Album of the Day

In the aftermath of their breakthrough collection VIOLATOR, Depeche Mode might have been tempted to follow its sonic template, but instead, the U.K. band opted to try something different for SONGS OF FAITH AND DEVOTION. Working with producer Flood, the foursome rented a villa in Madrid to work up material and try a more visceral approach to recording, utilizing live drums, aggressive guitars and unusual instrument processing. The resulting ten songs, including singles “In Your Room,” “I Feel You” and “Walking In My Shoes,” have the power of then-omnipresent grunge rock while retaining Depeche's distinctive synth/dance sound. This reinvention was successful commercially as well as artistically, and SONGS OF FAITH AND DEVOTION hit No.1 on the U.S. album chart on this day in 1993.