The English techno-pop band, Depeche Mode has release their new CD, Delta Machine and the cyber world has come alive with overwhelming response. Made up of members Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andrew Fletcher and Vince Clarke, Depeche Mode began in 1980, in the blue-collar London suburb of Basildon. Often taking the train to their early gigs, the group leaned towards smaller electronic instruments partly because they were easy to transport and needed no amplification.

After a mere 365 days, the band began recording and released their first album, Speak and Spell, which quickly became a best seller all over England. Following the release of this album, main songwriter Vince Clark decided to leave the band only to be replaced by Alan Wilder. Since then, the band has been going strong with 48 songs and 12 top albums on the U.K. charts. They have also had a number of singles hop across the pond to land upon the top American charts, making them one of the most successful electronic bands in musical history. So what about this album?

Constantly shifting, this group of songs can be very hit or miss depending on which kind of Depeche Mode listeners enjoy most. Certain songs wonderfully resemble past tracks that have been reborn while others pay tribute to the bands popular beginnings in the 1980s. However, the group has stayed true to itself as far as the main body of sound; there are still beautiful harmonies and guitar parts paired with electronic sound effects that don’t seem to belong yet somehow find a home in each song regardless.

This album also premiers the band’s take on blues, which is distinctly their own (just like most things Depeche Mode). Overall, the album is very busy with many evolving sounds and ideas that tend to play out well or at least surprise listeners in some way. If nothing else, the single that was leaked to promote this album, Heaven, deserves to be set on repeat for a day or two. Nevertheless, whether readers listen to it once or a hundred times, the song will undoubtedly be heard for hours as it repeats in their head over and over again.

by Mitch Grimmett