1997 studio album by Alphaville
Salvation is the fifth album by German synth-pop band Alphaville and was released in 1997. Three tracks from the album were released as singles: "Wishful Thinking", "Flame", and "Soul Messiah". However, none of them charted on the German single charts.[1] It is the last album at the Warner/metropolis label. It was also the last album with Bernhard Lloyd, who left the band in 2003.
Overview
Salvation hit the stores in 1997 and marked a tumultuous time for the band: Ricky Echolette had left Alphaville during the production and Marian Gold and Bernhard Lloyd struggled with the way the record label did the promotion, calling it "not very good for us".[2] The subsequent split led Alphaville to establishing their own, concert- and online-focused communication, promotion, and distribution platform.
Even though the circumstances for Salvation were not favorable, the album became a success in spite of the troubled production. This has been credited to the band returning to their synthpop-roots and heavily infusing them with dance/techno. There is a stylistic similarity between Forever Young and Salvation.[3]
Reviews
A departure from the experimental predecessors, Prostitute and The Breathtaking Blue, the straighter, simpler style appealed to old fans and a younger audience alike.
MusicFolio's review of the album said "Their songs are still stirring and swirling with the drum machine pumping out a hectic flow of beats. 'Flame 'is the first single, a yearning ballad that grows to an arms-waving conclusion, 'Wishful Thinking', 'Point Of Know Return' (sic) and 'Inside Out' are more representative of the Alphaville sound."[4]
