Reviews (page 6 of 15)
i think it’d be perfect for like a movie or series soundtrack, i don’t think i would listen to it everyday.
The first album for me that I was even vaguely aware of beforehand. Some classic numbers. Listened while reading Dungeon Crawler Carl book 6, and it was surprisingly well suited.
This might be my favorite Depeche Mode album. So many of my favorite songs of theirs are on it.
Not a bad album. I like Depeche Mode. It’s not ever my “go-to” music, but when it comes on it’s a good listen.
Awesome!
Depeche Mode is one of those bands that I never actively listened to (despite knowing a few of their songs). It's solid music. Great sound, perfect ambiance. Very enjoyable. I'm debating whether it's a 4 or a 5.
I always thought Personal Jesus was my favourite Depeche Mode song, but it turns out that "Enjoy the Silence" is a Depeche Mode song, so I guess my new favourite is Enjoy The Silence. This was a solid album, but I feel a little let down by the last couple of tracks.
This could be the soundtrack for TRON. A couple of really iconic songs from here.
The album is both spooky and haunting. With echoes and reverbs that make you feel chills but balanced with the lyrics full of deep true emotions and raw passion it balances out everything. Not an album I listen to on my own as the synth rock usually isn’t my thing but I’m liking this!
I liked this a lot and not just the songs I knew. Slightly long, didn't really need the instrumental tracks, but fantastic.
this is a genuine no-skip, perfect, utterly original feeling album. wow
Definitely on the “From Boss to Goth” playlist.
Hard to argue with Your Own Personal Cheeses
Insert generic opinion here.
Just great, filthy synthpop. This album is so moody and feels so much better than other stuff coming out at the turn of the decade. And then on top of that, it's got some of their biggest hits on. Good shit.
Banger album. Favorite track: Enjoy the Silence
Never quite reaches the highs of Personal Jesus again, but a fun time nonetheless
Too sick to really collect my thoughts today, but I enjoyed this album. Favourite tracks: Enjoy the Silence, World in My Eyes
Depeche Mode put in the work for their first decade and at the start of the ‘90s boy did it pay off.
Words are very unnecessary so no review
Definitely on my top 5 albums of the 1990s. This is an album I'll listen to a few times a year. While the last two tracks may seem to drag, I still find the whole thing a blast.
Good album with several highlights, but it really drags along too much in places. Just short of a 4/5. 3/5
Very good
Considering this is one of the most well-known synthpop albums, I was expecting more, to be honest. It’s enjoyable and had a bunch of fun bouncy rhythms, but I didn’t think it was anything special. There are a couple of songs I really liked (Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, Clean), but the rest are kind of forgettable. This album is pretty dark and calm, which is not my preferred style of synthpop. I like it when it’s more layered and energetic, and I felt like this one lacked in both departments. It’s not bad by any means, but not that exciting either. The atmosphere was still nice, and there were some great melodies, though. 7/10
Loved it
I didn't get to listen to this as much as I would've liked, but I liked what I listened to. I need to give this another shot another day.
Having not really got on that well with Music For The Masses, I was glad that this landed well. It had the advantage of some familiarity with Personal Jesus, and Enjoy the Silence is an all timer. I don’t know their back catalogue but this feels like them at the peak of their powers.
Для меня этот альбом был всегда переломным у Depeche Mode.
not my vibe.
Loved it. Know the hits but not the rest of the album.
I was so pumped when this showed up, it's such a banger. No notes, good shit.
Best DM in my opinion.
mesmerizing flowing goth'n'roll masterpiece
Pretty neat, the prototype of the electronic music I came to love.
Really interesting album and it’s nice to see where Trent Rezbor got his ideas. I knew a couple of songs of here but the new discoveries were definitely worth a listen,
Songs known going in: 2/15 I enjoyed this! Worth revisting. 4/5
Ok
Depeche mode tracks start to sound the same after a while Fave track: enjoy the silence
This has the sauce. 4/5
3.5 stars - best so far
Violator explores the full reach of dark synths in the 80s
1/5 not my cup of tea stale
Dark, melodramatic turn-of-the-decade electronic rock you can dance to. These synths mean business. A bottom-heavy record that still maintains its balance. I’ve probably heard “Personal Jesus” at some point over the course of my life but this is my first time really listening to it and holy smokes what a smack-down banger. Really loved this, maybe even more than ‘Music for the Masses’.
I'm always torn about Depeche Mode. They make some really good sounds and the production is always top notch. But it usually feels a little lifeless to me. Gahan has a great voice... technically. But, I never FEEL what he's singing. Gore's voice isn't as strong, but it's a got at least a little feel to it. If any of this comes up in a playlist, I'll listen, but I never seek it out. This album has a bunch of hits and they're all pretty good. I still prefer a few from the earlier days like "People are People" I almost feel compelled to give it a 5 because there really aren't any bad moments here. BUT, if you're asking me, "Do I love it. Will I play it again?" I'd say no. So it's getting a 4
cool shit
I have this one as well as the single.....5/5 naturally
Fantastic Album.
"Violator" is the seventh studio album by English electronic band Depeche Mode. Synth-pop, electro pop, alternative rock, dance and gothic rock are the Wiki-listed genres. That about covers it. The album was produced by Flood and the band and resulted in a record, bigger, bolder and more anthemic than their previous releases. Depeche Mode is Alan Wilder, David Gahan, Andrew Fletcher and Martin Gore. The success of the preceding singles "Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence," had the band on the cusp of international superstar stardom which they would achieve after the lease of this album. Commercially, the album reached #2 in the UK and #7 on the US Billboard 200. Most of the initial reviews were positive although some say it catered to the fickle teenage demographics. Retrospectively, critics cite it as the band's most consistent effort. "World In My Eyes" opens the album with wobbling and echoing synth keys. An electronic dance beat. Gahan comes in with seductive vocals as he that stresses love, sex and pleasure are positive things. A very hypnotic melody. Speaking of hypnotic, bells and Gahan's call of "reach out and touch faith" introduces us to "Personal Jesus." The iconic Western-sounding synth/guitar melody and beat. Lots of details with the beats and sounds of breathing. About idolizing someone and how they can become a savior. The band throws in the dance house beats in "Enjoy the Silence." Another classic synth melody. Finding the satisfaction in a relationship where words are unnecessary. The highlights in "Policy of Truth" may just be all the tiny details: the reverbing, guitar-sounding overlayed synth with the underlying ringing synth. False synth horns. Exploring the painful consequences of honesty. Martin Gore takes over lead vocals in "Blue Dress." Echoing, eerie synths as Gore watches and serenades a woman putting on a dress. Creepy, sexy and lovely sounding...I don't know if I've said all that a bout a song before. Fantastic deep cut. Big, confident, hypnotic, anthemic. Mission accomplished indeed if that is what they were going for. The synths can be deep, dark, swirling, lush and echoing. And, one thing for sure, they still sound modern today. The synth riffs and melodies are at this point classic and iconic. The production is very detailed with the added noises, beats and sounds. Gahan's vocals are confident and commanding. The deep cuts especially the Matin Gore-sung ones are just as good as the hits. This is absolutely a band about to rule the world. This album sounded great today and is my favorite of theirs by a mile. Another very high recommendation this week.
Absolutely brilliant album - not a bad track - definitely 5 stars
Starting strong. Depeche Mode was always a favorite of mine, and Violator is, undoubtedly, their best album.
Bought the cassette in Hong Kong 1990. Have always loved it.
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.
2/5
I don't know how I missed Depeche Mode. I always knew their big songs, but never actually listened to their albums. This is really good. Beautifully crafted music. Excellent!
One of the best albums of the 90's if not all time. Halo is my favourite track though overshadowed by the amazing singles.
This is perfection.
Un disco intenso. Excepcionalmente producido. Histórico. Muy importante para mí.
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
I've never been a big Depeche Mode fan. But I've also never listened to any of their albums all the way through. I'm finishing a 2nd listen as I write this and more than anything I am struck by how this is, on the one hand, obviously early synth pop, but on the other hand there are a surprisingly large number of timeless songs--songs that to my ears at least still sound good 35 years later. And that's not easy to do. There are a lot of classic early albums that, while you can appreciate them now for what they represented then, fall flat so many years later, at the very least, or are even boring and bad, even comical. Not every song is solid here. At least a couple do fall prey to the trap of their time, sounding comically kind of dumb now. I think Mephisto is a great (bad) example in this vein. Their attempt at moody drama is laughably tame, like a toddler jammin' on a fisher price keyboard, compared to what musicians have been able to do since with better tech. So, if I could give this 4.5 stars, I think that's where it lands for me, but I'm going to round up, given how much its grown on me with only 2 listens.
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
Not a fan of this apart from the two ones that I knew, which were decent at best. Not making it anywhere near my playlist Specific rating - 3.2 Fav song- personal Jesus/ enjoy the silence Least fav- clean
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
Well, if this isn’t an album about addiction and drug use, I don’t know what it is. It’s spooky and has multiple, well placed bangers. It’s like if The Wall was super danceable.
Ok lp. Singer is a low calorie Marc Almond. Would have been so much better if Marc Almond was the singer. (And Dave Ball did the beats.) Some good songs with watered down music, singing and production. A low 3.
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
Enjoyable, dark synths, solid album with good variety. But not really my genre and wouldn’t listen to it again
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.
I wasn’t a fan of Depeche Mode first time round. Time hasn’t changed that. The songs are simplistic, the tunes aren’t memorable, the voice is plain. Sorry.
No skips
I'm Sorry, WHAT!? It was only a week ago I was listening to Music for the Masses and just not getting it. It was fine, but it really didn't do it for me. Only yesterday I was lamenting that I had another Depeche Mode album to get through, and I really came into this one with such reluctance to even start it... ...and it's one of my favourite albums to date. I don't know why. By all rights there's no good reason why this album and the other one should be so wildly disparate in my assessment of them - they're two very similar, back-to-back albums by the same artist, with similar style and vibe, and yet for some unfathomable reason I had to press on through that one, but I absolutely adore this one. My shock is immeasurable and my day is made.
so fire i was like wow this is good but also i was like this feels cringey like NIN but at the end of the day it was so good i liked its weird dark romantic energy it was like the smiths but scarier
Was surprised by how slow this album felt. Technically great, but nothing stood out as exciting or particularly memorable
An all-time favorite. Violator is the DM zenith. Everything they’ve ever done well coalesces here. The production is pin perfect, sharp, and panned so wide you can hear and feel everything. A monumental record.
An alternative classic.
Nice to sit down and listen to an album you only know the hits from. But the rest of it does sound the same, and synth pop becomes background drone very fast
Synthpop meets goth and it’s really really good
I thought I was gonna hate this. It was actually fantastic. Pretty consistent and great for a long library session
Masterpiece
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)
New wave is not my thing, but not a bad listen overall
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.
Depeche Mode didn’t fit in, but neither did the kids who loved them.
what can I say it's depeche mode
Am I eating my time with this?
not really my thing. very moody, stark at points. the sound is somewhat compelling, but the songs here are just ok, the highlight being 'personal jesus.' it's an album that i can see why people enjoy it and revere it, but it just didn't land for me, for whatever reason.
3.5/5
Its really good i like the singing
pleasant, non challenging, great for background or casual listening
Unbalanced album, but with 2 definite hits
Defined a sound. Amazing
I was already a fan of this album, great stuff.
What a great record. I think it was the first CD I ever bought. Haven’t listened to it in probably 30 years. It was good to revisit an old favorite.
Just not a fan
I forgot how many hits were on this album.
Ok, I liked personal Jesus obviously but not really my type of band
-such an incredible album. had such a chokehold on me during my Depeche Mode phase in 2023. so many consistently amazing songs, it feels like a great closer to to the 80s synth pop era and highlights the absolute best of the genre -Favorites: World In My Eyes, Sweetest Perfection, Personal Jesus, Enjoy The Silence, Policy Of Truth
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.
Album cover is cool. Like the last Depeche Mode album, I found their style pretty boring. Low 3.
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.
Meh. 2.6
4- Stars (10/15)
There are a few elements here that don't really work for me stylistically. Those play a role in my initial rating/ranking of this. I'd rather harp on the few things that took me by surprise, though, instead of the negatives. I already knew I liked "Personal Jesus" and "Policy of Truth" well enough, but "Clean" and *especially* "Waiting for the Night" struck me with their creepiness. Also, I'm not the biggest fan overall of "Enjoy the Silence", but I've always appreciated the craft of it and hearing it in context with the record definitely enhanced my enjoyment of it. I'm not sure if Gore or Gahan is the main lyricist, but in general, the songwriting is clearly strong. I don't know *how* much it will grow on me with repeat listenings, but it certainly could. 3/5
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
This is much better compared to the album yesterday. The instrumental of World in my eyes, Sweetest perfection, and Waiting for the night were giving a thriller/horror vibe. Enjoy the silence was kind of creepy if you listen to it when you're alone. It was a retro-sounding and then bam towards the outro, silence, and then enjoy the silence, and creepy sounds. If you don't know what is playing, you'll be spooked.
Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truth were sick. The rest was alright to me, I’ll give it more tries though.
Tunes from start to finish
The good old days when the best songs were the singles
Policy of Truth is a banger. Personal Jesus, Halo, Enjoy the Silence, and Waiting for the Night are pretty good. Otherwise this is just kind of OK. Kinda makes me want half or quarter star ratings.
The album that got me into Depeche Mode. Easy 5.
Need to get a vinyl
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.
Surprised by how much I recognized
Brilliant
Amazing
I get why this is so critically acclaimed. While it's not really my style, I appreciate the complexity and layered sound. The production on this is stellar, particularly in the frame of the late '80's/early 90's when it was made.
First the gushing stuff. Violator is a perfect pop album. “Enjoy the silence” is so stupidly good a song on every level that to even attempt to articulate how brings tears to my eyes. “Personal Jesus” was handpicked by Johnny Cash for elevation into the canon of folkishly important works, and fair enough. Depeche Mode on Violator remind me as much of Joy Division as they do New Order, stirring in me inspiration for some dreadful, fanfic fantasies. Ok, enough gushing. Really, the only thing that dates Violator is its Anton Corbijn (director of Ian Curtis biopic Control) designed front cover, and only then because its mix of elements so neatly captures what the 90s would come to look like – the blocked out red and white rose that anticipates the “distorted nature” symbology of grunge, alt rock; that label top right (the grey rectangle housing the band’s name, laid out in Helvetica Neue Black and with alternating fill and outline) that sets the tone for maybe a million choices in graphic design studios across the decade; the italic title, which set out alongside the roses, nods back to the late 60s, Warhol, the Velvet Underground and Nico in a way so much of 90s culture was keen to. Nevermind. It’s all gushing stuff. Perfect album.
Hit på hit... lyder stadig moderne
Music can take you different places. Sinatra takes you to Vegas swing joints, Buddy Guy takes you to smokey Chicago blues bars. Depeche Mode takes you to a H.S. boys bathroom circa 1980 something. You smell clove cigarettes, Aqua Net, actual cigarettes, a hint of weed & whole angst, sadness & desperation. 80s synth at its finest used to make moody atmospheric music that brings the dark clouds over head. Some of the songs go on a bit long. 3.5
5/10
Several stand out tracks but not as great as an album as advertised. Several weaker songs, especially at the back of the album.
I enjoy the singles and the general vibe was good for Halloween.
This one rocks.
Veramente top album, da recuperare in vinile assolutamente.
Very strong album instrumentally, I am such a sucker for synth heavy albums - which makes sense for a new wave album haha. I’m not too much of a fan of the vocal delivery but that’s a personal thing, it works
For a non-post punk band, they sound remarkably similar to one. The synthpop elements are nice, but honestly, I'm not really a fan of the vibe of the album, as the moody feel is not to my liking for a new wave album. The hits are alright, though.
Enjoy the Silence is GOATed. Definitely one of the more sonically pleasing albums I’ve heard on this list so far.
8 - GOOD
Reach out and touch faith!
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 it. Very 80's
I love this band
Awesomeness
This is the best album by them I have heard so far. The sound is peak and the hits are plenty.
I'm a Depeche Mode fan, so it was funny to receive a Depeche Mode album on 4th day of the challenge. I tried to approach it as someone unfamiliar with the band, and I noticed how unusual some of the song endings sound — some people might perceive them as weird. I like this album, but I’m not a fan of Policy of Truth — mostly because of the sounds. It’s the only track that feels a bit outdated to me, probably because they tried to make it sound trendy at the time. So, I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite DM album. Still, it's a great pick if you want to introduce someone to Depeche Mode. It’s a high-quality record that really breathes of the band’s youth.
That’s how you do it more or less
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!
Sonoridade muito específica, não é algo que eu escutaria com frequência, provavelmente... mas algumas são boas, meio que me lembra Muse?
Enjoy the…wonderful cover by post punk band Failure! https://youtu.be/-4l1R1AroMg?si=N3T-cSNoXZXRXn5i
Badgers are few and far between
LOVE!!!
Solid bass heavy
I remember when this album came out I was never a big Depeche Mode fan. I will say listening to it now, it’s not as bad as I thought before. 2.5 stars
Did not age as well as i thought. Still good enough to listen to it, though.
New album to me, but really enjoyed it. Will listen again.
Track 2: Sweetest Perfection …says it all. Fav: Enjoy the silence
It's fine, but I'd rather listen to Pretty Hate Machine.
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.
Depeche Mode is a band I've only heard the best-ofs before, but this one is really quite gripping. And with Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence and World in My Eyes on one album it's hard not to go high.
A classic!
I know Depeche Mode mostly from indirectly listening to them through my brother, who is a fan. Personal Jesus I knew well. Enjoy the Silence also (though I'd never heard the "silence" on the back half of the track that they cut out of the radio edit). I didn't know many of the other songs, though. I liked Waiting for the Night. Sea of Sin (I listened to the Deluxe version of the album) sounded awfully familiar and sure enough, Casey Lane by Bloodhound Gang "adapted" the melody. 👍Personal Jesus, Waiting for the Night, Enjoy the Silence
Great album. Love a bit of Depeche Mode!
# In-Depth Review of *Violator* by Depeche Mode Released in 1990, *Violator* is Depeche Mode’s seventh studio album and widely regarded as their creative and commercial zenith. With this record, the band transcended their synth-pop origins to deliver a dark, seductive, and emotionally resonant masterpiece that continues to influence artists across genres. --- ## **Lyrical Themes** Martin Gore’s songwriting on *Violator* is steeped in **guilt, obsession, spiritual conflict, and sensual decay**. The lyrics often blur the sacred and the profane, exploring how love, addiction, and power intersect in toxic ways. - **“Personal Jesus”** is a sardonic take on religious and romantic idolatry, inspired by Priscilla Presley’s memoir about Elvis. It’s both a critique of blind faith and a seductive anthem of devotion. - **“Enjoy the Silence”** meditates on the futility of language in expressing love or truth. Its central thesis—*“Words are very unnecessary / They can only do harm”*—is one of Gore’s most iconic lines. - **“Policy of Truth”** warns that honesty can destroy relationships, a rare philosophical twist in pop music. - **“Blue Dress”** is unsettling in its voyeuristic intimacy, exploring control and submission with a subtle, perverse elegance. The album’s lyrical tone is **consistently bleak**, but it’s elevated by poetic subtlety and emotional ambiguity, avoiding shock value in favor of psychological depth. --- ## **Musical Style and Production** Musically, *Violator* is a **landmark fusion of electronic and organic textures**. Producer **Flood** (later known for his work with U2 and Nine Inch Nails) helped the band strip down their demos and rebuild them with **minimalist precision and atmospheric depth**. - **Synths** are used not as flashy gimmicks, but as **emotional textures**, often sparse and haunting. - **Guitar** makes its most prominent appearance yet in a Depeche Mode album, especially in tracks like “Personal Jesus” and “Clean,” adding a bluesy, gothic edge. - **Drum programming** is tight and restrained, allowing space for Gahan’s vocals and Gore’s melodic sensibilities to breathe. The production is **icy, spacious, and cinematic**, creating a soundscape that feels both intimate and vast. Songs like **“Waiting for the Night”** and **“Halo”** are built on subtle pulses and ambient layers, evoking a sense of nocturnal isolation. --- ## **Key Tracks** | Track | Highlights | |-------|------------| | **World in My Eyes** | A seductive opener that sets the tone with its blend of hedonism and detachment. | | **Personal Jesus** | A genre-defining single that fuses gospel swagger with industrial rhythm. | | **Enjoy the Silence** | A masterclass in emotional restraint and melodic grandeur. | | **Policy of Truth** | A sleek, guitar-driven track with one of the album’s most memorable hooks. | | **Clean** | A haunting closer that uses metaphor to explore redemption and relapse. | --- ## **Cultural Impact and Influence** *Violator* was a **commercial juggernaut**, spawning four hit singles and selling over **15 million copies worldwide**. It helped **break electronic music into the American mainstream** and paved the way for darker, more introspective pop and rock acts. - Artists like **Marilyn Manson**, **The Black Queen**, **Miracle**, and even **Johnny Cash** (who famously covered “Personal Jesus”) have cited the album as influential. - The album’s **visual aesthetic**—black leather, religious iconography, and stark minimalism—became iconic in its own right. - It’s often cited as a **bridge between synth-pop and industrial/alternative rock**, influencing bands like Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead. --- ## **Pros and Cons** ### ✅ **Pros** - **Cohesive atmosphere**: The album maintains a consistent mood without becoming monotonous. - **Lyrical depth**: Gore’s writing is poetic, ambiguous, and emotionally resonant. - **Production innovation**: Flood’s minimalist approach set a new standard for electronic music. - **Timeless appeal**: The songs still feel fresh decades later. - **Cultural significance**: It redefined what electronic music could be in the mainstream. ### ❌ **Cons** - **Emotional heaviness**: The album’s relentless darkness can be emotionally exhausting. - **Limited vocal range**: Dave Gahan’s baritone is iconic but may feel one-note to some listeners. - **Lack of sonic diversity**: While cohesive, some tracks blur together without close attention. - **Not beginner-friendly**: The album’s bleakness and subtlety may not appeal to casual listeners. --- ## **Final Verdict** *Violator* is not just Depeche Mode’s best album—it’s a **landmark in modern music**. It took the synthetic sheen of '80s pop and infused it with **gothic soul**, **existential dread**, and **emotional vulnerability**. It’s a record that **rewards repeated listens**, revealing new layers of meaning and sonic detail each time. For those willing to embrace its shadows, *Violator* remains a **masterpiece of mood, melody, and menace**—a haunting soundtrack to the darker corners of the human experience.
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.
KROQ killed all love anyone could have for this record. In Los Angeles for a period this disco record was all you could hear every fucking day for several years. I stopped listening to radio. The direct blame for my switching off radio is in large part to my absolute loathing of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who are without a doubt the worst fucking band in the history of rock music joining the Eagles and the Journey/Styx/Nickleback tie for 3rd. Depeche Mode sits comfortably 4th. This is just a loathsome record. If you tried you couldn’t come up with a more bland album that sold millions. This is dance music for dead people. The dead don’t move and neither does this record. Really, take The Sweetest Perfection with its repetive nonsense. It is easy to see why the suckers fell for the disco beat of Enjoy The Silence and Personal Jesus. Policy of Truth is passable it not enough to redeem a fairly dull affair. Clean, apparently about getting “clean” is 5:00 minutes of whining. The biggest problem with the record, as I try to reflect how anyone could have chosen to include this record on the list, is that Depeche Mode was mining the same territory as Frankie Goes To Hollywood, without the humor. This is dour music for wannabe goths who thought the Cure weren’t poppy enough. What the fuck is Blue Dress. I guess it’s an effort to be less self—involved, or maybe not. It turns out that Depeche Mode is a group of plastic people singing about nothing, really. Someone described Depeche Mode as synth-pop with emotional depth. My ass it is. I felt violated by having to listen to this record.
Dark, moody, yet also colorful. Gold standard of synth.
The sweetest perfection indeed.
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.
Gotta say, while I've always liked this album, a lot of the stuff on it that I didn't really focus on is a vibe now. Stuff like World In My Eyes and Halo are fantastic. There is some stuff I'm still not vibing with such as Personal Jesus (Electronic goth country is just a really fuckin' weird mashup. Although I'll say I'm not hating it as viscerally this listen around). Obviously tracks like Enjoy the Silence are standouts, but my absolute favorite has got to be Policy of Truth. It gets heavy rotation on my karaoke Playlist. The lyrics for Depeche Mode tend to be pretty great and unique too. Usually a dark loneliness and isolation, with touches of sexual submissiveness (usually not my thing, but works really well in the context of Depeche Mode's sound and Gahan's vocals). Overall, I went into this expecting to know what I was getting into and what I was gonna give it, but it's just hitting perfectly today (with the exception of my continued dislike towards Personal Jesus). Full marks.
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/
better than I expected
Starts a little slow but really gets going past basic synth sounds
Was gonna give it 4 stars but my wife said it was 5.
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.
Very cool album.
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
Ok. - 3/5
I can’t believe I liked this but I did. Every song is really well crafted. Not a big fan of the vocals or even this genre but something here still worked. 3.5
Fine enough, the hits are the hits and the rest leaves me a little cold.
The positives of this album are entirely buoyed by Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truth. For the rest, I know I should grade them on a curve because this was as advanced as techno music could get at the time, the same way you grade old movie special effects when comparing to today's VFX. However, then I think about how well the Thing and LOTR trilogy hold up, and you know what, this just isn't that good. 2.5 (Also realizing I hate a lot of British pop outside the 60's-70's)
Always a great listen.
Depeche Mode’s Album Violater… Violated my ear drums in just the right way!!! Love these guys
Quand même cool, pas la même présence de Music for the Masses, mais présentable tout de même
As would be the case for most people, I don't remember listening to this album at all (well, it was essentially 3 years ago). I realise what I was about to write is what I write for all albums I feel this way about - "it's not bad... but". The instrumentals are cool but I'm not sure that I enjoy Gore's vocals that much. I think I'd enjoy them on a Hi-NRG album but on these synthpop / darkwave tracks, I just feel very indifferent. I think the stand-out tracks are World in My Eyes and Enjoy the Silence, the rest I don't have much to say about, and I think I must have felt this way at the time - hence forgetting about the release! I considered downgrading this to a 2.5 (since I didn't use that at the time I initially rated this release) but I think it just creeps over the threshold be to a 3.
Masterpiece 5/5
BIG W !
Sympa
Trop bien même les musiques connues c'était des versions un peu différentes. Album très rafraichissant et agréable je me suis régalé !
Nice, first time I'd properly listened to them.
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
It’s depeche mode. Didn’t hate it, but didn’t love it. 3?
perfect synthpop
Dark and groovy
Great album.
Dark and moody. Interesting to hear these songs in their album context. Impressive that this came out in 1990
This is a 5 before it even plays. This is a perfect album for 1990, as it transitions the decades with its sound. It's filled with outstanding songs, like World In My Eyes, Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, and Policy of Truth. The whole damn album is a hit. Perfection.
You can listen to this one straight though with no skips. A rare accomplishment. This era of Depeche Mode is similar to me in the turn of style that U2 took in the early 90s. It's a moody yet danceable album. 'World In My Eyes' is definitely a geographer 's theme song.
Very monotonous and not something I would usually listen to.
Classic album and perhaps the official sound of the transition from 80s to the 90s. A few tracks that have stood the test of time and forever will.
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.
Yeah I mean it's got all this hits, but none of them hooked me otherwise 3
I like this more than I remembered/expected, but that’s not really saying much since I thought I would hate it. Feeling generous going to say 2.5 and round to 3 stars.
It's fine - not my favorite genre of music (Euro synth pop!) but Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truth were all great.
I was pleasantly surprised by this album, mostly because I had low expectations (I thought I was going to hate it). I would really like to give it more like a 2.5 but a 3 works.
Ehhh. It's alright. Not my taste but I see what it's doing. Personal Jesus is good, but I do wish they'd turn it up to 11.
Not a huge fan of this stuff- the effect he has over his voice has always grinded my gears a bit. Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence (prior to the final minute and a half) were highs on the album, but I knew them prior to listening...New wave just isn't for me 8/10 3/5
Very 80s and gloomy, I like it
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.
I had construction time again and some great reward. This one is new to me, but love it just as much
Great album! Really enjoyed this one. Added almost every song to my library.
Peak new wave omg. Definitely up there in my top albums of all time. Fav songs: POLICY OF TRUTH!! legit one of my favorite songs of all time, world in my eyes. It’s so hard to choose my favorites because every single track is awesome. The general atmosphere of this album is sort of dark and it feels like it was made to listen to at night. Some of the lyrics are kind of creepy and obsession-y but done really well and obv not just for shock factor.
This album is so good. Pretty much the gold standard for dark synth textures, everything layers so well. It manages to be totally driving while also retaining seriousness. Pretty solid all the way through. Everything feels a little less frivolous ig than older depeche mode albums. I’m not really describing that right but its a different feeling overall. Obviously some songs aren’t as good but it still deserves a 5. Standout Tracks: World in my Eyes, Halo, Policy of Truth, 5/5 deserves to be on this list
bad
No details.
Dark, brooding, electronic pop. Some fine tracks on here. Quite possibly their best album
Mejor de lo que lo recordaba, increíble
This album is the sweetest perfection Start to finish it’s great. Amazing songs. Well paced. Not a note out of place.
I love his voice, and the synthesized sounds were ground-breaking at the time. But still a little too tame for me.
I would give it a 3 because of my fondness for Depeche Mode. Prediction for global rating: 3.3 I do like the songs as a whole but wouldn't re-listen, probably just save the ones I like.
Some classic records on here that really carry it through for me. Nothing else stood out to me and after awhile it started to fade into the background and turned into white noise. So in other words, twas a bit mid.
It's a classic. Maybe one or two songs too long, but that's a very minor quibble.
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
Never liked them though their sound was astonishing at the time. The rhythm could just catch you for a moment.
I think it was pretty cool and at least I knew a few songs from this one so yeah I think it was pretty good. It kinda reminded me of talking heads.
What an amazing Friday evening listen. Just right, baby.
I played poker with this guy in Shanghai. He had full body tattoos, thick spirals that made him look like a soft-serve ice cream. He had an iguana that he kept losing throughout the game. It would just roam his apartment, then he’d find it on the coat rack or on the microwave or somewhere. He’d pick it up, it would scratch his arms, blood dripping over the tattoos, and he’d mention something about iguana claw bacteria and nasty infections. Then he’d sit down and play more cards. Anyway, the point of this story is the whole time this was happening, KMFDM was blasting from huge speakers. “You guys like this? It’s real industrial. KMFDM. Stands for kill mother fucker depeche mode.” I had never listened to Depeche Mode before, but did they deserve killing? Sure, why not. A relentless German beat can convince a man of anything. This KMFDM ethos stuck with me for nearly 15 years. Now, finally, I get my chance to KMFDM, through a totally undeserved two-star rating on this website.
Some good songs, loved the outros. Others were a little boring and uninspired
meh
Love it.
Perfect album! Favorite tracks: World in my eyes Personal Jesus Enjoy the silence Waiting for the night Policy of truth
Incredibly dull. Personal Jesus is good. Most of the rest of it is just... drab. I can tell it's objectively good, but it's not something I can ever imagine being in the mood to listen to.
3.5 stars I’ve never heard a Depeche Mode radio single I disliked - but I’d never listened to one of their albums before. This was about what I expected - great hit singles, pretty good album tracks. The only song I didn’t like was Sweetest Perfection. The lyrics are too on the nose and it sounds lazy, like a cliche version of a Depeche Mode song. I’ve rounded down on my rating because this album didn’t have quite enough highlights. Of note: World in my Eyes - This opening song was the biggest surprise for me. I’d never heard it before and I really liked it. Personal Jesus - This song rules. Probably my favourite DM song. It has a cool distinctive riff and Dave Gahan’s sexy baritone is perfect for it. Enjoy the Silence - I see this as a quintessential 80s song. Didn’t realize it was released in 1990. Policy of Truth - It’s not as good as the other singles but it has some of the cool darkwave-y vibe that is very signature Depeche Mode to me. I wonder if I would have been a goth if I was a teen in the 80s! Depeche Mode, The Cure, Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees… definitely more my vibe than the NIN/Marilyn Manson goths that scared me in middle school. Also anything remotely darkwave makes me think of a super fun movie I saw at TIFF in 2014, The Guest. Blue Dress - The lyrics are pretty creepy, so I’m surprised I don’t hate this song.
It seems weird to say now, but Depeche Mode were very important to me as a budding small-town new-waver in the 80s and this album seemed a disappointing populist turn. "Personal Jesus" was their "Shiny Happy People" to me, except about heroin. If you read "Shiny Happy People" as a heroin song, maybe it's a better song. I don't hear what I used to hear in their early albums so the Depeche Maginot line is less defined. The hits are giant, but airless. They don't have the same gothic romance or musique concrete elements to them as Some Great Reward and Black Celebration, which is probably why people like them.
It’s dark, danceable and filled with bangers. “Enjoy the Silence” might be the best song DM ever recorded.
This may be my favorite Dm record. Not because of the hit singles, but the songs and the sequencing just work so well. No filler, either.
Good album. Nice blend of dark and moody atmosphere with catchy hooks and songs which were crowd-pleasing enough to propel Depeche Mode into stadium fillers. Shows that synth pop can be serious music
Lovely, melancholy album. Great melodies and production. 5/5
2.75
Good. I like later albums more.
Amazing.
I didnt really liked it. I mean I can enjoy deppeche mode full lenght albums but theyre a band that i dont really come back to on my free time
So many bangers! The entire second half of the album—from “Waiting for the Night” through “Clean”—is one of the most impressive stretches you’ll ever hear. And that stretch doesn’t even include “World in My Eyes” or the downright essential “Personal Jesus.” What a great song “Blue Dress” is! It’s under-appreciated because it’s surrounded by so much . . . quality. Amazing. Solid, from beginning to end, really. Easily a five-star album! Swoon. P.S. Ask me sometime about how my mom’s car was rear-ended while we were listening to “Enjoy the Silence.”
Revolutionary, absolute slammer
All a bit unnecessary. DM really is an overrated band.
Like the hits, the others not my favorite.
Personal Jesus is an amazing song, but the rest of the album didn’t stand up, and it sounds dated instead of classic or modern like other albums. Respect its inclusion but nothing else stood out to me
The exceptionally high rating (3.69) tells me a lot about the age and location of many 1001’ers. We gotta have 40 year old Brit’s crawling all over this site. Did not like this one bit. A couple moments saved it from a 1, but barely made it. Out on Depeche.
There’s something about this specific vocal style of British new wave singers like this dude, morrisey and others. It’s like a melodramatic fancy boy baritone? Is there any American rock singer who sings in this style? Closest I can think of is Roy Orbison. Anyway, other than personal Jesus this all sound tacky and dated and terrible.
I forced myself to listen to this and surprisingly, I left with 1 new song I liked - Policy Of Truth I can see why people like this stuff, but my brain runs away from this dark synth pop genre.
I've only known Depeche Mode by name, and for having a rabid following from the 80s. Took a few listens, but ended up coming around on this big time. The grooves are fun, the spooky dramatic vibe is unique, and lots of catchy songs. World in My Eyes, Sweetest Perfection, Personal Jesus, Silence, and Policy of Truth. I'm behind on listening, so I've cheated and seen some of the group's reviews - I know I'm going against the grain on this one. I can see how his voice would be annoying, but I found this way more interesting than the rest of the Brit Pop nonsense we've gotten. Maybe not a true 5, but rounding up.
That's not my taste in music - But ok
its an alright album, with some bangers like enjoy the silence and personal jesus but it has some terrible songs too like sweetest perfection
I have such a weakness for synthpop, and DM is at the top of the heap for me. This album is moody, catchy and fantastic. Very highly recommended.
Good album.
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 am not a particularly big fan of this kind of rock and it didn't really keep my attention. Not bad either, just not something I would listen to again.
I knew Depeche Mode since little, my mom’s a fan. But I never really listened to any songs (only the most famous ones). I loveeee it. Like really it’s soo good. I love them and I can see why my mom does too.
ну это полный крутяк. в этот раз расслушала песни waiting for the night и blue dress, затерялись на фоне хитов и шедевров, но они действительно классные
I love it
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.
I was wondering why this album made the list as it was some fairly mediocre early era electronic pop, certainly not as good as the giants like Tears for Fears. Then Personal Jesus came on and memories of San Andreas instantly came to mind. Still not a great album.
7/10
song 1: pet shop boys core? song 2: eepy weepy but also fun but idk i feel montty pythoned song 3: nothing exacrtlt like what ive heard, not bad top rn song 4: oops song 5: anal beads, shawn mendes, alien core SONG 6: THIS IS POPULAR, ALL I EVER WANTED ALL I EVER NEEDED IS HEREEEE IN MY ARMS song 7: similar aura as 6, more listens but i dont recog song 8: aliens are beaming me, lyrics are fire new top song 9: ALIENS ARE GROPING ME
I was never a massive fan of Depeche Mode growing up in the 80s and 90s. They were fine, I never really cared much one way or the other. Eventually, I started to enjoy their music more, predominantly this album, as it is a tremendous one. The main singles - Policy of Truth, Enjoy the Silence, Personal Jesus, and to a lesser extent World In My Eyes - are all great songs which definitely could carry this record. But there are other very good songs on this as well, such as Halo (my favorite of the non-singles), Waiting for the Night, and Blue Dress. At only 9 tracks, it's a cover-to-cover listen. And while DM has other albums/songs that are worth exploring, this is definitely their peak and certainly their tightest record. A 5-star album.
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.
It’s Depeche Mode.
REACH OUT AND TOUCH FAITH!!!! I love Personal Jesus (one of my favorite songs of all time), but I love this album a whole lot more. So catchy and it still sounds so fresh with every new listen.
Provisional 4 as this has thwack and a couple of immortal bangers, but I need more time with the quieter tracks to gauge depth. Liked a great deal.
On cue, another big one from 1990 arrives. Not quite as good as I remember, and certainly not the equal of the preceding wall-to-wall banger "Music For The Masses", but the singles alone are illustrious and worthy of the grade. Fond memories of trying to reproduce the sci-fi "pew" sound from "Enjoy The Silence" using my Casio MT-750/Atari ST, with limited success.
I’m not sure I’m a Depeche Mode person. Some songs really land with me, but the stuff that doesn’t really puts me off. I like the three hits off this album (Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth) and the track Halo. I chose Halo and Enjoy the Silence for playlist keeps, though almost chose Policy of Truth because the album version of Enjoy the Silence has like 90 seconds of not as good as the rest of the song at the end. An average album for me with some real high points.
Again, this is a group from the 80s/early 90s that I might enjoy more if they departed from the overly electronic music production. If they were electronica, I might perceive them differently, but there are some interesting things going on here, but the musical package gets in the way for me.
Kommer nog aldrig spela den igen.
"Enjoy the Silence" is my favorite Depeche Mode song. Solid album.
Großartig, aber wie fast alles schon bekannt.
I didn't mind this! I think the album was very cohesive and had an industrial feel. I can see why it's on this list
80s classic. A bit weird outside of the well known ones
ok ok i said that i liked Music For the Masses more when i got that album, but this is closer than i remember it being. Enjoy the Silence is an all timer pop song, but i love Policy of Truth and Personal Jesus too. you can also throw in Sweetest Perfection. but otherwise it definitely is a bit uneven and is held back by that deserves to be one of the 1001? for sure
Love DM!
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 don't care for Depeche Mode. I find their melodies, and synth pop in general, irritating.
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
It’s interesting to hear the 80’s synth/electronica shift at the end of the decade. This album showcases all these new wave dorks plugging away at their synthesizers for the better part of the 80’s and finding an edge to their bleep boops. Personal Jesus always gets me pumped, one I always confuse with Nick Cave for some reason. Enjoy the Silence is a great tune, very cool ending that you don’t get to hear on radio play. I just can’t shake the feeling of being in some dark 32 bit Genesis game while listening to this. I appreciate the album but don’t think I’d revisit except the aforementioned.
Sweetest Perfection and Memphisto were the low points for me. I was surprised how much of this I did not care for. The singles are bangers and I would’ve bought this in 1990 just for them, but I don’t see Violator being placed in regular rotation. 🤷♂️