"Black Market Music" is the 3rd album by the popular English band known for the songs "Pure Morning" and "Every You, Every Me." The Band features the vocals of the sexually ambiguous Brian Molko, the bass, guitar and keyboard stylings of Stefan Olsdal, and Steven Hewitt on percussion.

Brian Molko, once described his lyrics by quoting, "Most of these are love songs where I'm trying to come to grips with relationships. They're frequently told from the point of view of ex-lovers, so at first it may seem like I'm being arrogant, but actually I'm eating humble pie. I'm cutting open a vein and letting it bleed for you."

Acting as lovelorn bards, Placebo sings of self-denial and loathing, the ecstasy of love, and the mistrust and agony it causes: drug abuse, lust, spite and malice. The element that brings it together is the dramatic tones in which the subjects are expressed. The passion of the music and the intensity with which it is sung, brought on an experience in me that caused me to look back in retrospective and feel the pain I felt when I myself experienced what he expresses in his lyrics.

I could relate to "Black-eyed" since it talks of being more absorbed with your own self-interest because you were neglected and marked as crazy. "Haemoglobin" talks of coming from the depths of despair and the realization that passion drives you towards the perseverence to become higher -- higher than everyone else. This song brought me to my knees.

I’ve never had an album inspire me to take a look at the agony and the ecstasy of the feelings brought on by my own life experiences. "Black Market Music" is cathartic and powerful. It brought on tears, a transformative depression, and hope. With much appreciation, I give it 5 stars.