Depeche Mode’s first album in five years, Memento Mori, will come out via Columbia Records next year in Spring. The exact date hasn’t been announced yet, but the anticipated record will be accompanied by tours across North America and Europe.
The 15th studio album is the follow-up to the 2017 LP, Spirit, and it’s the first one without the late Andy “Fletch” Fletcher. The British keyboard player and founding member of Depeche Mode sadly passed away on May 26, 2022.
Martin Gore believes that Memento Mori, which is an object that’s kept as a reminder of the inevitability of death, is the perfect title following Andy’s death, “It sounds very morbid, but I think you can look at it very positively as well. In that [you should] live each day to the max. I think that’s how we like to interpret it too.”
The producer adds that: “We started work on this project early in the pandemic, and its themes were directly inspired by that time. After Fletch’s passing, we decided to continue as we’re sure this is what he would have wanted, and that has really given the project an extra level of meaning.”
The lead singer Dave Gahan speaks of the matter as well, “Fletch would have loved this album. We’re really looking forward to sharing it with you soon, and we can’t wait to present it to you live at the shows next year.”
Depeche Mode will kick off their world tour in March 2023 in Sacramento. Gore and Gahan will also be performing at Twickenham Stadium in London during the UK leg.