Depeche Mode fans have certainly not forgotten about the
premiere of the new – and thus the fifteenth – album of the British band
entitled Memento Mori. From Friday, fans of Depesze have had the
opportunity to buy the album of their favorite band, which is a return to the
roots. “Memento Mori” is a studio album that tackles the issue of
mortality, as reflected in its title, which translates to “remember that
you will die.”
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| Depeche Mode Returns to Their Roots with Memento Mori Album |
Dave Gahan and Martin Gore, the band’s members, received
positive reviews from critics who emphasized that the legendary band has
returned to their old style. There are twelve songs on the album, and the first
single promoting the studio album was the song “Ghosts Again,”
released in February this year.
Depeche Mode announced the premiere of “Memento
Mori” during a press conference organized in Berlin last October. They
also announced that they would start a concert tour and visit Poland, with the
concert taking place on August 2 at Warsaw’s National Stadium. Fans in Brańsk,
a town in northeast Poland, can also get their hands on the album.
During the recording of “Memento Mori,” Dave Gahan
and Martin Gore felt the presence of their friend and former member of the
group, Andy Fletcher, who died in May 2022 due to aortic dissection. The album
thus serves as a tribute to Fletcher and explores the themes of mortality and
the inevitability of death.
All songs from “Memento Mori” can be listened to
on YouTube or on streaming portals such as Spotify. “‘Ghosts Again’ is the
couple’s best single – a concise and powerful meditation on mortality. (…)
Gahan’s vocals constantly jump from opera to reptilian and electro-pop Freddie
Mercury” – such was the opinion of the British daily “The
Guardian” on the album.
“Memento Mori” receives positive reviews from
critics who emphasize that Gahan and Gore have returned to their old roots.
“Recognition of mortality defines most of the album, but it never feels
heavy or even gloomy. Some tracks sound optimistic. In ‘Memento Mori,’
the stakes seem higher than ever” – commented the popular music monthly
“Rolling Stone.”
In addition to the album release, fans have also been
showing off their “memento mori” tattoos inspired by the album title,
which has become a popular phrase meaning “remember that you will
die.” As we wrote earlier in naTemat, Depeche Mode was founded in 1980 and
has since become a legendary band. The band’s music is known for its blend of
pop, rock, and electronic elements.
“Martin Gore, who writes most of the songs, loves
American blues and country. And Dave found himself in jazz. But I will probably
forever be faithful to simple pop melodies and the lightness behind them,”
said Andy Fletcher. The last time we could see him live in Poland was in 2018
at the Depeche Mode concert at the Open’er festival.
