Depeche Mode

Around the release of Depeche Mode's eighth studio album in 1993, the band was on the rocks and the grunge movement was flooding the mainstream. It may have been a tough time for a group who helped define the '80s alternative sound to drop a record, but Songs of Faith and Devotion still ended up reaching No. 1. It's their last record with Alan Wilder, who helps sculpt DM's dark, signature synth-pop with the addition of stunning orchestral touches, languid strings, guitar feedback and stark industrial elements. Often overshadowed by Violator, this follow-up tends to be underrated.

Being the least self-reflective outfit in musical history may have earned Depeche Mode its
status as a bluechip singles band, but it has also rendered the group's frequent conceptual
forays moot. Electronically generated post-Goth dance pop isn't a concept, it's a style, and
when it works (three or four times per Depeche album), it doesn't need ideas. On this
eleventh effort there's the usual talk of "darkness" and "religion" for those who g... More >