Demon Days is the second album from British virtual band, Gorillaz. It is reaching its 20th anniversary soon, as it was released in May of 2005. The band being virtual doesn’t mean that their music isn’t really, however the band members are animated characters. There’s a whole backstory about the band that I don’t really have time to get into, but if you’re interested in their lore I highly suggest reading the companion book, Gorillaz: Rise of the Ogre. The two founders of the band are singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, Damon Albarn, and visual artist Jamie Hewlett. The virtual members are singer/keyboardist 2-D, guitarist Noodle, bassist Murdoc, and drummer Russel. Since I was around 9 or 10, I’ve highly enjoyed the band’s music and backstory as the virtual band concept is really unlike any other musical artist in the industry. Their fusion of different sounds and genres, as well as their wide range of featured artists always make their releases something I highly look forward to. I’ve been excited to cover this album, so without further ado, here are my thoughts on the record.

     After a surreal intro track, simply titled, “Intro,” we start the record with the track, “Last Living Souls.” I like the cheap minimalist electronic drum production on the track, as it helps paint this picture of a broken and apocalyptic universe that the band is living in. The “last living souls,” title carries a double meaning as it’s asking if we’re the last people living as well as if we’re the last generation of humanity that feels any happiness and joy. Following that we have one of my first favorites on the record, “Kids With Guns.” As a kid, I always thought that this song was about school shootings, but the true meaning of the track is that our society’s culture of violence in different forms of media has desensitized kids to it as a result of their constant exposure to it. Damon Albarn was inspired to write it when he heard about a kid in his daughter’s class who got in trouble for bringing a knife to school. I like the simple but effective guitar riff, and plucky keyboards, as well as the dark and very realistic lyrical theme. Neneh Cherry’s backing vocals are a solid addition as well. “O Green World,” continues the apocalyptic theme of the album effectively, as 2-D sings about how he yearns for a green, clean planet rather than one completely devoid of life and livability. It’s a strong warning of what Earth could end up like if we continue to neglect protecting our planet. “Dirty Harry,” featuring Bootie Brown and the San Fernandez Youth Chorus, is another phenomenal song off the record. I like the different sounding synths and keyboards as there’s wobbly ones and plucky ones, in addition the symphonic strings added are a great touch. I think having 2D sing the song with a children’s choir is an extremely effective way to convey the anti-war message of the song. This song was made during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars that the United States and UK among other nations were involved in. The idea of singing from a soldier’s perspective isn’t a novel concept, but anytime it is used I highly respect it, because soldiers and civilians are always the ones who suffer from wars, not the politicians. Bootie Brown’s scathing criticism of George W. Bush with the lines, “The war is over,” so said the speaker, with the flight suit on. Maybe to him, I’m just a pawn.” After that, we have another favorite of mine, “Feel Good Inc.,” featuring De La Soul. I love the simple stripped back guitar riffs, as well as the emotional nature of the lyrics from 2-D. The industrial nature of this fictional city that the band is trapped in provides really dark and unsettling vibes that are sort of masked by the funky nature of the track. It’s lyrically well written, and the premise is that in this land, any attempt at being a free individual is destroyed by the people in charge, so people have to numb themselves to this fact with pleasure that really doesn’t solve the problem. I really enjoyed  Trugoy the Dove’s rapid fire verse, as he adds to the story of the song in a way that’s meaningful and creative. “El Mañana,” is one of the most melancholy sounding songs on the album, which is saying a lot. Primarily structured with guitar, drums and bass, the dark melodies of the synths and orchestral strings really sell the messages of loneliness, depression, and death. “Every Planet We Reach Is Dead,” continues the environmentalist theme present throughout the record, and I like the metaphor of Mother Nature being a woman that 2-D desperately wants to see again. “November Has Come,” featuring the late MF Doom, is a pure hip hop track, as Doom  is completely in charge of the verses with his technically impressive lyrics that criticize the state of hip hop and pop music. In the mind of Doom and Gorillaz, this era of hip hop really doesn’t hold a candle to the 80s and 90s eras of the genre. It’s a subjective opinion, but I really like the production from Danger Mouse and lyricism from MF Doom. I think the fact that at the time, artists like 50 Cent and Nelly being really popular, cheapened the genre of hip hop and was viewed by many as an insult to the history of the genre. “All Alone,” featuring Roots Manuva, is one of the most underrated songs on the record, as Roots’ guest verse is one of the most under appreciated contributions on the album. The message his verse delivers which is overcoming his own self-doubt through taking action, is really inspiring, and the bridge from Martina Topley-Bird is absolutely gorgeous, her voice is so angelic and the swelling of the instrumentation gives me chills every time I hear it. “White Light,” is an uptempo simple track that is centered around alcoholism. “White light,” is a double entendre that is both slang for strong alcohol, and a visual metaphor of what people who die of alcohol poisoning see when they’re dying. Murdoc of all people sings this song, which is ironic, because he’s well known for being a fall down drunk. That being said, it’s one of the weaker tracks on the album. After that, we have the happiest song on the record, “Dare,” featuring Shaun Ryder. The song is sung by Noodle, 2-D, and Shaun and is just a song that makes you want to dance and forget about life’s challenges. Its message is positive, as it’s saying that despite life’s hardships, we as human beings have to stay strong and work to bring the change to our world that we want. “Fire Coming Out of the Monkey’s Head,” is a track that still freaks me out to this day. It’s primarily a spoken word track narrated by actor, Dennis Hopper, with haunting instrumentation in the background. The anti-war and environmentalist messaging is really impactful, as the “happy folk” in the song serve as a metaphor for civilians completely oblivious to the destruction from war and pollution, until it inevitably affects them. The lines that still stick with me to this day, “And then came a sound, distant first, that grew in castrophany. So immense that it could be heard far away in space. There were no screams, there was no time. The mountain called Monkey had spoken. There was only fire, and then….nothing.” “Don’t Get Lost In Heaven,” has this euphoric, psychedelic sound to it and the inclusion of The London Community Gospel Choir really helps sell that sound. It serves as a follow up to the previous track, narratively and sets up the foundation for the final track, “Demon Days.” The final track ties all the themes of the album together masterfully, as our society’s destruction to other humans and our own planet is catching up to us, and we continue to live in denial as if it isn’t a problem, when it very much is. The happy sound of the track really disguises the harrowing message of the lyrics, as well as the overall concept of the album. The reggae/dub sound of the track is groovy and continuing to use The London Community Gospel Choir to close the record ends the album on an incredibly powerful note.

    In conclusion, it’s no secret as to why Demon Days is considered one of the best albums of 2005, as well as one of Gorillaz’ best records if not their best. The combination of diverse, beautiful production and instrumentation, powerful lyrics, and consistently impressive concepts really make this a must-listen for any fan of music. Other than “White Light,” I personally find the album to be perfect from front to back. Gorillaz have made so many memorable records, but the fact that to this very day the band is continuing to try to live up to the success of this album and Plastic Beach, really shows how high of a bar the group set for themselves.

Overall Score: 9/10

Favorite Tracks: “Feel Good Inc.,” “Dirty Harry,” “Dare,” “Kids With Guns,” “November Has Come,” “El Mañana,”

Least Favorite Tracks: “White Light,”

Listen: https://youtu.be/HyHNuVaZJ-k?si=kyc_TyiWC79ECTup

Genres: Alternative Rock/Hip Hop/Art Pop/Art Rock