Songs of Faith and Devotion is the eighth studio album by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode. It was first released on 22 March 1993 in the United Kingdom by Mute Records and a day later in the United States by Sire Records and Reprise Records. The album incorporated a more aggressive, darker rock-oriented tone than its predecessor Violator (1990), largely influenced by the emerging alternative rock and grunge scenes in the United States.
Upon its release, Songs of Faith and Devotion reached number one in several countries, and became the first Depeche Mode album to debut atop the charts in both the UK and the US. It became one of the band's best-selling albums, with sales over 5,000,000 worldwide. To support the album, Depeche Mode embarked on the fourteen-month-long two-legged Devotional Tour, the largest tour they had undertaken to date. Live recordings from the tour were released on the concert video Devotional and live album Songs of Faith and Devotion Live, both released in late 1993.
A fan posted the album in its entirety online a few months before the album's official release, representing one of the first music leaks in the music industry.
The album was recorded while lead singer Dave Gahan was suffering from a heroin addiction, and the album and subsequent tour exacerbated growing tensions and difficulties within the band, prompting Alan Wilder to quit Depeche Mode in June 1995. This album is the final one with Wilder as a band member, and also the final Depeche Mode album to be recorded as a quartet. The ordeal had exhausted their creative output following the enormous success they had enjoyed with Violator, leading to rumours and media speculation that the band would split. Depeche Mode subsequently recovered from the experience, and released Ultra in 1997.
This is the 4th Depeche Mode album I've gotten and I am still completely unsold by them. Youve heard one or two and it just repeats. 2 albums is more than sufficient
My personal rating: 3/5
My rating relative to the list: 3/5
Should this have been included on the original list? No.
Including the original book, this is now the fifth Depeche Mode album here. Though excessive without a doubt, I will still listen eagerly. This one features something closer to a alt-rock sound. A change from what I’m used to with this band, but it’s not a bad fit. Another strong effort from this band
Songs of Faith and Devotion is one of the best Depeche Mode albums. It captures the dark mood the band expresses perfectly. The best songs are "I Feel You", "Walking in My Shoes" and "In Your Room", but the rest is also solid.
I got into Depeche Mode with 1990s Violator and then Songs of Faith and Devotion… while Violator was a revelation I very much enjoyed this album as well. Happy to revisit this.
Definitely a solid follow-up to Violator though not quite as consistent. It's strong, though Walking in My Shoes is really the only essential track and the rest are fine exercise in the Depeche Mode dark electronic mood. Enjoyed.
Much better than I had expected, not sure why I never really rated them before. I liked the guitars, the vocals, and the times they sounded a bit like NIN.
A more energetic and inspired Depeche Mode outing than last week’s Black Celebration listen. When they’re at their best, this band defines 80s’ New Wave to me – pulsing drums and synths woven into dark melodies that perfectly evoke the sweaty uncertainty and vice of a nightclub. The vocals do tend to skew a bit too melodramatic at times and spoil the ambience a bit, but this was still an engaging listen.
I was kind of bagging on Depeche Mode just a minute ago. This is quite a different sound from what I'm used to, much more rock oriented, and I do like it better. Still pretty much 3 star territory for my tastes though.
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