heard so far. The sound is peak and the hits are plenty.
Enjoy the Silence is my favorite.
This is great. Nobody does it like them. Clean!! OMG. Taylor Swift references them? Same topic. Wow.
Very similar but a bit more electronic than Music for the Masses, overall I like this album a bit more. The haunting vocals match well with the synth. Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence are the stand-outs to me but it's all pretty good!
New album to me, but really enjoyed it. Will listen again.
A style I've always appreciated but never really explored. Depeche Mode have always had an unconventional note choice which catches you off guard but isn't distracting.
Tres hits y otros tantos buenos temas, valen mucho.
Great album. Love a bit of Depeche Mode!
Een paar bekende nummers, Depeche Mode is eigenlijk altijd wel goed.
Toevallig. Recent nog geluisterd. Na het luisteren: Staan een paar mooie nummers op.
I love this album actually. Really good.
Dark, moody, yet also colorful. Gold standard of synth.
Moody and dark, sounds really really good. Production quality is unreal even without remastering. To me comes across as a bit depressy and slightly self-absorbed, but I got into it more as I listened. Temperamentally this is far from me but I appreciate it
I liked it a lot, had a song in a big fan of and the rest of the album fit the same vibe
2 Classic singles and a concise synth pop album with a lot of quality.
I love these weird dudes. Some of the songs went on a bit too long but Personal Jesus, Policy of Truth and Enjoy the Silence are masterpieces
love this shit. turns out i wasn't the only person thinking it reminded me of Shout https://www.reddit.com/r/Music/comments/1gulnyy/shout_by_tears_for_fears_sounds_like_a_depeche/
Starts a little slow but really gets going past basic synth sounds
Hey now, this is pretty good! Enjoy the Silence is the only track I've heard on the radio before, but the rest is mellow electronica all the way through.
Dark synth-heavy new wave. The hits are really the standout. Personal jesus is built on a strong riff and enjoy the silence builds to the best catharsis on the album. The musical intermezzo's make the album sound more coherent sonically by providing a nice gradual transition. If this album is your jam you will appreciate that, if not it will seem like a timewasting effort.
Listening while travelling to Paris at 8am. Definitely a change from the folkey Tim Buckley and country Dolly Parton the past couple days. A welcome touch of nostalgia for an early morning train ride
Always a great listen.
Wow I didn't know that this album was THAT album that has all of their moody hits on it (you won't be seeing Just Can't Get Enough here). Really ahead of their time while be of the time, if that makes sense. You feel their inspiration in a lot of the artists to follow, AND you can just imagine all of the goth kids absolutely loving this album the moment the needle hit the record. Good work gang
perfect synthpop
Great album.
Dark and moody. Interesting to hear these songs in their album context. Impressive that this came out in 1990
Музыка: 8/10 Разнообразие: 7/10 Тематика и вайб: 9/10 Цепляемость (отдельные песни зашли): 7/10 Реиграбельность (можно ли рандомно врубить на фон): 8/10 Итог: 7.8
Interesting and weighty throughout. Engaging.
When I reviewed Music for the Masses, I said I'd probably listen to it again when the Generator gave me Violator so that I could compare them side-by-side to figure out which one I like more. I fully expected that day to come months (or even years) down the road, but here we are... just 10 days later. I'm a man of my word though, so I listened to both albums back to back earlier today. To be completely honest, I think I enjoy MFTM a little more! Violator definitely has some stronger highlights ("Personal Jesus" is maybe the most unique Depeche Mode cut I've heard and "Policy of Truth" & "Enjoy the Silence" might be their catchiest tunes, full stop), but in terms of the flow, cohesiveness and average level of quality across all tracks, I reckon the earlier album has it in the bag. Violator is pretty stylistically similar to MFTM, so I don't have a lot else to say that I didn't already say in my review of that album. I guess I'd recommend actually checking out the bonus tracks on the deluxe version, since most of what's there genuinely rivals many of the nine tracks on the original LP. The songs are a bit more electronic-influenced, but if your tastes are anything like mine, that's probably not going to be an issue! Highlights: World in My Eyes, Sweetest Perfection, Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth, Clean
Compelling rhythms and interesting lyrics...best track...Favourite Jesus
Overall a very good album with at least a couple of all time classics. I won't say those popular songs are my favorite from the album. I really quite enjoyed "Blue Dress" which had elements of minimalist music, like Philip Glass. The second half of the album was much better than the first, for me.
Not every song was for me, but even those were not bad. I've never listened to this album in full before, but I already knew I liked Depeche Mode so I am not surprised.
Actually really enjoyed every song and also you can hear it's made by the same artist on the same album.
Great album! Really enjoyed this one. Added almost every song to my library.
No details.
Dark, brooding, electronic pop. Some fine tracks on here. Quite possibly their best album
Mejor de lo que lo recordaba, increíble
Very well produced! Enjoying this. Had only heard of Depeche Mode by name The songs do seem a bit too similar to each other for my tastes. 3 or 4
It’s dark, danceable and filled with bangers. “Enjoy the Silence” might be the best song DM ever recorded.
Good. I like later albums more.
Amazing.
Surprisingly good. I knew all their hits from the album Catching Up With Depeche Mode, but never heard an individual album.
I like Depeche mode, but this wasn't a very gripping album
I enjoyed this more than I expected to. Obviously, the big singles made their impact at the time and since but even the album tracks were good too.
Violator was a deep, atmospheric listening experience. Somewhere between rock and pop, I quite enjoyed the sound, and find it to be some of the most palatable and interesting synth-pop I've heard. The mood set by the album was dark & brooding, and the music didn't stray from this theme. Overall pretty good.
7/10
In comparing this to the Pet Shop Boys album from the other day this is a night and day difference. Of course I knew Personal Jesus and Enjoy The Silence, but the other songs here were great too. Like music played in a cave it sounds echoey and huge yet hollow and dark at the same time. Favorite songs were Personal Jesus, Halo, and Enjoy The Silence.
"Enjoy the Silence" is my favorite Depeche Mode song. Solid album.
80s classic. A bit weird outside of the well known ones
What an incredible album!!!
Much better than Music for the Masses, mainly because more songs are fun and interesting than not, also fantastically detailed production but there's some songs I don't care for much (Sweetest Perfection and Waiting for the Night) which don't mess up the experience but I just wind up skipping the songs to the ones I like. But still, overall still a classic and no wonder so many love it
Really good album
I feel like I’m in a 90s underground local nightclub. Enjoy the Silence stays stuck in my head; didn't know they let us enjoy the silence for a couple minutes. Favorite songs: Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth
Enjoy the silence
what a banger
I swear i have heard Personal Jesus in ads before
First half was god tier, second half was still really good but they had me in the first half ngl. Fave song: Personal Jesus Honorable Mentions: Sweetest Perfection, Halo
This shit was pretty good. Really strong first half but felt like it slowed down a lot in the second. Favourite Song: Personal Jesus Honourable Mention: Policy of Truth
Because of “Enjoy The Silence”.
really really good new wave. 4.5/5 really close to a 5
Really good. 4.5
Moody tho I don’t love the main vocals
Dramatic, moody. Felt a level of angst or unease in my body through the first listen, but it’s entrancing enough that I couldn’t turn it off either. The vocals are off-putting but soothing. My gut says this is a 5, but my heart says that I have to give it a 4 due to the way it made me feel lol.
Already familiar and know I love this one!
Crazy this is 35 years old. Still holds up great - classic songs and easy to listen too. Two thumbs up!
A bit staggered by this (Steve McManaman voice) to be very honest with you. I knew that the two songs I knew on this - Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence - were very large bangers, but I was really pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of the rest of the album. The opening bars to the opening song fill you with a bit of dread, as some quite Atari game standard synths get going, but after that it's a dark, moody, almost New Order-ish journey, and I am very much on board.
2 all-time classic songs on this album. I wonder if the band could be considered a one-album wonder? So good though!
"I'm a 5 star man!" - Enjoy the Silence
Ccol
7/10
Their best.
Haunting and beautiful. An example of really, really great production.
It was fun
Nice. Knew more from this than I thought
Dark, ambient, definitely need to listen to it as a whole for full effect. Enjoyed a lot, would be better at night!
I always liked Depeche Mode. I did like this album
I like Depeche Mode but I think you need to be in a certain mood to listen to them. Never listened to Violator before , but I knew the singles very well. I really like their unique soud, so dark but so polished, so envolving as well. 4/5
All I Ever Needed Is Here In My Arms 1001 Albums Generator 97 (08/15/2025) This is the big one. If there is one Depeche Mode album that people have heard of, it is their seventh studio album, Violator. I listened to their previous album, Music For The Masses, about two months ago, and I thought it was okay. There were some songs I loved, but I felt like the album wasn't super consistent. However, I was very excited for Violator because it is one of those albums that every music nerd loves, but I had never listened to before. It really feels like Violator is the logical conclusion of everything that Depeche Mode was building on MftM. It's still synthpop, but I found more rock sounds on here that were really cool. The three biggest hits (Personal Jesus, Enjoy The Silence, and Policy Of Truth) are the most obvious examples. The guitar work on these songs is awesome, and they somehow manage to be both dark and gothic but still very danceable. World In My Eyes is a great, upbeat opener and is really life-affirming and positive in its lyrics. I can't believe how similar Clean is to One Of These Days by Pink Floyd. That bassline is so good. I love the Floyd song and I love this one too. Sweetest Perfection is dark and industrial, and it's awesome. I really like when Depeche Mode goes into this zone. Waiting For The Night is the only song that I don't like. These types of slow, ambient songs were my least favorite on Depeche Mode's previous album, and that is still the case on this one too. Blue Dress is also less memorable than the rest of the songs here. Besides that, this is just great synthpop. Violator is amazing. It definitely deserves the praise it gets and only has a couple of slight lulls in the tracklist. Solid 4.5/5, rounded down to 4. Favs: World In My Eyes Personal Jesus Enjoy The Silence Least Fav: Waiting For The Night
Hard to know whether to give this 3 or 4 but I'll go with where it will probably be with repeat listens. The singles were as good as it gets for goth synth pop. The rest was a bit mixed but I imagine would grow.
Pretty good
Depeche mode är verkligen inte min kopp te. Ett sound jag aldrig riktigt gillat. Men helt klart är.detta en tajt skiva. Trots soundet är det melodiskt och intressant. Den förtjänar iaf en fyra!
Rigtig godt album, kan faktisk generelt indtil videre ikke rigtig lide lyden af 80'erne, men jeg synes sgu at violator har været rigtig godt. Jeg kan godt lide at det lyder lidt ligesom Joy Division med den mørke lyd som må være darkwave/gothic rocken. Det går godt sammen med lyden af synthpoppen/electropoppen. Endnu engang har jeg formået ikke at bemærke teksterne særlig meget, men som jeg kan læse mig frem til så afspejler det meget lyden af albummet også så det er mørke temaer som begær, magt og kontrol, erotik osv. Og så kan jeg super godt lide ikke radio-versionen af personal jesus :D
Very solid album with songs such as personal jesus, enjoy the silence and policy of truth. Really enjoyed this album!
For someone who was never really into Depeche Mode, I can tell that this is *possibly* their most definitive album. Anything containing "Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy the Silence" will do that honestly. They make dark and gloomy synth-pop sound cool and polished here. The careful songwriting goes a long way in establishing that, but a lot simply lends itself to being catchy too. I wasn't expecting this much depth here to be honest.
Never liked this as much as everyone else, like Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truth though
Super dark, atmospheric and moody. I wonder if NIN are on this list somewhere....
I'm a sucker for 80s new wave and this album has 3 classic tracks.
Really REALLY solid second half. Loved the music and it was a decently sized album
I had already listened to Enjoy the silence and it is indeed one of my favorite songs of all time, but now that I've given myself the chance to drive through the hole thing I can only say it is for real a timeless non-skip album. They really got the vibes on this one.
Joyous.
Enjoyed this as a break from the seemingly endless like of country music I’ve been getting from the list. Nice synths. Great vocals. Some cracking tracks. 4 stars.
Top tier Edit Apr 15 2026: 5 --> 4. I feel I need to give it more listens to appreciate it more
many bangers
Would not buy
4.4 phenomenal faves: world in my eyes, policy of truth
I like this one, would be 4 1/2 if that was an option
Britpop Classic
Dark beats, depressing lyrics. Delicious.
I previously thought of Depeche mode as sounding dated. I was surprised that I found the production on this to sound pretty fresh and raw and exciting. I'd also never really clicked with their songwriting before but I really enjoyed this album. I think there was a publicity push for their singles collection when I was younger - I thought those singles were okay at the time. In the context of the album I think they sound brilliant. I can see that they (maybe indirectly) influenced bands like Muse, which I really don't think I would have linked before.
Enjoyed this. Contains a genuine all time classic in Enjoy the silence and the rest are quite nice. I still prefer early more poppy Depeche Mode but they are a quality outfit. 4 for enjoy the silence alone!
Lots of jams!
Some good, some bad, some great. Overall I really enjoyed this
Pretty solid album, not usually my sort of genre but I enjoyed the listen. Of course there's a couple songs on there I recognised which are absolute bangers. There wasn't really anything to dislike here.
Sleek, sexy dark synthpop goodness. Music both to appreciate listening to at home, and to bump what your momma gave you to in the club!!
I don’t think there was a bad track on here. Personal Jesus is kind of incredible. Also, after getting two Kraftwerk albums on this list, it’s hard not seeing the influence.
Kraftwerk walked so Depeche Mode could fly. Much respect to the German dudes for their experimentation, but it's successors like THIS album that really make their electronic sound shine. DISGUSTING synth instrumentation with Gahan's iconic voice -- this is the blueprint for the 80s-90s synthwave aesthetic that's still inspiring artists today. Standouts: Personal Jesus • Halo • Enjoy The Silence • Policy Of Truth (!!)
This was a good album. I enjoy Depeche Mode. Most of the songs I know are on a different album. The only songs I knew from this album were Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence.
it was really good and the production slapped
Svänger inte alltid men annars toppen!
it good
good, i like it
Kept zoning out while listening to this but in a lovely way. There's something really smokey and sleek about this album. The lore behind Personal Jesus is great too
He violate my depeche till I mode
Good listen!
Забавно, что этот альбом попался мне в день, когда я планировал (и пошел) на выставку Антона Корбейна в Стокгольмском музее фотографии. Для меня удивителен феномен этой группы на пост-совке. Есть ощущение, что в той же Британии группа не имеет такого культового статуса. Могу ошибаться. Альбом окэй. Главные хиты - великие песни. Лучшая песня - Enjoy The Silence.
Dark and brooding with a groove. Great listen.
Really enjoyed this album.
This isn’t quite one of those “wait is this a greatest hits collection?” albums like Thriller or She’s So Unusual or the Cars and Boston’s self-titled debuts but it’s close. Not every song is as immediately accessible as the hits, but none are filler and they all seem to belong on the album. The album flows well and makes for an enjoyable listening experience. I think that what makes Violator so strong is that Depeche Mode had transitioned to a full-on pop group at this point (or possibly back to a full-on pop group? Wikipedia says they started as a teeny bop boy band, which I didn’t know but which doesn’t surprise me all that much). At this time they were a pop group that wore black leather and sang about being sad or whatever, but they were an unabashed pop group nonetheless. With Violator, Depeche Mode was making pop music with a synthy gothy filter over it, but first and foremost they were making pop music. And they kill it on this album. When an album is in the same general area as goth rock and I don’t despise it, you know it has to be good. This is an album that deserves inclusion on this list and that is completely worth hearing. Spike up your hair, put on some black eyeliner and a puffy shirt, dance around in a really sad way and have yourself a great time.
What a long strange journey from tinny synthpop to the darker recesses...this was an important step towards worldwide success for Depeche Mode, and it's a fine album.
While listening one of my headphone ears were being a little quieter than the other that made me mad Its good
Very creative and unique electronic style, it sounds great!
Brilliant. No notes really, it’s a sleek, black arrow to the heart.
Maybe the most "Rock" album of Depeche Mode, definitely one of their best, even though I prefer the 80s period with Music for the Masses and Black Celebration.
A lot of unconventional sounds throughout, but they were interesting!
This is so very good and so very impressive but it can be so very long as well. I don't know that I am complaining about song length here though. In the same way I love listening to Josh Homme play a C chord for a minute and a half straight, the repeating instrumentals on this album are hypnotic and engaging if you're in the right headspace. I was formatting a presentation on livestream data for my boss while listening to this and there was a little like hacker in the mainframe vibe going. The hits are incredible, the rest is great, Memphisto is my standout non-hit. Sounds like Hollow Bastion/the organization 13 themes in Kingdom Hearts II. I'm sitting underneath a 5 and I think it really is right there, it's close but something within me is saying nah.
I think it was how much Richard Blade played Depeche Mode singles that made me not want to listen to this record, but once again Mr. Blade is right, Depeche Mode kinda rules. I saved about half of these songs and would listen to this record straight through again with no complaints... Now can I have some pet shop boys please! Solid 4/5
Never listened to the whole thing. (40 known/85 new)
sehr cooles Album. Sweetest Perfection überraschend mein Lieblingslied aus dem Album. Personal Jesus und Enjoy the Silence auch top.
I knew all the singles but hadn't heard the full album. It was fab, albeit not the right vibe for a sunny summer day lol. 4.5
Going in I knew Deprche Modes singles. I really enjoyed this album not an album I would of ever listened to without the challenge
Great stuff. DM > Cure
I think if this album came out today people would be pretty behind it. Having only ever heard the hits before, I quite enjoyed it. An album to be listened to with good headphones, as the dynamics and sound mixing is really excellent.
All time, great songs, danceable beats, time capsule. I’d listen to this annually, and share
A classic. Some tracks miss, but bangers for the most part.
Vintage Depeche!
World in My Eyes...good tone setter Sweetest Perfection...not the most accessible pop song but I like how dirty it feels Personal Jesus...yes. everything about this. yes. Halo...interesting sounds but nothing special Waiting for the Night...see above Enjoy the Silence...this is the shit Policy of Truth...dark and dirty. fuck ya Blue Dress...Weird. I think I would like it with a few more listens Clean...forgettable
Always an enjoyable listen.
What an awesome album will definitely listen to it again!
not my cup of tea, but an obvious display of practiced and thought out creativity in full form, 3 songs that still get radio play to this day, its a beast of a record for 1990. starting track is great, Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence are not songs i prefer, (even though they carry most of the energy of the album) but Policy of Truth is a solid single. the album is def about the build up more than the end point. lots of tension from start to end. its packed with content for sure. i like Blue Dress, Clean, and most of the end of the album. on a technical level, this is far and away a huge step forward for the new wave/80's dark/goth electronic driven genre, as well as pop music as a whole. there is so much going on that it becomes more symphonic than it appears on the surface. 4/5 and only cuz i don't personally care for this band, but if i did, this is a near perfect album.
Enjoyable album. More up my street.
This is a really strong record from Depeche Mode. This was the first time listening to the album as a whole and I really enjoyed it.
This Deoeche Mode album was solid!
Surprisingly not bad. First track was a great way to start the album. It then went a bit up and down but on the whole much better than I expected. Im tempted out of sheer devilment to give it a 4. Yeah think i will. 4
Very nice album. The vocals are very soulful and songwriting is high quality.
A fantastic album that really showcases Depeche Mode at their best. "Personal Jesus" is a true classic that never gets old, and the overall vibe of the album is just captivating.
jahas. olin jo karvasta pettymystä syöttämässä tähän boksiin mutta jumas lautas toinen puolisko tästä albumista on kerrassaan loistava! TEMPAA mukaansa ja ei päästä irti kunnes viimeinen biisi on vihdoin ohi.. absoluuttista vaibailua ja jokseenkin myös chillailua! pikku copypastse tähän: Violator on brittilegendojen pitkän uran kiistaton kohokohta. Alternative-musiikki teki varmaa nousua 1990-luvun alussa, kun Depeche Modekin löysi kovimman hittivaihteensa. Hämyisät industrial-kokeilut, syntikkapop ja rehevä dance-rock jatkuivat, mutta kokonaisuus voimistui jylhien sovitusten ja isompaan rooliin nousseen kitaran myötä. en paremmin voisi sanoa. neljä on täsmällisyyttä waiting for the night
Vibes
Love this album. I wore it out in my 30’s.
I enjoyed this album a lot. Cool vibes, kind of dark sounding but still easy to enjoy. It felt a little dated, but in the sense that it embodied the genre/era in a time-capsule-ish way. Some really good songs on here, with nothing I considered bad. I think it was just an interesting album and it kept your attention the whole way through. I liked the musical compositions and the vocal additions. I thought they worked well together. I also thought it all sounded good as a whole, and it didn't become bland even though it stayed in the same style. Not sure it reaches the level of great, but it was really good. Overall: 3.75/5
Good album 👌
Great choice, one few can dispute. This release brought their sound to it's pinnacle and ushered in a new vibe for synth pop that had a darker side and a deeper beat. This album was all over the radio and dance clubs in 1990-91. Huge hits with "World In My Eyes" (60 M listens), "Personal Jesus" (covered by everyone, 90M listens), "Enjoy The Silence" (112M listens) & my favorite on the disc, "Policy Of Truth" (142M listens). Flush with big songs and radio favorites you still hear today, this one earns its spot on the T1001. Even the glue tracks have tons of listens, so this one has stood the test of time. Solid choice. 4+ stars
Een heerlijk darkwave album, dat eigenlijk alleen tegen zich heeft dat het voor een album uit 1990, voor mijn gevoel dan, net iets teveel de 80s synthproduction aanhoudt, die me bij sommige nummers soms lichtelijk gaat tegenstaan. Desalniettemin vind ik alle 9 nummers memorabel genoeg dat ik het album zo weer in zijn geheel kan luisteren, voor mij een van de belangrijkste factoren als ik een album een rating zou geven. Enjoy the Silence blijft ook wel echt een alltimer.
3.5
I don't understand why it took me so long to listen to this. So good, wow. Excellent production, great voice, the hit songs don't stand out so much as everything is of high quality. Again, bit of a dip towards the end, but it does end gorgeously. Amazing album.
Überascht wie Depeche Mode ned viel falsch mache chan mit ihrere Musig. Für vieli moods guet geignet, au für e schwirige mäntig. dadefür 4 überaschigseier mit lässige spielzüüg dinne
Never heard this before. The two singles are great. Half the album tracks are okay and half are good. I know two of them from somewhere - one I don’t know how, the other is from the Goldfrapp remix which is awesome.
Knew the hits from before but the rest was enjoyable as well. Very stylised. Enjoyed.
Great album and inspired so many different artists and genres. Amazing
Great album but desperately needed some radio edits. Know when to end a song! FS: Personal Jesus, obviously, but enjoyed the whole run through to Blue Dress
Awesome! definitely way ahead of its time Blue dress >>>
Those spotty Essex oiks I saw on Top Of The Pops in the early 80s came a long way in a few years. Dark, musical, produced to within an inch of its life, splendid record.
A really greay ambiance to this album- the mood and vibes are on point. Some big hits too. Overall- very solid
DM is always cool. the whole album just flows.
Certified classic. Enjoy the Silence might be the best song ever made.
I really enjoyed this album, although listening to the playlist in order has made all the songs kind of merge into 1. Adding some songs into a shuffled playlist would work V nice. Fav song World in my eyes
Not a genre I'm very familiar with, but I feel it's done well, and I enjoy the music
While I'm not exactly a synth-pop fan, I have to admit this one's really good. You've got some upbeat bangers like "Personal Jesus" and the more brooding/introspective songs that fill it out nicely, all with a pretty compelling sound behind them. Depeche Mode might "make me a believer" yet.
Words are very unnecessary. Melodic, introspective, mellow vocalist, wonderful 80s electronic sound
More hits on this album than I expected. Really enjoyed it.
Kjente dette litt frå før, likte det
Dark, cool, and stylish. This album sounds like a neon-soaked 80's sci-fi movie filled with brands that have since gone extinct. Favorite tracks: "Enjoy the Silence," "Policy of Truth"
Fantastic
Leuk album en goed om te luisteren. Ik houd zelf iets meer van up-tempo muziek, maar dit is lekker tijdens werkuren. ****
Some of these songs are just iconic bangers even though Depeche Mode is generally not exactly my cup of tea.
Enjoyed more than expected. Never really a band I've been into or known much of, other than their big hits.
Has the iconic Enjoy the Silence song. Some other bangers. I'll give a solid 4
This falls ever so slightly behind the great New Order albums of the era, for me, but it's very close. It does contain one of the 10 or so best songs ever written in Enjoy the Silence, the kind of pop perfection that makes an artist immortal. Personal Jesus, while not my personal brand of synthpop, is also an undeniable masterpiece. I thought Policy of Truth was a deep cut, but it has the most plays on Spotify of anything here? Perfect song. Blue Dress is the true deep cut, then, making more explicit than elsewhere on the record the deep sense of regret that permeates the whole thing. What an album.
I liked it - I think it picked up for me in the second half, but I honestly think it has a more modern sound in the second half and I can hear the influence on modern Synthpop and even like Chillwave/Psychedelia which is the electronic stuff I prefer over, it feels more consistent with the first half having several different experiments with electro, blues Rock, adult Contemporary etc most of which I honestly didn't like. I can see it growing on a second listen!! 1. World in My Eyes (4:26) - 6/10 I really like the sweeping melody that comes in halfway through, but I've never been that big on this kinda buzzy electro sound in a song and it devalues it for me, it sounds like it's from even earlier than 1990 - that being said, it is extremely catchy and can see it growing on me. 2. Sweetest Perfection (4:43) - 6/10 Really like the futuristic bass sounds and the rhythm from the drums and to be honest the vocal melodies are lovely as well! Worried now that I might have a bit of a mental block with this sound as it just doesn't come to the sum of its parts (my nitpick is that I don't love the little break with the strings that halfway through, it's a bit awkward and they don't sound great when they come back later either). 3. Personal Jesus (4:55) - 5/10 Not really my favourite, it's all bluesy and has a stomp rock feel and that's just not what I love unfortunately. 4. Halo (4:30) - 5/10 A bit forgettable. 5. Waiting for the Night (6:07) - 6/10 Liked this one - a bit of a ballad. 6. Enjoy the Silence (6:12) - 8/10 Undeniable chorus and horns (?) are also so catchy. 7. Policy of Truth (4:55) - 7/10 I like how this one builds - there's a lot of different melodies/textures and they all sound great together on the song - sweeping synths/strings, funky sounds. 8. Blue Dress (5:38) - 8/10 Sounds like it could've been an influence on George Clanton with the seagull-esque sharp synths and the melodies, the vocals are fantastic and it all comes together really nicely (interlude at the end is a bit weird though) 9. Clean (5:33) - 7/10 The atmosphere is nice here and it has an interesting vibe to it, again it has a really interesting synth melody and all the parts come together nicely.
Never heard Beautiful dark and danceable
Absolutely loved this album and learning about it. The music was superb and lyrics interesting as well. Will continue to revisit
There are some albums here that I can't imagine anyone not liking. This isn't one of them, but I lap this stuff up. There's some nice experimentation, but what stands out (amid the posturing) is some old-fashioned hooks.
Not everything hit for me, but what did hit was very good. Driving drums and synth arrangements, haunting baritone, this has it all. Clean was the one that gave me goosebumps.
I was digging this. 3.7.
I almost saw Depeche Mode in concert, if it wasn't for a venomous spider bite on my companion's behind. Anyway, very solid album. Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
Schlüssiges Album. Auch wenn die Songs etwas lang sind, die Stimmung hält sich. Enjoy the Silence ist einfach ein Banger.
Mostly giving this a 4 because of "Policy of Truth" and "Personal Jesus."
Started out really good. I can hear how similar PHM is to it. Pretty good all together. Just all kind of sounded the same.
Classic album. Not my thing though
I assumed I would hate this. First off, I always confuse Depeche Mode with Duran Duran. Depeche Mode is significantly better, but they definitely occupy a similar space. There are a slew of bangers on this album, all of which already live on my Death Scene Music playlist. There are definitely some clunkers, but it’s a pretty cohesive vision with some all time classics. Violator - good album!
Four absolute bangers out of the 9 tracks. The rest is good to forgettable but I love the mood of this album. This project has me becoming a Depeche Mode fan.
Had only heard the singles off of this album and I have always enjoyed those, but the other songs on this album are equally good.
Can’t say anything negative of the album that birthed Enjoy the Silence. Absolutely GOATed.
Simple but effective. Personal Jesus got better when Johnny Cash covered it. I didn't say Personal Jesus by Johnny Cash IS better, what u said is the DM version got better after hearing the Cash version.
in the policy of truth, tududu tududududu
Should relisten, nice and groovy. Possibly too many lyrics, more relaxed
Of course, I love "Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy the Silence" as much as anyone else, and the rest of the album isn't really a slouch either. But I still can't help but miss the less polished feeling of their earlier work like Some Great Reward. This one's not quite an all-time classic for me, but I feel like there's for to be something in their discography that is.
I wish the album hit for me better but once again the production on this thing just does it for me. I'm gonna keep coming back to this album and maybe it'll hit better in the future, but for now it feels like I'm still surface level. Enjoy the Silence and Personal Jesus are so good. They would be good songs on another album but here they've been pushed to where they need to be fully. Personal Jesus is such a strong electronic song that it's shocking that it's built around an acoustic guitar riff. You'd think the reverb and echo on the album would get old but it suits it so damn well. Highlight: Personal Jesus (I know that's the lame choice but I liked it before and now I find myself going for the song often)
I actually really liked this!
I like. More listens pls.
I obviously love Depeche Mode, but only really as a singles act, as none of their albums do it for me especially. This is the closest I get to loving one of them, but the gulf between the singles and album tacks is still huge. It's very enjoyable though, and it contains some of my favourite ever songs ('Enjoy the Silence' in particular) so I can't really complain too much.
Loved it,
I know Depeche Mode but truly never sat to listen to an album or more than the one or two tracks I am familiar with. These guys are legendary and now hall of famers. This is a great album.
Tight as hell
Jamie xx shiii makes me wanna rave
Enjoyable; didn't LOVE it
Вроде неплохо, но в душу не западает
Lots of great songs
This was really solid. I know a little of Depeche Mode and this certainly was what I was expecting it to be. Moody, synthy and just plain good!
looking for a vampire club that plays Depeche Mode
Buen álbum, malo que le flipe a la Ayuso. Policy of Truth es temeiken
I've listened to this album before, but I always enjoy listening to it. Solid through and through.
Truly magnificent .
As I have noted, electronica is not really my thing, but there's something about DM. I think the songwriting they start with is solid and this album was their huge breakout (whether they wanted it or not)--probably MTVs fault as I remember Enjoy the Silence ALWAYS ON. Three stone cold classics on this album and the rest is pretty listenable. I was leaning 3.5 until Policy of Truth hit and have to go:
Fav: Policy Of Truth Least Fav: World In My Eyes Yeah I can def see how Pet Shop Boys were inspired by this
This was great. Strong tracks throughout. Rating: 4
Such a well-made album. The pinnacle of 80s synth rock.
Multiple bangers. Solid 50% are begging to be done in drag. Really good, if a bit corny.
dark & classy
3.5
8/10
This is great. If you like Depeche Mode, this might be the best of the albums. Although Black Celebration and Music for the Masses are also insanely good
Bon synth-rock des annees 90
Enjoy
HERMOSO DISCO
Jagged sequencers, pulsing bass, impeccably cold production and soaring songs - this sounds like the score to a Bond film where he doesn't win. Favourite tracks: Sweetest Perfection, Personal Jesus (stone cold classic na klar), Waiting For The Night, Enjoy The Silence, Clean
fuck you you fucking fuckers
Really up my alley, because I love a lot of 80s british indie but didn't know any Depeche Mode songs aside from Enjoy the Silence. Very atmospheric synths which I loved.
pretty good. a lot of bops on this record (wow fantano???!?!) anyways, i dislike how i cant give albums 4.5 stars. its either pretty good, or basically perfect. this def would get a 9/10. its fun. its very 80's, and doesnt really miss imo. some songs are better than others, inherently, but still a great listen nonetheless. :) you are now... DEPECHE! MODE! skibidi
Not too crazy about their sound, but some of the songs are great.
Good consistent album with some great hits.
Classic. The good songs are great. The not good songs are a drag.
If your not too familiar with Depeche Mode, than this is a great starting point. If you start with this album, I’d recommend going backwards and listen to all of their old albums before you go forward.
Buen álbum, equilibrado en su oferta
Can't fault it really. Though I tend to listen to Black Celebration rather than this album for some reason. Personal Jesus and Enjoy The Silence are perfect slices of goth pop perfection
Nice discovery for me, recognised the singles but I’d never heard the album. Very different from what was around at the time, if sounding a little dated with its synth heavy leaning.
"World In My Eyes", "Personal Jesus", "Enjoy The Silence" and "Policy Of Truth" - what is more to say! The other songs on the album can't match the quality of these four banger. 3,5
Love it. I can't get enough of the dark, kind of depressing 80s/early 90s synth pop. The vocals are haunting at times.
Way better than I expected
Very unique production. When I eventually get my doctorate in music I am gonna write my dissertation on the weird snare drum sound they used in “World In My Eyes”. I usually associate 1990 with a crappy year in music before Nirvana and co. revolutionized things but this is a nice reminder that there are still gems out there to find. Standouts: “World In My Eyes”, “Personal Jesus”, “Policy of Truth” Stinkers: “Sweetest Perfection”, “Blue Dress”
Damn this was way more exciting than I expected. I’ve always dug “Personal Jesus”, but I think “Halo” might be my new favorite DM song. So many tracks are catchy, dark, and just so coooool. “Enjoy the Silence” and “Policy of Truth” are also big standouts. Side note, I loved later Smashing Pumpkins (Adore/Machina and associated b-sides) in my younger days. I see now they were really just Billy C’s Depeche Mode era.
Was this as sexy as electronic music could get in 1990?
I’m generally not a big fan of synthesizer based bands but this was pretty good. I liked the drums a lot. The production I thought was great.
Been a while since I’d heard this. Like it a lot more now.
a gothic synthpop offering from Depeche Mode that reflects the shift in composition for the band where pre-production was limited, demos were incomplete, and the creativity was highlighted. Tracks changed, and ultimately created a comprehensive body that showcased the bands creativity in a complex and powerful way.
Your own personal Jesus is a classic. This was from when the band was at the top of their game.
1. world in my eyes: great production, nice calm vocals, good beat, good build, nice harmonized vocals, long outro 2. sweetest perfection: fade in drum beat, nice vocals, cool sound effects, great middle interlude, nice switchups, solid song 3. personal jesus: heard this before, nice bass riff, singalong vocals, massive drums, trippy outro 4. halo: funky bass, chiller, nice chorus, great harmonies, cool song 5. waiting for the night: nice calm intro, nice harmonized vocals, feels like looking at the stars, great string outro, cool song 6. enjoy the silence: already like this song, cool hidden track at the end 7. policy of truth: general electronic beat, good chorus, some sort of sax sound during bridge, long repetitive outro 8. blue dress: cool intro, soft vocals, shallow lyrics, kinda boring, cool hidden track at end 9. clean: chill bass intro, great sound effects, kinda repetitive, vibing outro overall: solid album, great production, cool sound effects, some fun songs, some chill songs, kinda boring and repetitive at parts rating: 7.5/10
++: World in My Eyes, Personal Jesus, Halo, Waiting for the Night, Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth +: Sweetest Perfection, Clean +-: Blue Dress 9,4/10
This is the exact sound I expect from Depeche Mode. They always feel, to me, like a one trick pony, with really one style and sound. But it’s good.
I dig this, drums and bass sounds good throughout this whole album, synth is kind of all over the place- laser sounds, swells, stuff I don't even know how to describe. This feels like a much more electronic The Cure, or maybe if Daft Punk weren't french robots but sad Brits
This album has 'Personal Jesus', 'Enjoy the Silence', AND 'Policy of Truth'??? Holy buckets. Love the synths, love the drums....a few of the slower songs seem to be building but never hit a big payoff.....maybe I'm just spoiled because I listened to some LCD Soundsystem the other day. Solid 4.5...would definitely throw this in the rotation.
More new wave. This list should be titled "900 new wave 80s albums to listen to before you die, plus 101 bonus tracks that aren't new wave." Anyway, despite being sick of new wave, I liked this album better than I thought I would. I always seemed to think of Depeche Mode as one of the main villains of 80s synth rock. These guys are a lot darker than I envisioned they were. I may listen to this again in the futrue.
A sonic and emotional adventure.
Overall a solid album with several top hits. They make the electronic sound enjoyable.
normally synth/electric/pop/dance is not my thing, but this was an enjoyable listen. broody without taking themselves too seriously, enjoyed the variety of sounds & tempos. World in My Eyes is great opener
Not their best album, but definitely one of their best.
Good album, masters of their craft (which is an ok craft). I'd give it a 3 but the hits are too good.
4/5. The driving bass line and excellent riffs from the synth keep each song engaging and danceable but like sad dancing. There was not a bad song on here, each one had great instrumentation and the vocals are quietly aggressive, like warning or a threat. Great aesthetic, even if it does sound like many other emo electronic new wave artists. There are some forgettable songs on here, just because it can blend in the sound, but no bad songs, an overall fun listen. Best Song: Enjoy The Silence, Personal Jesus, World In My Eyes
The singles are all-timers and "Policy of Truth" is among my fav songs, low-key.
7 Moody, broody synthpop fun. Best track: "Policy of Truth"
Its a good album with good hits. It took me several listen to make my decision. 3.5
Depeche Mode is such an interesting group. It's the darkest dance music I've ever heard. Violator in particular is entrancing. Such a unique sound.
I really want to give this a 5/5 rating, but I just can't justify it. The four singles are all stellar, and maybe by contrast, the remaining songs seem almost filler-like.
Super interesting Good vibes, great singles, but the album tracks are great. Greater opener
Very close to a five! So many bangers on this album. More great songs than ok songs. All in all a very enjoyable album!
I remember hearing Personal Jesus for the first time when I was like 5 and playing GTA San Andreas. Good times, and I really like this album.
A fun entry! Doesn't feel extraordinary, but it knows what it wants to achieve, comes in, achieves that, comes out. Dark, mysterious, dancey. I feel a hint of Sisters of Mercy in there. It's either a 4 or a 5 for me. No weak points, although some song are not memorable. It's SOLID, but I can't really feel exact brilliance in it. Risky 4.
Excellent album, extremely well done music, vocals & composition.
Classic synth-pop-rock-goth album for a band who no one expected to become as massive as they did. People obviously weren't hearing the massive hooks and tunes - but they caught up on this album. Rightfully on the list. Best Tracks: Personal Jesus; Enjoy the Silence; Blue Dress
Tää oli parempi kuin odotin, en oo Depeche Modesta hittejä lukuunottamatta välittänyt. Ja tällä levyllähän ne parhaat hitit oli. Tummempi fiilis kuin aikaisemmilla bändin, josta pidän. Parhaat: Enjoy The Silence, Personal Jesus, Waiting for the Night
Dang, this is pretty good. A very pleasant surprise. Strong overall with a couple five star songs. I was only familiar with the big singles and it was nice to finally hear the rest of the album. It makes sense why they got huge.