Reviews (page 9 of 15)
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
This feels dated for it’s time. A bit old fashioned - early 80s vibe. Perhaps that’s what they were after, but it doesn’t really make me want to listen to it again - and the early 80s are totally my era. You’d think that they’d have moved on a bit by 1990, but I guess that this was a US hit so that’ll be why it’s on the list I guess. I won’t be listening again
This is SUCH a good album! I love the modern, “mysterious” vibe. So good, loved it!
Sounds like Depeche Mode.
Never cared for DM, and after this, my view is further solidified.
In interesting introduction to a band I know so little about.
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
This album was entertaining. "Personal Jesus" was the only song off this album that I recognized. The production on this was solid. The vocal style is hard for me to get behind throughout and the album is a little too dark for my taste. Not sure how often I'd return to it. Liked Songs: "Personal Jesus" , "Halo" , "Enjoy the Silence" , "Policy of Truth" , "Dangerous"
Liked songs: all of them I love this album. 5
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.
I quite liked this, I only really knew the hits, but it was all pretty great. Some of the gothy new wave synthy stuff can get a little cheesy or boring but this was entertaining throughout
Not my thing, but I didn’t hate it and get why so many people like it.
7/10
great album, will revisit a good deal of these songs, gotta hit that 5
Pre-listening thoughts: actually finally. I am so excited for some good music. Already know like 3 songs off this album so I know it is going to go crazy. Blessed be my prayers were answered Post/during listening thoughts: Depeche Mode is awesome. This album’s sound matches the cover so well somehow. It’s dark but it gets you moving. The standard version of this album is so fire. Not huge on the deluxe tracks but that won’t affect my rating here. Would revisit this quite often. 9/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: nah Fav tracks: World in My Eyes, Personal Jesus, Halo, Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth, Clean Least fav tracks: n/a
point8.
Great album amazing live!
Some genuinely incredible beats that still hold up today. Could see many samples. Also see a lot of influence on that mid 90s electronic grunge.
Trash
88% Best: World In My Eyes; Halo; Enjoy the Silence; Policy of Truth Must-Hear? Sure. Especially “Enjoy the Silence”, one of my favorite songs ever.
Very nice
Not perfect, but really good! Sounds like a mix of Joy Division and Kraftwerk. Personal Jesus is on the soundtrack of GTA San Andreas, so I listened to it a lot since I was a kid. Gonna give 4 stars today.
Solid listen. It came off a bit samey throughout, but was still pretty enjoyable despite that. 'Enjoy the Silence' was my fave from this album.
Depeche Mode'un gayet sevdiğim ve zaten tek bildiğim şarkıları Personal Jesus ve Enjoy the Silence idi. İkisinin aynı albümde olduğunu bile bilmiyordum. Bu albümü dinlemeye başlamadan önce de niyeyse diğer parçaların bu ikisi kadar iyi olamayacağını varsaymıştım. Belki de elektronik müzik pek dinlemediğimden sahip olduğum bir önyargıdan ötürüydü bu. Ancak yanılmışım. Albümün karanlık ama pop ambiyansına kendimi kaptırdım ve bir ikisi hariç her şarkıyı oldukça sevdim. Beklenmedik bir banger.
Meh
January 25, 2025 HL: “World in My Eyes”, “Personal Jesus”, “Waiting for the Night” “Enjoy the Silence”, “Blue Dress” Familiar with some of the singles, first time hearing this in full. Surprised by the quality of the slower tracks “Waiting” and “Blue Dress”, as my favourite Depeche Mode tracks usually have a driving beat, like “Personal Jesus”, “People Are People” or “Never Let Me Down Again” Helps me further appreciate Music For the Masses, as a lot of the creepy stuff they had in that album is here in a glossier, more subdued form
Mid
Started picking up after Personal Jesus but kept hovering around a 3/5
Great stuff.
Listened to this in full a few years back. I remember Personal Jesus, Enjoy The Silence and Policy of Truth the most, all of them are great. Revisiting today for the challenge. Favorite track(s): World in my eyes, personal Jesus, enjoy the silence, policy of truth Will I revisit?: high priority/already knew this album Current rating: 8.5/10
Had the one hit of Enjoy the Silence, but overall steady vibes throughout. Started the 90's off in a good direction
Loved it, absolute masterpiece. Only knew the most known songs from it and I've got to say what a shame because some of these other songs are even better
Album felt experimental and a bit too repetitive, the changes in instrumentals over the repetitive vocals gave a new light to each of the verses. This was not enough to overcome an almost winding feeling of 'when will this song be over'. Policy of Truth and Enjoy the Silence helped give the album an 80s night synth vibe helping it recover a bit. Would not go out of my way to listen to it again but can enjoy certain songs in moderation. Favourite song: Policy of Truth Rating: 5/10
It sounds like period Electronic synthesize pop from the 80s. Some of it probably influence current artists but it all sounds very computerized to me not a lot of great songwriting singing or playing that my cup of tea.
Depeche Mode is always a joy!
Finding this a bit ponderous apart from the hits. Having to resist the urge to skip tracks like Halo and Waiting for the Night
Couple really interesting songs, lots of cool techno samples. Most of the album wasn't really my jam.
This one is good but lacks some balls. Everything is in right places but album as whole does not rise to the same heights as its few star moments. I would have liked to give more starts but just can't.
I’ve never listened to a full Depeche Mode album before, and now I’m wondering why—I’m really liking this. I’m usually not a huge fan of this kind of electronic music since it’s often too slow and polished for me, but this album actually hooked me in a way. That said, it started to fall off toward the end, which cost it a star or actually two in my ratings.
I remember an old friend and a neighbour, returning from his family's temporary move to Germany, a converted and devoted fan. I was kilometers deep in my fanatic hunt for extreme metal with the most exquisite perversions, so DM's "Violator" and songs about inner turmoil hardly registered. I've since learned to like some of their music, so I'm stepping into this one with cautious hopefulness. Quite underwhelming, while the songs are all beautiful, they lack the power and impact that I was expecting from more than few songs. No need to wonder anymore why Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence were, and are, such outstanding tracks.
Depeche Mode is one of my favorite bands, of which I have many, but I always love putting them on and hearing both the depth of the lyrics and sounds and way in which they turned things into catchy hooks. Violator has so many unbelievable songs, all while staying cohesive and supremely impactful. I don't think all of their album's are 5's, but I think "Ultra" may also be, and likely one or maybe two others.
Thoughts before listening: People go crazy for Depeche Mode (and especially this album), but it has never really appealed to me. The synth pop sound just isn't one I gravitate to, but I admittedly probably haven't heard this outside of the singles. Review: While this is still not necessarily a sound I would typically gravitate towards, I understand the appeal of this album. The hits on here including "Personal Jesus", "Enjoy the Silence", and "Policy of Truth" rank amongst the best songs from the 80s. This is a dark album with hard hitting synth driven beats that really shouldn't be my cup of tea, but it all works really well. 4-stars
very spooky
You know, not as bad as I was expecting. Not loving the sound of the main vocals, but some fun and decent songs mixed in.
Really good album. Personal Jesus and Enjoy The Silence are clear standouts, but the rest is great as well.
Personal Jesus and Enjoy The Silence (my god what a tune) are the obvious hits but the whole album is strong and balanced and darker than their previous work. Waiting for the night was a particular stand out too
not a fan, last techno song were my favourite
this is a great album i have nothing else to say x
This is how I like my plinky plonk music
Not a massive fan of Depeche Mode but this is not a bad album - the obvious highlight is "Personal Jesus" but some tracks were really not up to the standard.
Okay, it's an electronic album. Lots of bleeps and bloops. It's apparently a synth pop album according to rym. I'm getting a lot of the synth, but not a lot of pop yet. Track 3 has a nice guitar intro. I'm at track 4 right now, but none of the songs I have heard so far are my vibe. I think I might have already reacted to this album in my 2024 one album a day challenge. The album cover looks familiar to me. Track 5 is boring. Track 6 is actually enjoyable not gonna lie. Track 7 is passable too. For some reasons the ending half of the album is better than the beginning. Track 8 is okay. Track 9, the last track. FINALLY, we're at the end! Overall, this album is not for me, but it's not bad. I didn't cringe or feel weird listening to it. In conclusion, it gets a 3 out of 5 stars for me.
I’ve listened to this from start to end once or twice. There’s a reason Enjoy The Silence and Personal Jesus are hits and the rest of the album holds of it’s own. World In My Eyes is such a strong intro to this album. Halo could easily be soundtrack to a cool vampire fantasy. Waiting for the night is one i would listen to before falling asleep. One i dislike is (a B side?) Kaleid, i’m just not into that type of music. Maybe if this was the first i’ve heard of it but no.
90er Elektro. Bisschen pathetisch wie der Bro singt. Die edmigen beats sind nicht so meins, wirkt eher wie aus nem alten sci fi movie
I enjoyed this once again, even though it's not my vibe. I am really glad that I listened to it with my nice headphones on, because I really enjoyed the mono recording bouncing between my ears. Depeche Mode has been one of those artists that I know I should listen to at least once in my life, beyond what I had heard before which is only "Personal Jesus." I really thought that they did a great job deciding to put the song "World in My Eyes" as the opening track. For some reason I picture him being like the classic old showman doing a tongue in cheek intro to the rest of the show he's about to perform. Highlights for me include "Personal Jesus" which sounded SO GOOD on the headphones I have on and I liked "Enjoy the Silence" as well. He gave me big Morrissey vibes on "Blue Dress" for some reason....maybe because Morrissey isn't self-aware this is the kind of song he might sing. I'm not saying the bandmates of Depeche Mode are douchebags or anything, just pointing out something that reminded me of other things I've listened to and enjoyed.
Sounds like temptation
Could have rated this 5 stars for Enjoy the Silence alone, but the whole album is worthy of the rating. Dave and Martin's vocals are beautiful and I don't think enough love is given to their harmonies......just perfection.
One of the best albums of all time from one of my all time favourite bands. I’ve heard this record in its entirety so many times and it still holds up and it always will. The songwriting is ridiculously good, it has the catchy hooks, a dark and alluring atmosphere, the radio hits and the deep cuts that are equally as great. The album just throws a banger after banger at you and it also flows so well… I still love it. Best: all of ‘em, personal favourite is Halo Worst: lol 5/5
classic shit
Deserves four stars for Enjoy The Silence along. The rest of the record is great too.
Oldie but a goodie. Own this one but always happy to listen again.
Tan bueno como arrullador
A classic three-star performance. The singles have staying power. The rest remain a little preachy and condescending.
The hit singles are decent, but overall the album is way too synth heavy. If the album had been released this year, I might be convinced that it was completely AI generated.
I just cannot get on board with new wave. There’s good bits here; some catchy hooks and elements of the lyrics but yet seen to fixate on a short refrain and just build a whole song around it, dripping with cheesy 80s production, tinny, uninspired guitars and drum machines and that vocal style, I just don’t get it. It’s weirdly over articulated and stuck up, while also being drenched in reverb and featuring needless vibrato. I just don’t get it.
Although this may not be my kind of music style, I cant say that I did not enjoy listening to this. At the beginning of the first song, world in my eyes, it reminded me of She wants revenge in someway but that doesn’t really matter.
A transformational album taking them from electropop to rock
I've definitely heard of Depeche Mode, but I had thought they sounded very different than this for some reason. It isn't really my jam. Solid album outside of that, though
I can recognize that this is good music. However, if this is the best from Depeche Mode, I can also recognize that they might not be for me.
+1 star for Personal Jesus/Enjoy the Silence. Otherwise just ok
I completely understand why this is so iconic. Sonically, it feels modern even though the album is older than me. This did not prevent me from hating it. Too spooky
Fantastic album
Great production, but repetitive and predictable lyrics, fun listen but I wouldn't do it again.
I liked a few songs but wasn't my cup of tea. It ended up being a little too similar to me. I do think I'll revisit it.
Aside from Personal Jesus, nothing else really grabbed me. OK.
Fantastiska synth-ljud, även elektroniska beat som är grymma, ofta med lite "industriell" känsla. Produktionskvaliteten överlag är väldigt hög. Sångaren (kommer ej ihåg vad han heter) har sin stil, det är inte otroligt mångsidigt, vare sig sångtekniskt eller känslomässigt, men han gör sitt jobb väl. Rösten har karaktär och inger en känsla av allvar men samtidigt något lite "overkligt". Det finns en luftighet i låtarna men samtidigt en tyngd. Detta är en fantastisk skiva och en skiva som jag kan lyssna på många gånger.
Bra album. Allt är inte bangers dock
I now understand heroes nights at Manray. I liked the songs, but I felt the energy got repetitive and I was pretty much done halfway through. If I was dancing, I think I would’ve liked it more. However, just listening on the subway didn’t get me as into it.
This album is so fucking good 9.9/10
I think it is good, especially in the beginning. But the music wears thin at the end. I'll give it 3 stars, although it is a 3.5 but I will listen to this again. Could rise to a 4, especially considering how much I liked it despite it not being one of my favorite genres.
Heck yeah. This album kicks ass. I was a freshman when People Are People came out. I had a girlfriend that would play it while we were making out. Lots of Depeche Mode and Simple Minds. Huge thanks for the wonderful nostalgia trip, the generator always comes through. All the stars.
I did not like this very much, it is not my type of music.
First thing first, I like the cover. Second.thing, this album didn't leave me any impression apart from the music is not bad and it kind of sounds like New Order? I guess. Re-listened. Oh dear, my fault, this is interesting and amazing, and it keeps getting better! And it still kind of sounds like New Order I won't apologize. I think my favorite is "Halo". Above 4, absolutely, 4.5/5!
The absolute pinnacle of synth pop.
Не мой вайб, слишком величественно, это не в мой плейлист, сори
In my opinion one of the best albums of all time. If I could give it ten stars I would.
i consider Violator to be the logical conclusion of "gothic rock", moreso than Disintegration. Disintegration is a journey, sure, but it doesn't push the sound as far as it can go like how Violator does. the production imbues the songs, even the raucous "Personal Jesus", with an otherworldly, faded futurism. the songs pulse, but the "strings" still feel coated in silicone dust and shake across tracks like "Clean" like phantoms. the beat of "Enjoy the Silence" gives you choirs over a pulsing beat, but the choir sounds more plastic than any dancy drum synths. it's paradoxically artificial and organic, reminding me a lot of (forgive me) 平沢進 [Susumu Hirasawa], who absolutely took influence from it. these soundscapes impress a dark, brooding world of rusting Art Nouveau towers and a desert surrounding them. there hasn't been electricity in this city for years, but there is still light coming from the buildings, and vampire moth people clamoring around it, warming their antennae. so find a pretty young mothman. hug him tight. dance with him under the moon and spread your wings in its clammy light. savor the connection; no words, just your face reflected in his compound eye. love one another in your few nights of life.
Dystopian
Great album but definitely a sometimes treat. Makes me feel like a sexy goth robot smoking a cigarette.
I understand the importence of this Album but I think it just doesn‘t sound that good
Violator has no weak spots, and it holds up really well after so many years, now in its fourth decade. If there were a Mt. Rushmore of synth-pop, this album would be strong candidate for inclusion. https://open.substack.com/pub/richcain/p/project-1001-violator-by-depeche?r=4ztyq&selection=75a8c68a-000c-498b-8bbd-651b2091f79e&utm_campaign=post-share-selection&utm_medium=web&aspectRatio=instagram&textColor=%23ffffff
genre: electronic/techno? i liked it okay. a few good songs i saved
Good album. Not their best. I think it gets high rating for one of the songs.
Iconic music from the era.
Dug it
Such a great album from start to finish.
Fav song: Enjoy The Silence/Policy of Truth This is my sign to finally give Depeche Mode the time of day! I always really liked the singles but never took the time to listen to a full album but man, so glad I finally did. This album and band are soooooooo good!! The only thing I don’t like is the dated sounding MIDI - still evoking the mid 80s in 1990. SO many amazing earworm Melodie’s on this album. I’ll be humming Policy of Truth’s melodic hook for weeks.
I wanted some new wave. I think there will be parts of it I like. I’ve heard some good stuff, but I rarely spend personal time listening to it. Not loving the vocals BUT the synth riff and electronic percussion is going pretty hard. Nice and dark. Drags a little too long which is my worry for this whole thing. I will give it a chance though. Decent song, albeit too long. Heavy bass. That’s sick. Oh no. The thug in me??? This sounds like a Disney song. Yeah this is a villain intro number. Ugh. Too long again and the vocals/lyrics are bad. Personal Jesus buddy. Good song already. Very popular, but I always liked the punk-ish energy this one provides. Very energetic in places with odd lyrical content. Anything that verges on the sacrilegious appeals to my dorky edgelord soul. Very good. Get E40 on the Halo beat, pronto. Right off of “In a Major Way.” This song is complicated as I really enjoyed it to start, but the increased presence of vocals turn this one towards the sewer. Eh. Not for me. Barebones in a boring way, and the vocals increase in their level of obnoxiousness. Too melancholy for me and not in a likeable or relateable way. The worst song by a mile thus far. Enjoy the silence. I mean hey, if you insist. Good French death metal album called “Enjoy the Violence,” so hopefully it’s similar. It is MUCH funkier. Fading FAST. I hate this. Better. A little bit more pop. I mean excitement, not the genre. Yeah this one has a drive that carries it through. The monotone vocals work better when they’re further back into the mix. Get that bass lunch up here. Good work. Boring. Long. Bad. Long again. Let’s wrap this up. The odd ending is a bright spot. Please end this. This is insufferable. There were some good songs, but this album felt like a pretentious goth guy showing you his apartment and somehow belittling you with every drawn out explanation. I liked the two that I did quite a bit, but a bunch of dumb lyrics droned out over music that seems like it would appeal to Dave Navarro exclusively made me feel nauseous and propels me that little bit further towards the conclusion that I do indeed hate music. 1.5-2 HIGHLIGHTS: Personal Jesus, Policy of Truth
It was great to get another quintessential 80s record. The hits are very strong, but the rest of the record isn’t as tight to me. “Personal Jesus” is so iconic.
shit
Some great standout tracks, also some bland filler.
Listened to this before. It's pretty nice, but not something I gravitate towards.
Phenomenally dark & moody 80s pop. The entire album is a fun ride.
There are a few all-time classics on here. Enjoy the Silence, being my favorite. But overall it’s a bit too impersonal to be above average.
An iconic electronica/synthpop album by pionders of that genre DM. Some claim its their best, and it really is good. Personally I have 2-3 other DM albums that I might rate higher, although for sure Violator is in my top 3-4.
Good album, standout tracks are personal jesus, enjoy the silence, and sweetest perfection. Low to mid tempo album, dark soundscapes.
Not a huge electronic guy, but always liked Personal Jesus. This is a really good album, pretty much every part of it is fantastic. So many great songs off this one, and they pretty much effortlessly keep the instrumentals up with the singing, with the synths. I am pretty stingy with my 5s, but if I could, I would give it 4.5 edit: fuck it I'll give it a 5
The intro of this album reminded me a lot of Kraftwerk. There's this weird creepy undertone. Like not just depressed but maybe depressed and a bit incel-y. The electronic aspect of this album is awesome and the production is really good and clean. They absolutely nailed the vibe they were going for and it's pretty consistent throughout the whole album which creates this really interesting atmosphere. Personal Jesus, Enjoying the Silence, and Policy of Truth are such classics too. I've been listening to those since I was a kid. It’s weird we got Depeche Mode today because when I woke up this morning I got on Reddit and saw that the school shooter from the other day was wearing the same shirt as the Columbine shooter which is a band shirt for KMFDM and I guess people used to say that stood for Kill Mother F*cking Depeche Mode because they were mad that Depeche Mode took Industrial music mainstream. So that's a weird coincidence.
This is a really awesome record. Compared to the album from yesterday, this much fuller and varied. The synths are all time on this one. Really really cool synths and beats. I also really love the kind of blues element that this record has. Its subtle and overwhelming at the same time. Its just untraditional, they're bending synths and noises in a similar way that you might bend a harmonica or guitar. Its like krautrock, new wave, gothic blues. Each song really locks you in. It does feel very 80s, but its not cheesy 80s. Its kind of a nod at the decade and leans into but forms its own path. Each song really is varied and layered in interesting ways. This isn't a knock, but maybe the only thing that doesn't transcend the time when this came out are the lyrics. Lyrically, its pretty creepy. Kind of feels a little incel-ish, but such was the entire 90s. Its very Gen X. That being said.. I kind of feel that style of songwriter is making a come back with younger bands.
One of the top synthpop albums of all time.
Never listened to a Depeche Mode song I don't think... pretty curious... Didn't realize they were so electronic... I probably should have known that. Definitely don't like the vocals, I think I end up feeling that way about a lot of the British new-wavey shit from this era. Overall I don't hate the music, it gets a little one-note, but I don't hate it as much as I do some of the other music from this genre and era.
This is #day130 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... what a relief to finally revisit an album by my favorite band. The past couple of weeks have been tough with the list's selections, so it's a welcome change to dive into something great. And, wow, what a record! Released nearly 35 years ago, Violator begs the question: How could it get any better after Music for the Masses (my personal favorite of theirs)? The answer lies beneath the sleek cover: a red rose against a black backdrop. Mysterious, sexy, sinful… This is Depeche Mode at the peak of their powers, sound, and creativity (Songs of Faith and Devotion would, without a doubt, be another level, but that's a different Depeche). Violator is what truly represents the Mode: the music, the vocals, the lyrics, the clothes, the visuals, every little piece that forms this band. I'd go so far as to say this album is synonymous with Depeche Mode. I can't pinpoint the highlights because every single song here is a gem in its own right. Of course, it's a 5 out of 5, and I'll never tire of listening to this album. Because you just can't get enough, can you? Looking forward to #day131.
It was a five for me back when it came out and still a fantastic listen for me today. (10)
Really cool sound scales and some good songwriting. 4.5 stars
4.5/5
The singles are good, the rest of the album is pretty meh. 3.5 stars.
4.5
I love Pretty Hate Machine so this should be more my sort of thing and even though I like some of the beats and soundscape of Enjoy The Silence I just don’t dig that much of it. The version of Personal Jesus feels a little too plodding and dudes voice always is just a bit too dour.
The more I hear depreche mode the more I'm like "I wouldn't be mad if this was on, but also I'm not putting it on"
Listened all the way thru and just couldn’t get into it at all
Album was not too bad. Definitely hear the 80s/90s rock vibe. I can imagine this playing today in a roller rink or at the mall. Some solemn sounds, but overall chill vibe. Not something I would listen to very often. 3.3/5.
01) World in My Eyes - 10,0 02) Sweetest Perfection - 8,5 03) Personal Jesus - 10,0 04) Halo - 8,5 05) Waiting for the Night - 9,0 06) Enjoy the Silence - 10,0 07) Policy of Truth - 10,0 08) Blue Dress - 8,5 09) Clean - 8,5 TOTAL: 9,22 (92/100) Current ranking: 24/398 A great album with great songs and two now legendary singles "Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy The Silence". "Policy of Truth" and "World In My Eyes" are not far behind, while the other songs that were not singles are also in the "could easily have been singles" category. I hope to hear a few more Depeche Mode albums by the end of this list, and I especially hope (although I don't think it's on the list) for the album "Ultra" which I own and which I really like.
Beautiful, sensual, romantic, and positively dripping with gothic charm. A record that makes me think about my sexuality every time I put it on. Dave Gahan's sultry baritone feels like getting serenaded by a vampire, just divine.
Aren't these supposed to be the top albums of all time? It must not be because otherwise this couldn't possibly make the list. Yes, there are two decent songs on the album but Johnny Cash did a vastly superior cover or Personal Jesus and Policy of Truth (like everything else Depeche Mode did) is basically soulless pop. It only warrants two stars because there are two singles on the disc.
Policy of Truth is a banger. I liked this - somewhat repetitive but seemingly on purpose and not as much as other Depeche Mode we’ve heard on the list.
Given my overall dislike of this band, I expected to hate this record. Wasn’t as bad as anticipated but still never need to hear it again
I’m not sure if this is considered rock music but if it is this kind of rock is it for me. Stripped of all blues influences it feel like the human element is missing. I don’t mind technology being used in music at all but here it just sounds kind of sterile.
After hearing 'Personal Jesus' and 'Enjoy The Silence' so many times in my life, it was great to hear the whole album that those songs came from. The former having a fantastic riff throughout the track which drives it and the latter being the catchiest on the album and almost impossible not to sing along to. The whole thing has a very dark sound. Maybe evil is too strong a word but you'll know what I mean if you've heard it. Even 'Waiting For The Night' which has more of a hopeful vibe, it has an underlying creepy sinister sound of impending doom which I love. I also love Dave Gahan's vocals a lot. Recognisable and commanding. My favourite one that I hadn't heard is probably 'Blue Dress' which is a really lovely track. All of these are the perfect length. Depeche Mode have a riff or hook and they repeat it, that's what they do, but they never outstay their welcome. They get in, grab you, and give you just the right amount. Overall a very good album which I'm very glad was on the list and I can see why this is seen as a classic.
so fricken good
Personal Jesus - instant 6/5
Føles lidt som mere intens elevator musik...
good one
No notes.
It was kind of ok. Nothing bad, but nothing memorable either. Except for Enjoy The Silence, that one was fun. Most of it is just decent background music. Best song: Enjoy the Silence
Pretty incredible. Out of the ~200 albumsd generated so far it might be my second favorite new-listen (after Outkast’s Stankonia). Almost thought about giving it 5 stars but the tailend is a weaker for me (including Enjoy The Silence, though the start of that song reminds me of New Order’s Vanishing Point, which is one of my favorites), Policy of Truth notwithstanding.
Unexpectedly kick-ass songs. Very nice enjoyment but “Waiting for the Night” should not have been on this album.
Wait...what do you mean I can have my own personal Jesus?
Mid
My favourite pop album and probably one of my 10 favourite albums ever. Depeche Mode built on their very strong synth pop foundations by giving a more prominent role to the guitars, which adds that little extra something that was maybe missing from previous albums (which I love too, to be clear). Absolutely zero filler and it is a joy to listen to from front to back. Very evocative through the moody and dark, but there's also a hint of an uplifting tone underneath as well Best album I've had so far and one of the easiest 5's I'll give Highlights: literally everything, but especially Enjoy The Silence, World In My Eyes, Personal Jesus, Policy of Truth, Clean
Mina husgudar sedan 1984. Sett dem live 14 gånger. Vilken platta som helst mellan Speak & spell och Songs of faith & Devotion plus Playing the angel platsar på den här listan. Violator klassas ju som Depeche Modes mästerverk men jag håller flera andra plattor högre. Solklar femma ändå.
90/100. The album feels dark, empty, and emotional all at once. These feelings are mixed together in a beautiful and powerful way.
Dope
ENJOY THE SILENT 😭
It's an OK album. A bit too clean and clinical for my liking. I'm glad I gave it a listen, but I won't care if I don't hear it again, so three stars is the best I can do.
Sure sh*te. Personal Jesus the only track worth listening to.
I liked this. I was aware of Depeche Mode, but I never really listened to their music, so this was nice. I added 2 songs to my playlist: Halo and Waiting for the Night. Of course I already knew Enjoy the Silence from the excellent Lacuna Coil cover and I still prefer that version. 5 stars!
Sleepytime Depeche Mode. Still excellent, but I prefer Black Celebration, Construction Time Again, and Music for the Masses.
A fantastic blend of electronica and rock with a nice darker sound. Somehow the songs work for dancing and listening, a rare feat in my experience with electronic music. Highly creative and a well-worth listen. Top tracks: Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth
Definitely the most Depeche Mode sounding Depeche Mode album
Loved it then still love it today.
I've been listening to Depeche Mode since their early days. Despite early reviews, I also liked their poppy stuff. Then I forgot about them a bit. I was lucky enough to be able to attend the concert for the album Faith an Devotion in my home town. The first time I felt a bit old and out of place at a concert, among all the girls who adored Dave Gahan. But the concert was great. My top favorites on the Violator album are Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence. But the other tracks are also simply great. 5/5
wow, wie trocken klingt dass denn?! finde den stil aus heutiger sicht eher retro - einige songs sind jedoch toll gemacht und entsprechend zeitlos! andere waren schon damals einfach nur schlecht, sorry.
Grossartige Platte! Das erste Album von Depeche Mode welches ich nicht mehr verfolgt habe und nur die beide Über-Single kenne. Schön es jetzt zu entdecken.
The first half was fine but the latter half was great. I loved Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truth. Pretty good album overall
What a great album. Multiple songs I recognized and sang along too. And I discovered a few more I enjoyed. Soild from start to finish
Pretty good this one
Found a perfect song to shower to
I don't know what to make of Depeche Mode. I can't tell if they are too cynical or antagonistic. Either way, they are certainly gifted artist and they produce an excellent sound. I just don't connect with them philosophically.
own
Classic!!
Really liked this one and will prolly go back and listen. Space-age with great instrumentals. Best track - Personal Jesus
Un real clásico de la música gótica moderna. Con un ambiente oscuro que vive esencialmente en el Pop, los legendarios británicos nos muestran su Mágnum Opus con clásicos como "Enjoy The Silence" y "Policy of Truth". Si bien podemos afirmar que "Violator" construye su sonido basado en diferentes actos industriales experimentales que le precedieron, su mérito es haber acercado ese sonido al mainstream, dándole espacio a bandas como Nine Inch Nails e incluso a Marilyn Manson. Un real indispensable de la música occidental, escúchelo, por favor.
First time listening, an all-around really great synth pop album. Favorite song probably blue dress
So rich and wonderful. Violator is an amazing album. All the teeth of early NIN but if it were a more well-adjusted person, three-dimensional person.
Formative.
80s electro pop with a melancholy edge. Nice beats, it’s fine but wouldn’t put on out of choice. Personal Jesus is a banger
Pretty great, liked ENJOY THE SILENCE best.
Already knew and liked this album a lot. The hits just keep on coming.
4.5
An all time classic. No skips, rock solid all the way through.
If only the non-single tracks were better. The hits hit hard though.
Not sure about all the songs, but there are some bangers
idk, ive heard personal jesus I think but not the others, but I might just not want to listen to this today. Actually, i eat my hat. This has a bunch of 80s bangers. 4 stars.
This itches the brain very nicely.
Absolutely amazing!
Mostly timeless electronic instrumentals, with ethereal, clear atmosphere, purposeful texture. Lyrics not my taste tho. Standout Tracks: Waiting in the Night Enjoy the Silence, Clean
As one half of dynamic UK duo, Houmous & Chutney, I know a thing or two about making records packed with a few moments of brilliance but largely made up of just too much 80s self indulgence. 2.8
SYNTHS!!!!
Meh, 2.5
Depeche Mode is a cold band, and either you like that or you don’t. To my own shock, even as a former emo kid, I don’t. That said, Violator comes pretty close to winning me over. Maybe it’s because the synths are less dated. Maybe because the choruses are actually catchy and not purposefully averse. Mainly, I think it’s because of Side B, which is just hit after hit after hit after hit – truly an immaculate side of a record. Not that Side A is shabby, but the space, length, and heavy synths speak less to my tastes, even in its brightest moments. Ultimately, it’s the band’s goth synth vibe and aesthetic that hold me back from fully falling in love. Sure, a song like “Blue Dress” is amazing, I’ll admit, but I’m less likely to revisit it because this isn’t a sound I’m normally looking to hear. I think if Violator came with a bit more pop and bit less goth, à la Tears for Fears, I’d be more amenable to it, especially knowing that Songs From the Big Chair is also a side-loaded record. But Depeche Mode are just too goth, and I guess I’m just too basic. Then again, I do really like their early singles when they were essentially a boy band, so maybe I’m the problem.
Snoozefest. Boring as fuck. Zero out of ten.
Absolutely perfect record. Not a single track that I don't enjoy.
Classic pop with so many gems and a bunch of other decent songs
Fett fucking bra!!!
Really good
One of the best of the era, if not all time
As a nine inch nails fan I was excited for my first foray into Depeche Mode and to listen to one of Trent’s influences. Definitely see the influence, especially on pretty hate machine even if this album came out after PHM did. Personal Jesus, enjoy the silence, are two cool catchy songs with a nice groove
A great album!
Fun, very “futuristic”’of the time.
Previously rated: Music for the Masses (4/5) ***************************** I didn’t realize I already heard one of their albums until I looked it up. It was 300 albums ago. I’m surprised I gave it a 4 because I didn’t like this one at all. I even recognized 3 of the songs, 2 of those are decent. Everything else is so blah and boring. I wouldn’t want to sit through it all again. Favorite track: Policy of Truth
A few tracks on this album are great for testing headphones and speakers.
This album broke in 1990 for these legends, and houses their most listened-to track, "Enjoy the Silence." Violator drives home their sound and introduces us to tracks like Personal Jesus, Halo, and Policy Of Truth... In a trying (?) album order. Such forays into existing strengths make the concept of favorites such a challenging and reductive thing to ever feel strongly about. Violator is my favorite album in the Depeche Mode catalog. I have many memories to this music; bias or not, I knew it was getting the maximum rating upon seeing the album art. I'm pretty sure it's widely recognized as - or, is at least among - their best work. I own it on CD and would gladly send it into space to outlive humanity.
Found the album really easy to listen to for the first time, pop songs with a sinister raw vibe
Kruder dorfmiester, silk purse sows ear
I don’t like electronic synth music, and I didn’t like this album. It was exactly what I thought it was going to be. Two stars.
a whole album about the bad bitch you pulled by being autistic ive been visiting and revisiting this record on and off for years and the effect its produced has always been reliably wonderful, but its never quite broken into my personal favorites even tho i have no good reason for that! i dont even feel distance with it, i think its wonderfully spellbinding. honestly maybe the lubrication i need is to just actually get into the band as a whole and their other albums dkdnjd...i have an instinct that placing this in a more fleshed out context will finally push it over the edge into that This Is A Fave gut feeling. i suppose it is also quite mood based, as its deliberate and atmospheric pop music with a Churning quality rather than being necessarily bright and attention grabbing. still, its genuinely difficult to imagine making music thats better than this lol....literally flawless combination of enveloping well-realized vibe, incredible sound palate, and some of the best and most decadent vocal melodies ever put down on a pop record
These muthafuckas don’t miss.
This is such a colossal album. Nothing else sounds like Depeche Mode, and this has everything from moody tracks to beats that absolutely drill into your soul.
Their second best album... Probably
I like the couple songs I already know. The rest didn’t do much for me
Apart from not having annoying vocals, they sure know how to squeeze out the dreamy capabilities of '80s synth pop. It's surprisingly listenable.
I enjoyed listening to this album. I’ve always been a Music for the Masses fan and only really knew the popular songs from this album. In a listen from beginning to end, it really is a very good album. I think this music impacted numerous bands that came after it. Coldplay, Keane….among others.
Not bad for what it is, but too synthy for me
This is strong
Easy to listen to, likeable album
OK, this is a strange album. The first song starts and I swear it made me think of Cyndi Lauper, it sounded so anachronistically 80s. The 80s sound was also heavy in the next song, but that song still had me tapping my toes. Then comes Personal Jesus. Fucking. Banger. Nothing 80s about that song, it's completely self-contained, only of itself, and timeless. What a song! Then you got Halo and Waiting for the Night, which, whatever. Halo is pretty OK, a bit of a filler song, and Waiting for the Night is slightly better. Then back-to-back you have Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truth which - holy shit, that's a genius ten minutes of music! So, I've got an album that has some songs that sound really dated, and some songs that sound completely unique and amazing.
I wanted to dislike the aggressively 90’s pop sound but listening to “Personal Jesus” and “Enjoy the Silence” changed my mind. 3.5/5
Super dated.
Nice smooth sounds, i like the overall vibe of Depeche mode. Songs i could listen again: Personal Jesus Enjoy the silence Policy of truth
Great album wish I could have it on vinyl and I had good headphones to listen to it through.
Interesting sound. Gets a boost from Personal Jesus, the most recognisable and best song on the album. 3
It was cool to finally hear depeeche mode and they have som bangers. I thought the album was good but not something I would choose to put on myself unless its something specific.
Really not for me. Not the sort of thing that makes me excited to listen.
It's a struggle to produce music that is mostly electronic based and not sound dated particularly decades later, but Depeche Mode have avoided that and this still holds up really well. 4*
This album so good. Yess...., Yes.s....
i think it takes 1 minute and 51 seconds of the first track to solidify this as a timeless fucking classic. that fucking keychange. alright fuck off.
Haven’t heard some of those tunes for years… classic DM :-)
Such a good album took me right back to high school.
Depeche mode is ok in low doses, used to listen to them moderately in high school
My favorite Depeche Mode album.
Not my favorite genre. Wanted more melody
Fantastic record. It's groovy, tasty and hip. it's 80s BUT technically 90s. I once went on a date with a girl who had the lead singer's autograph tattooed on her arm. After listening to this album, I too would also like his autograph tattooed.
Some fun songs, some xrt classics, but overall I’m not very excited by this record.
Like most of the new wave bands (in my opinion), Violator’s high are through the roof, but it also has some pretty forgettable lows. Dan Gahan also doesn’t have my favorite singing voice if I’m being honest. It’s an enjoyable enough listen through and through, but not an album that I’m likely to listen to end-to-end again.
Unique sound, which I can only describe as “definitely sounds like Depeche Mode”. Really strong album. Hits, hardly any weak moments, not too long. The rest is a matter of taste.
Another album I remember having a burnt copy of during high school. Still love it just as much today. Happy I got to see them live last year ❤️
The strongest songs on here (Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, a few others) are good enough to lift the album into 4 territory. Some of the other tracks are good but not at the same level. But overall an enjoyable listen.
Really solid album. I would appreciate it being a bit more straight forward but it's still good. Don't tell me the intro to \"Clean\" isn't \"One of These Days\" by Pink Floyd.
Yes!
In my youth I never actively listened to Depeche Mode, but I remember hearing them a lot on the radio or seeing them on MTV and it never clicking. So when I went into this album, I was sure I was going to be meh on it. Hearing this album now, not only do I recognize a bunch of the songs, I appreciate their music more. I came out of this album really enjoying it, and will definitely give it a relisten.
Almost a 5. Last 2 songs were comparatively weak
"Violator" est le genre de disque qui ne se critique pas, il se contemple. Et pour un type comme moi, qui a vu la synth-pop naître, grandir et devenir ce monstre magnifique et ténébreux, cet album est un chef-d'oeuvre. Depeche Mode au début des années 80, c'était une bande de gamins de Basildon en chemises à jabot qui chantaient des bluettes synthétiques. Ils étaient au mieux inoffensif, au pire, un peu ridicule. Mais album après album, le changement prenait lentement forme. La lumière a commencé à baisser, les sons se sont faits plus durs, plus métalliques et les thèmes sont devenus plus sombres. "Black Celebration" en 1986 était une messe noire et "Music for the Masses" en 1988 les a transformés en prophètes pour stades. La chenille pop devenait un immense papillon de nuit, gothique et menaçant. Puis est arrivé 1990 et avec lui, "Violator". "Violator" c'est l'aboutissement parfait de dix ans de mutation, le moment de grâce absolue où chaque élément du son Depeche Mode a atteint sa forme la plus pure, la plus puissante. C'est le disque qui les a fait passer du statut de "très grand groupe" à celui de "légende intouchable". Dès la pochette, signée Anton Corbijn, le ton est donné. Une simple rose, rouge sur fond noir, l'organique et le synthétique, la beauté et l'obscurité. Tout est là. L'album s'ouvre sur "World in My Eyes", et en quelques secondes, on est happé. Ce n'est plus la synth-pop froide et rigide d'antan, c'est charnel, c'est hypnotique. La production de Flood est une merveille de chaleur et de profondeur. Chaque son est sculpté, chaque texture est pensée, on est loin du son "plastique" des années 80 ; on entre dans un monde sonore organique, presque palpable. Et puis, le choc, "Personal Jesus", ce riff de guitare. Un putain de riff de blues ! Joué par Martin Gore, le timide architecte blond du groupe. C'était un coup de génie, un mariage contre-nature entre le rock'n'roll de l'Amérique profonde et l'électronique des clubs de Berlin. Ce rythme lancinant, presque tribal, et la voix de Dave Gahan, devenue celle d'un prédicateur du péché. Ce morceau a tout balayé sur son passage, c'était la preuve qu'ils pouvaient être à la fois avant-gardistes et incroyablement populaires. L'album est un enchaînement de perfections, chaque titre est un classique. "Policy of Truth" et son groove funk sournois, "Halo" et sa beauté vénéneuse, et au milieu de tout ça, le joyau absolu : "Enjoy the Silence". "Enjoy the Silence" est peut-être l'une des plus grandes chansons pop jamais écrites. À l'origine une ballade minimaliste de Martin Gore, elle a été transformée par Alan Wilder et le producteur Flood en un hymne électro-pop mélancolique et irrésistible. Cette mélodie de guitare, simple, cristalline, qui se pose sur un beat implacable. C'est la bande-son parfaite de la solitude heureuse, de la joie triste, c'est une chanson qui vous fait danser tout en vous donnant envie de pleurer. C'est le coeur même de Depeche Mode : la fête et le funèbre, main dans la main. Les thèmes sont d'une noirceur absolue, la culpabilité, la luxure, la dépendance, la manipulation, la foi perdue. Martin Gore est au sommet de son art d'auteur, ses textes sont des nouvelles laconiques et perverses, des explorations des recoins les plus sombres de l'âme humaine. Et Gahan, avec sa voix de baryton, est devenu le crooner ultime de la désillusion. Il ne chante plus, il incarne. "Violator" n'était plus de la musique pour une chapelle, pour les goths ou les fans de synthés, il était universel. Et l'émeute provoquée lors de leur séance de dédicaces à Los Angeles, où 30 000 fans se sont pointés, a confirmé leur nouveau statut de superstars mondiales. "Violator" est un disque qui n'a pas pris une seule ride. Son équilibre est parfait, il est à la fois sombre et accessible, sophistiqué et direct, électronique et terriblement humain. C'est l'album qui a mis tout le monde d'accord et il a enterré les années 80 avec une classe folle et a défini le son d'une partie des années 90. "Violator" est bien plus que leur meilleur album, il est un chef-d'oeuvre absolu de la musique moderne. Un 5/5 indiscutable pour un disque noir comme le velours, tranchant comme une lame de rasoir.
Meh. I really want to like Depeche Mode in general, but, well, meh. I don’t like the vocals, and whilst the instrumentation probably sounded incredibly fresh when the album came out, it doesn’t any longer. Just left me a bit cold in all honesty.
Dark mood throughout, cool 80's goth vibes. The standout track for me was the closing track Clean. Other than the 2 hits, this album is a bit of a snooze fest.
Great album. Love the synth work. Will definitely be exploring more of their stuff as they’re another group I had only ever heard the hits. Sometimes I was wishing that parts had no vocals so the music could breathe a bit more. I can definitely hear their influence in a lot of modern electronic artists I listen to.
80s in such a pure form. reminded me of sad things but also made me hopeful for the future things. 7/10
4 really good goth
I’d give this one a 3.5/5. Normally I dislike the dated 80’s synth sound with moaning/whiny vocals, but this album is much more tolerable than most from this era. Personal Jesus and enjoy the silence are classic songs.
I'm pleasantly surprised, not by the album but the duos other works
All in all, this album did not wow me. There were a couple cool and catchy tracks, and I was surprised by the chill ambience of the instrumental songs on the end of the album. But for the most part, the tracks were repetitive and did not do enough to really keep my attention. Depeche Mode seems to fall under the category of "not for me". Notable Tracks: - Sweetest Perfection - Personal Jesus 4/10
This album is saved by it’d solid singles
Weird 80s shit no one likes
Incredible album, vibes off the chain.
One of my favorites.
5/5
Always been a band I half like. Some of it’s cool and some really not.
I like the last few songs much more than the first few. Overall, I think 3 stars or C+ would be suitable.
Classic album!
Such a solid album, top to bottom. Zero filler. They were so good during this period of their career.
Throw back to my new wave days. Strong bias and nostalgia on this one.
it's a depeche mode world & i'm just living in it.. bangerz.
top three depeche mode albums. i <3 world in my eyes
This was a new one for me and I have not listened to Depeche Mode in general. A lot of the first half reminded me of music from the Goldeneye video game - I could see where this album had influence. The middle had some songs I recognize and enjoy, specifically, Personal Jesus and Enjoy The Silence. I did not come away with a new favorite Depeche Mode and probably would not listen to this record again, but did not hate it.
Hadn't listened to this album in its entirety and while the hits are hits for a reason and still hold up as true classics, I thought the album was a little slow at times. I still think "I just cant get enough" doesn't fit on this album - the mood is light and fun and the rest of the album is dark and moody. I did really like The Blue Dress and would add that one to a b-side playlist.
enjoyed it, very different and synth. all i ever wanted all i ever needed
It was fine, not great, not really good even, but I didn’t turn it off.
I always thought of DM as more of a singles band than an album band but this one has Policy of Truth and Personal Jesus, so immediately makes it one of their more appealing records to me.
I've never been a big fan of Depeche Mode, I'll admit, even though they're (to me) probably one of the most complete and talented members of the 80s New Wave synth sound. That said, I can't say how often "Personal Jesus" runs through my head, and I'm very glad to see that this album has that song, as it's one of my favorites (for reasons I can't really explain). There are also quite a number of impressively interesting videos accompanying the tracks on this album (especially "Halo", but also "Enjoy the silence" and the Pink-Floyd-inspired "Clean"), although the video for "Personal Jesus" makes me think that perhaps it's not as insightful a song than I always imagined it to be.... Judging alone by how many tracks made the radio rounds, this is a very solid album, and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it.
I'm not a fan of their moody groove but I respect it. Personal Jesus is pretty good, Clean is not.
Grupo esencial de los 80 y 90. Este es su disco más reconocido y, tal vez, el mejor. Music for the masses y Songs of faith and devotion completan una trilogía imbatible, acompañada de un fabuloso directo publicado (101). El tema estrella es sin duda Enjoy the silence pero World in my eyes, Policy of truth y Personal Jesus no rebajan un milímetro el nivel. El resto está a una altura excelsa. Otros discos de 1990: Heaven Or Las Vegas de Cocteau Twins, The KLF- Chill Out, NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE - Ragged glory, THE BLACK CROWES - Shake your money maker, NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS - The good son, GALAXIE 500 - This is our music, YO LA TENGO - Fakebook, THE HOUSE OF LOVE - Butterfly album, Goo de Sonic Youth, Behaviour de Pet Shop Boys, Fear of a Black Planet de Public Enemy, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got de Sinéad O'Connor, Reading, Writing and Arithmetic de The Sundays, Jordan: The Comeback de Prefab Sprout, The Comforts of Madness de Pale Saints, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan- Mustt Mustt, Mazzy Star- She Hangs Brightly, Blaze- 25 years later, Happy Mondays- Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches, The LA´s- The LA´s, Ride- Nowhere, Dee Lite- World clique, A Tribe Called Quest- People´s instictive travels and the paths of rhythm... También: IGGY POP - Brick by brick, PIXIES - Bossanova, THE POGUES - Hell's ditch, THE WATERBOYS - Room to roam, Ritual de lo Habitual de Jane's Addiction, The Razors Edge de AC/DC, Los Enemigos- La vida mata, Fugazi- Repeater, Veneno En La Piel -Radio Futura, Hunted By The Snake- Cancer Moon...
Electronica. Not too bad and a few catchy songs, but I was expecting more. The vocals were too repetitive and the songs dragged on a little.
It’s my first full time through this album although I’ve heard Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truth a million times. Really like this vibe and will revisit this album in the future. 4⭐️
it was not the god of all synthpop destined to free the genre of 80s electronic pop hits from the shackles of man's judgment but apart from that it was pretty good
Fucking excellent
90s night club vibes. I wasn't in love with this album but I enjoyed it enough.
The electro-pop kills it for me, but I can see there's a little bit of something here that led me to a neutral 3 stars. It was a bit of an effort to endure though, like a talentless copy of Joy Division in parts, mixed with other material "borrowed" from better bands.
Really enjoyed this - it was great for the time but it still holds up.
Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence coupled with solid sound throughout gives this a 4
Wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I did.
I didn't mind this.
7.7
Some good (eg: Personal Jesus), some not (eg: Sweetest Perfection). Overall, dry.
I don't know much Depeche Mode, but what I do know is on this album.
yes
talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it
It’s albums like this that make the whole provess sensible … perfect near skipless blend of electronic and rock .. timeless sound and blue dress ism my fav find this journey so far … MY FIRST 5!
Its alright but gets a little drab at points
Is this a perfect album? Pretty much. I love Depeche Mode and this is definitely one of if not their best album. From the album cover to the last song on the album.
Surprisingly great. Haven’t really listened to DM since I was a wee lad of 14. Of course I had heard the singles, but playing it from front to back was a joy. Intricate production, catchy songs, moody without being maudlin.
I never really got Depeche Mode. Though strangely, I do like when people cover Depeche Mode and 'heavy' the songs up a bit. The songs are good, I guess I just don't really dig the dark synth & beats thing they do.
Good recording quality. Good background music.
很少有不难听的new wave了
Great synth and many standout tracks such as: Personal Jesus, World In My Eyes and Policy Of Truth.
Drifted past uneventfully.
A couple great songs here. But the rest of the tracks just aren’t for me, and that drags this score down a notch.
Better on te second listen, but still a 3.5.
The radio hits are not the only good songs on this album.
In general, I'm not really into synthesizer music, but this is a lot better than the majority of the genre. Several just plain good songs, regardless of instrumentation. 3.5* and I think I need to round up to 4, though 3.5 is really where I'd place this.
There were a couple gems.
Sweetest Perfection sounds darker than what I was expecting from Depeche Mode. Overall I liked it.
Dark and moody. Stripped down electronics/industrial. Can hear how it may have influenced NIN, Daft Punk, etc.
Funky with instruments
I really liked it
Ciekawe ale nie mój klimat. Personal Jesus wybija się ponad wszystkie utowry. 3/5
Don't know much of them. Not bad.
A classic banger
A couple good songs but mostly kind of boring. Am I a bad 80s music fan?
Okayish, found new songs that were decent but overall it’s the same style for 15 tracks except Enjoy the Silence which is a masterpiece
Not a bad song on the album. Quintessential Euro-pop with an edge. Favorite tracks- Sweetest perfection. Personal Jesus
This is without a doubt the best album that Depeche Mode have released in their discography. It is the perfect blend of their one of a kind Alt-Dance Synthpop and the Darkwave elements that make them tied so closely to the Goth scene. It is full of atmospheric and sensual tracks that flow from one well produced track into the next without ever feeling like it's not dull or unfinished. The sound blends typical 80's synthpop production with the dark and sombre New Wave and even a couple of Neoclassical DW ideas. The album is simply a masterpiece and undoubtably stands on top of the entire DM discography. The opening track 'World in My Eyes' starts by sounding much different from something you'd maybe hear someone like Janet Jackson do but it quickly adds the darkness and even a little bit of Post-Industrial Electronica into the Dance mix. The song is grand and epic and builds up more and more the longer it plays without feeling like the tension is released too early. The atmospheric vocals and cold romantic lyrics add to the overall nocturnal feeling that the track envokes. It is without a doubt a perfect song even if it's not even one of the best songs on the entire project. 'Sweetest Perfection' plays with much more of the Goth Rock elements while still being undeniably Synthpop. It is also much more atmospheric and creates a very strong unease with the detailed production that go from something that sounds like an underground atmosphere to something that sounds like shattering glass and so on. When you indulge yourself enough it turns into a very twisted and even scary listen that is released at one point to just go back into it for a short while until the spacey outro ends it perfectly. Did I say enough? This is another perfect track. As legendary as 'Personal Jesus' has become over the time, I do actually prefer the Johnny Cash version similar to Hurt. But that does not mean that this orginal is not to be messed with. In fact, it still is one of the best songs on the album for so many reasons. The production with the repeating cold breaths as a rythmn pattern together with the loud basslines and the Post-Punk and Industrial elements together as one of the most energetic and most danceable songs is something that history won't be to do again. Ever. 'Halo' sounds like the evil twin of Tears for Fears. It very much sounds like something that would be on a Goth version of "Songs from a Big Chair" with the vocal delivery as well as some of the production elements. The song is definitely an epic track and the romantic but still dark elements work really well together with the Neoclassical aspects thrown together but I simply don't love the song as much as I did others. It's still an incredible track but with a bigger tendency towards great than perfect. But that does not take away from the greatness of the entire album too much. The wild synth production is heavily minimised on 'Waiting for the Night' and is used in a much more Ambient style which does work together really well with the still very present Darkness and the atmospheric vocals which are much more present here. All that results in the song itself to be much more atmospheric than usual with very cold and nearly creepy soundscapes that still are hypnotic and lush in what they are doing overall. It closes the albums first half perfectly although I do think that it feels slightly streched towards the end and it would've needed somewhat of a finale of some sort to make this truely perfect because just having a very atmospheric and etheral sound just isn't enough. It is still an absolutely incerdible track overall. The second side starts off with another legendary track. 'Enjoy the Silence' is a perfect blend of the Synthpop with additions of House music and the Darkwave. It's such a beautiful track with incredible lyrics which are performed perfectly. The background vocals on top just help to perfect this even more. But the actual genius is that after the sond ends, there is actual silence broken up by a simple "Enjoy the silence" until it goes right back into the silence before breaking it up again with a whole different "song" which is simply pure Coldwave perfection. It is gloomy, dark and most importantly, feels cold. Perfect song, again. After this weird but incredible interlude, 'Policy of Truth' picks it up again with a really nice Dance song that includes one of the best "common" chrouses on the entire album. Additionally, the production with the trumpet synths is just exquisite. Even my biggest criticism is that the bridge is a little too early but the bridge itself is just incredible again. In terms of Alt-Dance tracks, this is definitely my favourite on the album. It's just so fun to listen too while still keeping the Depeche Mode atomsphere. 'Blue Dress' adds a flamboyant style onto the vocals and very much blends the dark Synthpop with the New Romantic style that pretty much died out at that point. The song feels a lot like an early 80's song in terms of vocal delivery and songwriting and although that hurts the song a little bit, it still is an incredible listen because of the added Neoclassical Darkwave styles throughout that create a dark and hypnotic background for the sensual song. The albums final song 'Clean' is without a doubt the albums darkest and most grotesque song. The song is full of Industrial production choices which are acompanied by the most emotional and rawest vocal performance on the album. The song definitely isn't an easy listen but it is an incredible one. The poetic and twisted drug discussions are simply beautiful in what they do and even if the song isn't the best that the album offers it perfectly finishes it off with a hypnotic and masterful listen that pulls you into itself and does not let you escape. It is a perfect finale for the album. favourites: Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth, Personal Jesus, Clean, Sweetest Perfection, World in My Eyes least favourites: Blue Dress Rating: light 10 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes
Eh. I liked parts of the album, but was kind of over it by the end. I hear the influences of other British artists and it’s very synth heavy but I don’t think I’m the audience for this FULL album, more like bits and pieces.