Depeche Mode – Memento Mori: Ciudad de México

      A captivating live document from a legendary band...

      03 · 12 · 2025

      ‘Memento Mori: Mexico City’ serves as a counterpart to Fernando Frias’s ‘Depeche Mode: M’, an artistic project that delves into the music of Depeche Mode alongside the deep reverence for death found in Mexican culture. Blending poetry, Mexican folklore, and compelling scenes that reflect on mortality and transience, ‘Depeche Mode: M’ captured Dave Gahan and Martin Gore’s concert series at Mexico’s vast Foro Sol Stadium in 2023.

      This release combines the ‘Depeche Mode: M’ film with a full concert from Foro Sol, featuring 23 masterful live performances of Depeche classics such as ‘Enjoy The Silence’, ‘Everything Counts’, ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’, and ‘I Feel You’, in addition to songs from their latest introspective album, ‘Memento Mori’, released in 2023. It showcases Gahan, Gore, multi-instrumentalist Peter Gordeno, and drummer Christian Eigner at their most impactful, seemingly unfazed by the loss of Mode co-founder Andy ‘Fletch’ Fletcher, whose unexpected passing overshadowed the creation of ‘Memento Mori’.

      Even in the absence of visuals, the raw emotion on Gore’s face during the heartfelt ballad ‘Home’ is palpable, and Gahan’s energetic, windmill-like movements towards the end of ‘Never Let Me Down’ are unforgettable. One cannot overlook the poignant images of Fletch displayed on the video screens as they perform a touching rendition of his favorite Mode song, ‘World In My Eyes’.

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      ‘A Pain That I’m Used To’ is reimagined from its chaotic album version into a powerful and dynamic motorik rock anthem. Similarly, ‘Ghosts Again’, the somber initial single from ‘Memento Mori’, balances its inner sadness with a tender acceptance and subtle joy that resonates with the essence of Frias’s film. A fiery and intense performance of ‘Personal Jesus’, which closes the concert, feels like a confession of life’s end when considered within the film's overarching theme.

      The album wraps up with four previously unreleased tracks recorded during the ‘Memento Mori’ sessions. The reasons why these songs didn’t make the final album remain unclear. Among these, ‘Give Yourself To Me’ starts off echoing the yearning of ‘Waiting For The Night’ from ‘Violator’ before evolving into a tougher, more resolute piece.

      The contemplative track ‘In The End’, first introduced during the credits of ‘Depeche Mode: M’, reflects our eventual return to dust and is driven by the thickest Depeche Mode bass line since ‘Fly On The Windscreen’. While not cheerful, its unvarnished honesty exemplifies why Frias adeptly focused his lens on this band for his bold and ambitious film.

      9/10

      Words: Mat Smith

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