Artist: DEPECHE MODE
Album: ULTRA REMASTERED (CD)

Release date: 1997/ 2013
EAN/UPS: 888837511322
Media type: CD

Ultra is Depeche Mode's ninth full-length album, which was released by Mute Records on April 14, 1997 (1997-04-14). The album is the first album after the departure of Alan Wilder, who left to focus on his solo project Recoil.

Ultra keeps the industrial rock sound of their previous album and has a considerably darker tone than Depeche Mode's previous releases.

The long time that separates this album from the previous was due to David Gahan's near suicide and recovery from addiction to drugs. These two events caused many to speculate the end of Depeche Mode, but this turned out to not be the case.

Instead, Ultra was eventually released, reaching number one in the UK Chart, and producing several hit singles. As of April 2006, Ultra has sold 584,000 units in the U.S. The album is also notable for being the longest the band has ever released, clocking at an hour, despite the project initially being an E.P.

All songs written by Martin L Gore. Martin sings lead on "Home" and "The Bottom Line", while Dave Gahan sings the other songs. "Uselink", "Jazz Thieves", and "Junior Painkiller" are instrumental interludes.

TRACKLIST:

"Barrel of a Gun" – 5:35
"The Love Thieves" – 6:34
"Home" – 5:42
"It's No Good" – 5:58
"Uselink" – 2:21
"Useless" – 5:12
"Sister Of Night" – 6:04
"Jazz Thieves" – 2:54
"Freestate" – 6:44
"The Bottom Line" – 4:26
"Insight" – 6:26
"Junior Painkiller" – 2:11*

* Unlisted bonus track. A 90 second pause separates "Insight" and "Junior Painkiller", the former is really only around four and a half minutes in length.

LINE-UP:

David Gahan
Andrew Fletcher
Martin Gore

Programming on all tracks by Kerry Hopwood
Keyboards & Keyboard Programming on all tracks by Dave Clayton