Damon Albarn is nothing if not persistent.

At the outset, way back in the year 2001, the Blur frontman’s newest musical project, in partnership with artist Jamie Hewlett, seemed like it was perhaps some kind of novelty. “Clint Eastwood” took over the airwaves and became a certified banger, but the aura and mystique of an animated band/multi-media project wasn’t exactly the norm in the era of post-grunge/nu-metal butt rock, boy bands, and curated pop stars. But with the next two album releases (Demon Days and Plastic Beach) exceeding the already excellent quality of the initial output with the self-titled debut, it became very apparent that Gorillaz was not some one-off fluke.

The first (and at present only) time I saw Gorillaz was on the Escape to Plastic Beach tour at what was once called the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden on October 10, 2010–10.10.10. An apt reinforcement of how I’d score what the experience was like: 10 out of 10 on every front. The humans behind the madness were on full display for the first time since the group’s inception (as they once existed only as silhouettes against the animated visuals). The entire presentation was highly theatrical and serves to be one of several uniquely memorable concert highlights throughout my life. It’s a cherished memory of such a specific point in time when the vibes felt right, and life was OK. And Gorillaz served as the perfect outfit to soundtrack it. Oh, 2010, how I miss you… 

But after that? I feel like they kind of lost the plot. None of the following output was by any stretch “bad.” I especially gave Humanz a lot of initial attention, and I’ll defend Cracker Island–but ultimately, a lot of it felt lacking by comparison to those first three fully realized releases. The never-ending onslaught of musical output for the last 15 years left one of my favorite, foundational acts from my tweens and teens in the dust. I never fail to revisit Gorillaz, Demon Days, or Plastic Beach regularly, even today, or to cite them among my favorite artists of the 21st century, but I lost my card-carrying superfan privileges as my focus drifted elsewhere regarding new music. Despite the fact that Gorillaz continued to release new albums, my attention to the “new stuff” became passive.

All of this is to say that I’m genuinely thrilled to report that The Mountain serves as a profoundly creative return to form. It is genuinely and truly exciting. As with each release (down to the individual genre-defying nature of pretty much every track in their entire catalog), there is no element of predictability or repetition. It’s uncharted territory, while firmly remaining within the wholly unique, only-they-could-pull-this-off mixed soundscapes of the Gorillaz we all fell in love with. 

Photo courtesy of Gorillaz

Attempting to distill the cohesive, mortality-focused narrative form this album, or list the absolutely, insanely stacked roster of guests (OK, OK - IDLES and Philly’s own Black Thought are two examples of, like, thirty others of equal note, including several posthumous features) is an impossible feat. The album leans into a death-heavy theme borne of Indian music and cultural influences. But it’s about the beauty of living, not the fear of dying. In the scheme of all this album explores, the titular mountain is life, and the climb to its summit is our journey through it.

From its visual artwork to the album's flow, the Indian presence takes precedence in a way that might make George Harrison blush. It does not, however, sideline the other social, genre-diverse, and cultural influences found throughout. Gorillaz have always served to showcase a massive swath of artistry from so many different cultures, ideals, and systems of belief. The Mountain is no different. It feels like a celebration of the diverse nature of culture itself, which is so goddamn refreshing in the year of eternal existential angst, 2026. We exist now in an era in which anything outside the white/Christian/nationalist “norm” in the U.S. is deemed a political assertion. People merely existing has become controversial in a way I can’t ever remember being the case… so, if you’re a jingoist, singular-minded bigot, maybe skip this one (and also fuck you).

From the deeply entrenched hip hop production and features, to a mostly-Spanish-language-banger-odyssey with album highlight “The Manifesto” (also featuring a posthumous slew of bars from rapper Proof), the album effortlessly carries the banner of Gorillaz’ massive array of musical and cultural influences and presents it to us in a singular vision that remains entirely cohesive and self-sustained. You don’t need prior understanding of the group’s (now very expansive) lore, though there are, of course, many nods and references to it all. You won’t feel whiplash from the genre leaps. You don’t have to be a superfan of one type of music. You just need to sit, listen, and appreciate how beautiful, expansive, diverse, and artistically enlightening the experience proves to be.

The best thing I could do as far as reviewing this album is to sum it up thusly: It’s genuinely amazing as a piece of art. It is a beautiful, carefully crafted and curated body of work that vastly defies any level of expectation I had for an artist’s 9th full-length release. Go listen to it loud and on repeat. And then listen to it again. I do not throw around the word lightly, but this may end up their crown jewel, magnum opus masterpiece effort. 

And after you’ve exhausted the listening experience and found every nuance and subtlety within the production, go see it live later this year… back where I first experienced the magic in the (presently-named) Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, NJ.

I already owe a debt of gratitude to the band for great music, the many good memories associated with it, and a pivotal musical bond with my younger brother, Tyler (AKA the biggest Gorillaz fan I personally know and why I had any hype or hope for this release to begin with), but since Damon Albarn will never see this, I’ll just offer to the universe my thanks in advance: For the new music, for the new memories I’ll associate with this album, its rollout and ensuing tour, and for showcasing that creative longevity is not a myth.

Life is full of surprises and ‘The Mountain’ is a very welcome serving of the unexpected joys we all strive to experience in musical form.

Gorillaz will perform at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, NJ on September 27, 2026. Tickets and more information are available on their official website.