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Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Exciter
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 20 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 40 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Reprise
Release Date: 15 May 2001
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Alternative, Electronic
Summary
This is the first album of new material since 1997's 'Ultra' for Depeche Mode, which again sees the band as a trio (consisting of David Gahan, Martin L. Gore, and Andy Fletcher) but also sees them experimenting more with a wider variety of sounds, including acoustic guitar. It is DM's first time in the studio with producer Mark Bell, who has previously worked with Bjork and was a member of the early-90s techno outfit LFO. The lead single from the 13-track album is "Dream On."
Also By This Artist: Playing The Angel Sounds Of The Universe
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
L.A. Weekly
Mellow, dramatic and bathed in atmosphere, Exciter is the sound of a band at the height of its powers.
Read Full Review >Alternative Press
What makes this disc so intriguing is its embracing of the latest electronic substrata within the context of chief songwriter Martin Gore's well-crafted pop tunes. [#155, p.67]
New Musical Express
Lyrical gloom aside, though, 'Exciter' sounds like a band not just revitalised but reassembled from scratch. Not many long-running groups could make an album this fresh and confident in their 20th year, never mind one which bridges timeless soulman crooning and underground techno.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club)
Bell's subtle, inventive knob-twiddling pairs perfectly with Martin Gore's new batch of somber, subdued songs.
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone
Exciter glimmers like a gentle ambient doodle with vocals: The beats are mostly minimal, closer to early Kraftwerk than to current electronica. But because Gore's songwriting is so focused and Gahan's vocal presence is so commanding, the softest songs leap to the foreground like a whisper from a lover.
Read Full Review >HOB.com
Though not in the same league as Some Great Reward or Violator, Exciter is a solid effort and refreshing reminder of the variety of pop music.
Read Full Review >Sonicnet
Longtime fans will no doubt be initially thrown by the lack of "motorik" beats and general rock action here. Yet after a couple of listens, many of Exciter's songs begin to worm their way into the subconscious.
Read Full Review >Billboard
Two things hold the set together: Mark Bell's quirky, other-worldly production and Dave Gahan's still-haunting voice, which has never been more agile.
Read Full Review >Wall of Sound
It's just, well, it's just another Depeche Mode album -- a solid near-hour's worth of moody, darkly insidious tunes about such time-honored topics as love, death, and pain... and love and death.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly
Producer Mark Bell smartly leaves the retro melodies intact, while decorating them with experimental, electronic gloss. [8 June 2001, p.76]
Spin Cycle
The electronics are intact, but rather than rely on monitors and keyboards to produce familiar sounds, Depeche Mode lifts its chin and puts vocals first for some surprisingly taut techno-balladry.... Still, old habits are hard to break, and "Exciter" carries a couple of ill-advised indulgences.
Read Full Review >Playlouder
'Exciter' stakes a hell of a claim on bringing Depeche Mode into the 21st century.
Read Full Review >Pitchfork
From a production standpoint, the record sounds great, but at its core, it comes up empty, lacking a solid foundation of good songs to rest its adventurous studio trickery upon.... It's the most frustrating type of album there is-- one that's full of promise and shining moments, but never fully delivers.
Read Full Review >Nude As The News
For the first time in a long time, one can actually listen to David Gahan's lyrics. Indeed, on Exciter, he has rarely sounded less moronic.
Read Full Review >PopMatters
David Gahan, is in excellent voice throughout, whispering and cooing delicately into the mike in a way that is really quite rewarding.... It's what he's given to sing is where the problem lies.
Read Full Review >Spin
Exciter is basically a vehicle for Martin Gore's increasingly formulaic songs... [June 2001, p.155]
Q Magazine
In fact Gahan, whose ill health hampered the making of Ultra, has rarely sound more potent. This time it's Martin Gore who's out of puff. No amount of fashionable tweaking can hide the flimsiness of his offerings...
Read Full Review >Village Voice
Like nearly any DM record, Exciter, their 14th album, mostly leaves one hungry for the inevitable remixes.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 8.4 (out of 10) based on 40 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
DexStud gave it a7:
At times very beautiful and melodic. Dave Gahan sings like an angel. However most of the songs lack a specail zing that would make the album great instead of good.
Andrew T gave it a10:
It´s one of the best sites in the web
Ben U gave it a9:
Depeche changes with each album and their changes are always good. They explore new areas of sound. This album is certainly different from Violater or SOFAD or even Ultra. The "Dead of Night" sounds a little alien and certainly the beat is irregulary and heavy. I love how after a few listens I start to crave the sound. Lovetheme is an unusual short song without any vocals. There is the normal split on DM albums of fast and slow songs. Breathe, Goodnight Lovers (who doesn't sing along to this song!), and When the Body Speaks are all slower songs that fill the listener with relaxed feelings and a mixed happy and sad emotional state. There are more upbeat songs lik Dream on and I Feel Loved that make the listener want to move in the way that DM so amazingly does. Songs from this album weren't played on the radio as much as songs from other albums because this album doesn't have the immediate grabbing popularity of songs that make the radio. I, personally, am sick of popular radio and its search for faddish and similar songs. However, listening to the Exciter CD a few times straight convinces me that there is as much depth in the album as in any other of their albums. Any DM fan should own a copy of the CD and will enjoy it. If you are new to DM start with one of their more mainstream ablums and discover the unique style that is DM.
Matias M gave it a10:
Excellent!!!!
Alvin A gave it a 10:
I don't see why DM is being given such atrocious reviews. It seems as if hard-core fans of DM's older material want every album to sound exactly like the work the band already produced during the 80s and early 90s. DM's older albums were all great, but wouldn't it sound rather boring if every song sounded alike? Instead of being ridiculed, the band should be complimented for keeping an open mind in the music industry. DM is at the point where evolution beyond what they've done is very important. Being fast and dancy is great, but being slow and introspective is great too. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DISLIKE THE CD, I CANNOT CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVES. WHAT I CAN DO, HOWEVER, IS ENCOURAGE YOU TO HAVE A MORE OPEN MIND. THE CD ISN'T AS BAD AS YOU THINK ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS: Dream On, Shine, When the Body Speaks, The Dead of Night, I Feel Loved, Breathe, I Am You. I will admit that "The Sweetest Condition" doesn't appeal to me as much. Not to offend anyone who actually likes it! Peace...
Steve H gave it a 4:
A must say I was disappointed with this album. I have been a DM fan for some time now. The positive aspect of this album is that they embark on new areas of music. The down side is that is lacks evigorating and emotionally grabbing songwriting of which they used to have. Buy "Songs of Faith and Devotion" and you'll see an example of better musicianship.
Spooky gave it a 7:
This is an underappreciated album that has massively disappointed many devotees. That Exiter is a well-written, low-key, heartfelt effort does nothing to satisfy those looking for a more upbeat offering. While those people will wring their hands bemoaning the fact that DM has "gone soft", others will realize it is a collective exhale from a band who has earned the right to stand still for once and appreciate all the good things that life has to offer.
