Lead me through Babylon,

so titled at least Steve Malins in his biography Black Celebration "that chapter about the history of this album. Three years moved to Violator" into the country and DM came not only musically changed back. From frontman Dave Gahan that image of a fallen rock stars had become that he was still years before itself like a parody. With beard, long mane, thin and full of tatoos Gahan had not only outwardly no more in common with his old ego-80s.

Compared to the more electronic predecessors the band struck here an entirely different way, avoiding as far as possible a second Violator "at the start to bring. The only DM album with pictures of the band on the cover puts then I feel you" hammermäßig going. The shrill sound at the beginning of the song at that time prompted a friend of mine unplug the CD player because the thought of this would have quit his job. Rock guitars, drums and backing singers underlined the conversion of band. At the time of emergence of SOFAD ran then in the pay TV channel Premiere, a documentary about the band. In the program could be read as a heading: Dark, melancholic synth pop, but of the band with this album was miles away.

After the grandiose opening track follows with Walking In My Shoes "one of the best DM songs ever, although the band as it was in the biography reads thus not really satisfied. The text of the song is fantastic and Anton Corbijn's Whimsical video fit to like chalk and cheese on the eye. It follows with Condemnation "the third single from the album that somehow does not fit in my opinion, although the overall picture, but Gahan's voice was seldom as clear as here. I can with the song but still not really make friends. Mercy in You "is one of the songs had it then deserves to be released as a single. With Judas" followed by a the most beautiful ballads of Martin Gore. Following is the last single from the album In Your Room ", for me one of the best songs of the band, here in the somewhat gentler album version. Which reminds me also published as a single Zephyr Mix here" like very much. Responsible for this mix was Butch Vig, head of the band Garbage ", who has worked with bands like Nirvana or Green Day.
This is followed by "Get right with me," a song that can keep pace not quite with the rest of the album, and the rocking "Rush". The beautiful "One Caress", which is also often again be heard on the current tour 2009/2010 followed. The conclusion is the former concert opener "Higher Love", a wonderfully atmospheric song, in which Gahan's voice comes to full advantage.

For me, one of the top albums of DM, where I can set up today on no order of my favorite albums. Is probably something with the mood together, which work just has the edge. SOFAD and especially the subsequent Devotional "tour brought the band almost the end, but despite the exit of Alan Wilder in 1997 there were after überstandenem withdrawal from singer Dave Gahan with Ultra" a great comeback.