My biggest issue with this album is that it sounded too much like the previous SOFD...esp the Lead off Barrel of a gun. In fact I was so turned off by this album, I stopped listening to them for a long long time.

It's not that I hate the album or anything (actually, I should probably give it a spin sometime soon) and several of my friends...even my partner LOVE this album.

I suppose the reason I didn't care for it that much, is that I don't care for slow. grungy, guitar laden Depeche Mode. I just couldn't follow them.

That said...I LOVE the new one...and am even interested in hearing Exciter...which I have not heard at all.

superspaceboy said:

"Barrel of a Gun" and "Useless" are somewhat grungey, but that's about as far as it goes. The rest of it is nothing like SOFAD.

JediMaster said:

Going to see them this month in LA

sextonseven said:

Preferences may vary. They're all quite different. Most say "Sequencer: Beta" is the best one, but those most are more purist EBM/industrial folks. I actually like "Europa" the most, personally.

Novabreaker said:

Are they anything like DM?

GangstaFam said:

Much harder.

Got your copy ready Anx.

On a related note, I'm watching a new DM interview on VH1 Classic at this moment. It will be rerun at midnight EST tonight.

Not having really gotten into this band, i'm curious why the one thing I have heard hasn't been mentioned.
It's probably going to be something that true fans dislike for some reason.
But my ears would perk up when Policy Of Truth from Violator would come on the radio.

Good groovin' pop tune for my money.

What's the story?

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

Not sure if I'm a true fan, but I think that it's a good song. I think Emjoy the silence is the best pop style tune from that album though. Personal Jesus is just one of the greatest songs ever.

theAudience said:

It's a good tune, just far from their best.

I hate how SOFAD doesn't get the press it deserves-

"In Your Room" WASTES anything on Black Celebration and Ultra combined

Not to mention the half-time break down and ride symbal reverse cymbal effects in "Rush" as well as the instrumental break down at the end of "Judas"

SOFAD will always be DM's best album. I hate how the synth nerds wine and wine about it not being synthy enough...it actually grooves better and breathes more than all their other albums. The space in Comdemnation and the air in "I Feel You" stretch them out so much farther than most of their strict, synthy material...and I'm a keyboardist and a die hard fan, but SOFAD needs to open some closed minds in my opinion...

EMattP said:

BLASPHEMY! Both of those albums are far superior to SoF&D.

When I bought Ultra, I didn't give it much of a chance. I probably only listened to the singles and maybe one album cut. My roommate was a huge DM fan, though, and more or less forcefed Ultra to me, and now I have seen the light. It constantly battles Violator for the position of my favorite DM album. I love that grungy, post-industrial vibe in "Barrel of a Gun", the lyrics to "Home" and "Useless" are Gore at the top of his game, and I just recently (within the past 2 months or so) discovered "The Bottom Line" which is just breathtaking and beautiful.

I think that after Wilder left the band, and Gahan almost died from heroin, the band really felt like they had something to prove. Ultra was DM firing on all cylinders, IMO.

Axchi696 said:

Completely agree!

JediMaster said:

Me too!

JediMaster said:

It's one of their biggest hits AND one of their best songs. You're not wrong in thinking it's cool. That whole album is perfection.

GangstaFam said:

Violator is really an excellent album of songs.

DiminutiveRocker said:

They'll be hard pressed to ever better it.