Depeche Mode - Violator
Critic Score
Based on 6 reviews
1990 Ratings: #93 / 370
User Score
1990 Rank: #3All Time: #199
Liked by 626 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
AllMusic

Goth without ever being stupidly hammy, synth without sounding like the clinical stereotype of synth music, rock without ever sounding like a "rock" band, Depeche here reach astounding heights indeed.

100
The Needle Drop
The band, on this record, does a fantastic job of making an emotional connection as well, because not only is this thing fantastically dark, but it is so sweet and romantic too. Absolutely, positively, in my opinion, worthy of a 10-er.
90
Slant Magazine

The reason Depeche Mode’s Violator is a quintessential benchmark of pop, rock and electronic music is because it marries dance, goth-rock and synth-pop with good ol’ fashioned Motown funk and rock n’ roll so seamlessly.

80
Q Magazine

Violator is a fine record which may not set the world on fire but deserves to singe it a bit.

67
Entertainment Weekly

On Violator ... their music is more varied than catchy pop needs to be.

50
Rolling Stone

Depeche Mode's more tranquil hymns do have an ambient charm. But when the boys in the band try to make you dance, they revert to morose pop psychology and then never tell you how come they're so sad.

barcooper
96

All I ever wanteeeed, All I ever needed is hereee in my armsssssssssssssssss. Haaaaa this album is so good wtf?
The funny thing is that Depeche Mode are one of my dad's favorite bands, And I've heard about this album plenty of times, But I've never been interested in listening to it from front to back for some strange reason, Until yesterday. I listened with my sister to a playlist of the greatest hits of the 90's, And we were rating every song on the playlist. Then Enjoy the Silence was ... read more

RemisReviews
91

Every single dad or uncle I know, absolutely loves this album. Just pure peak dad music

What can I say about Violator that hasn't been said yet? It's easily one of the most iconic and legendary Synthpop albums, with that 80s/90s Darkwave flare, this album creates some of the most memorable soundscapes the genre has got to offer. And the impact this album had on Synthpop, in general, is also absolutely insane, it was quite groundbreaking when it came out.

The gated reverbed-out snares, dark ... read more

Nightwing734
80

imagine not liking this, this is peak synthpop and it's amazing

85

4 stone cold synthpop classics (Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth, Clean) and 5 really good songs (everything else)

Kann
75

-5 points for that bomb ass opener

BrandonBowling
92

Never has a dark and overall brooding vibe ever felt more groove-able.

You can easily tell here how near flawless and finely crafted the production is, how the electronic qualities, especially the synth elements, seem to come in from out of nowhere at times yet never seem out of place or not meant be. And of course those vocals, that cast a haunting and ominous atmosphere on the project all around.

Well worth a listen.

Favorite Track: Enjoy The Silence

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Track List

1World In My Eyes
4:27
93
2Sweetest Perfection
4:42
89
3Personal Jesus
4:54
94
4Halo
4:28
92
5Waiting for the Night
6:07
88
6Enjoy the Silence
6:12
98
7Policy of Truth
4:54
95
8Blue Dress
5:38
87
9Clean
5:32
90
Total Length: 46 minutes

Year End Lists

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Added on: January 12, 2013