Ultra - Depeche Mode > Reviews

Advantages: Generally good music, Barrel of a Gun!
Disadvantages: Gets far to soppy, lyrics not always great.

...Or at least, I’ll try. Ultra was Depeche Modes follow-up to what is widely considered to be DM’s best album, certainly one of their most successful, ‘Songs of Faith and Devotion’. However it would be four troubled years before Ultra emerged, by the time it arrived in 1997 Depeche Mode were down to a three piece and lead singer David Gahan had spent some time dead (Literally dead, drugs are not good things for you). Plus the band had been around a ... Read review

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...most obvisious of these is ULTRA which some people will have actually noticed sitting in HMV, Woolworths etc. Will if you noticed it why don't you buy it?!? You could do far far worse... ... Read review

Advantages: great return to form
Disadvantages: very dark and isturbing

despite the much publisiced private life of dave gahan, depeche mode have always managed to maintain a credibility that many of there 80s counterparts would be insanely jealous. here when it looked as if they may never record again, the boys show us what made them one of the worlds biggest bands, there are beautiful moments such as home and its no good, but there are also some very dark and surreal tracks, gahan sounds as if he is singing for his ... Read review

Advantages: A complete change of direction from a band that always renews its sound with every release.
Disadvantages: Loss of Alan Wilder means that the music isn't as deep or layered as normal.

After the massive Songs of Faith and Devotion album and subsequent tour, many never thought Depeche Mode would recover. Alan Wilder left the band, Dave Gahan clinically died during a drug overdose, and Andrew Fletcher briefly left the tour due to a nervous breakdown. 4 years later, the now 3-piece decided to try and record together again to see how it would turn out, and along came Ultra, one of the most coherent and stunning albums the band have ... Read review