This album would arguably upon its release set the new standard for electronica music as we know. Up until this album, nothing that I know of- or had personally heard- had such a level of not only complexity in its build of songs, but that level of advanced production in terms of the quality of sound. Electronica as we knew it had in the blink of an eye not only grown up, but reached a new level of etherealism and advancements. Wow!!!! And, it's my humble opinion that furthermore, the more particular sound of all snare drums as we've since heard them was firmly established on this album... (and it started with the subtle, yet so effective change at the beginning of Policy of Truth). That little nuance along was something I'd never heard before. If you find this to be true as I did back when it came out, you too will never listen to anything -made post Violator- the same again. Brilliantly and masterfully crafted song writing ever slightly so much further than Black Celebration... and bam, we've got ourselves a landmark piece of music composition!!!! I'll again credit the production side and the complexities of what Depeche were able to put forth... and I too will agree with the review on the home page of Depeche and say I totally agree with Derrick May citing Depeche Mode "as a major influence." Why?? Because of this album... period!!!!

"Violator" is known as the last of the golden albums by the team of four english producers of Depeche Mode - Gore, Gahan, Wilder and Fletcher. In 1990, when it was released, they were interviewed, and Martin Gore confessed that, when he looked back on their career, he realized in his opinion that they reached that point mainly by luck more than anything else, and that "they were totally naif in the beginning", they "didn't know what they were doing".
Is it true that this is an absolutely essential Synthpop masterpiece, but their work before couldn't be considered less than gorgeous. The fact is that the repertory of this album had everything necessary to become a legendary one: marvellous lyrics (specially in "World In My Eyes", introspectiveness ("Halo" and "Waiting For The Night" are deeply emotional), beautiful vocals of Dave Gahan and Martin Gore, some more dancefloor driven tunes ("Enjoy The Silence" was a smashing hit), or synth tunes with elements of rock brilliantly made (which was the case on "Personal Jesus"). The messages, the vocals, the synths, the atmospheres, everything was special in this long play, though their releases before wouldn't be different, for their older albums are a true legacy.
Never would Depeche Mode reach this kind of Synthpop work again, and not only them, it's just like this chef d'oeuvre was the last of a generation, largely played on the clubs, the videos, during school day or in the lonelyness of a smooth night at home.

One of the best and most influencial synthpop records of all time. This marked the apex of DM's career, and the music reflects their self-enduced renaissance. The music is dark and volatile, while still poppy and dancy. The lyrics are moody and pessimistic, which helps convey the themes of love, mistrust, and abandoned hope.