Album Review: "Mountain" - The Gorillaz

Taylor Sheridan Lempke
Mar 6
6 min read

Gorillaz co-creators, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, traveled to India to rekindle their creativity, but they found themselves searching for meaning through grief. Within ten days, both men lost their fathers. The Mountain reflects the climb through loss, chaos, and struggle, up to enlightenment. Released February 27, 2026, The Mountain is the ninth studio album by British virtual band Gorillaz, arriving through their own label Kong with distribution by The Orchard, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment.

T R A C K L I S T

The Mountain (feat. Ajay Prasanna, Amaan Ali Bangash, Anoushka Shankar, Ayaan Ali Bangash & Dennis Hopper)

The Moon Cave (feat. Asha Puthli, Black Thought, Bobby Womack, Jalen Ngonda & Trugoy the Dove)

The Happy Dictator (feat. Sparks)

The Hardest Thing (feat. Tony Allen)

Orange County (feat. Anoushka Shankar, Bizarrap & Kara Jackson)

The God of Lying (feat. IDLES)

The Empty Dream Machine (feat. Anoushka Shankar, Black Thought & Johnny Marr) The Manifesto (feat. Proof & Trueno)

The Plastic Guru (feat. Anoushka Shankar & Johnny Marr)

Delirium (feat. Mark E. Smith)

Damascus (feat. Omar Souleyman & Yasiin Bey)

The Shadowy Light (feat. Ajay Prasanna, Amaan Ali Bangash, Asha Bhosle, Ayaan Ali Bangash & Gruff Rhys)

Casablanca (feat. Johnny Marr & Paul Simonon)

The Sweet Prince (feat. Ajay Prasanna, Anoushka Shankar & Johnny Marr)

The Sad God (feat. Ajay Prasanna, Anoushka Shankar & Black Thought)

Created in 1998 by musician Damon Albarn and illustrator Jamie Hewlett, Gorillaz are a British virtual band that blends music, animation, and storytelling into a single multimedia project. The group’s fictional lineup consists of vocalist and keyboardist Stuart “2-D” Pot, bassist Murdoc Niccals, guitarist Noodle, and drummer Russel Hobbs. Their genre-blending sound includes hip-hop, rock, electronic, and global influences, earning critical acclaim and mainstream success with albums like Gorillaz, Demon Days, and Plastic Beach. They’re known for hits such as Clint Eastwood and Feel Good Inc..

The Mountain

The album opens with a meditative soundscape of ragas and talas that sets the spiritual tone for the journey ahead. Drones, flutes, and layered percussion create the feeling of standing at the base of a sacred peak. Rather than functioning as a typical pop opener, the track acts as a prologue to the album’s central metaphor: life as a climb toward understanding.

The Moon Cave

“The Moon Cave” introduces the album’s first burst of familiar Gorillaz energy. Bright synths and upbeat percussion bring back the band’s playful groove, but the production gradually strips itself down before rebuilding around a hip-hop beat. Damon Albarn’s layered vocals glide through the track, giving it that signature Gorillaz texture. The song feels like carving into the mountain’s interior. It’s mysterious, rhythmic, and alive with echoing sound.

The Happy Dictator

Opening with a playful, almost psychedelic organ reminiscent of 1960s pop, “The Happy Dictator” masks darker ideas beneath its bouncy sound. Albarn’s filtered vocals float over the groove as the lyrics explore authoritarian power and the illusions that sustain it. References to a “devil’s pharmakon” hint at systems that both sustain and corrupt society. The song’s theatrical feel reflects Gorillaz’s long tradition of blending satire with catchy melodies.

The Hardest Thing

Dark synthesizers and distant bell tones make “The Hardest Thing” one of the album’s most emotionally direct moments. The spacious production feels almost cosmic, as if drifting through space. Albarn delivers a simple but devastating line about the difficulty of saying goodbye to someone you love. The song captures grief in its quietest form — not explosive or dramatic, but lingering and heavy. Its restrained arrangement allows the emotion to resonate without distraction.

Orange County

“Orange County” shifts the mood toward warmth and nostalgia. Gentle whistling opens the track like a carefree bike ride through old memories, while a soft trumpet adds a triumphant glow. Acoustic guitars and layered samples gradually build into a collage of sounds that resemble fragments of life stitched together. The song feels like looking back on a life with appreciation rather than regret. It’s one of the album’s most uplifting moments, suggesting that memory itself can be a form of celebration.

The God of Lying

Driven by a loose reggae groove, “The God of Lying” blends skepticism with hypnotic rhythm. The squeaky synths and minor-key melodies create a subtle atmosphere of unease. Albarn’s lyrics question institutions, belief systems, and the truths people are taught to accept. The track echoes the moody groove of early Gorillaz classics like "Clint Eastwood" while adding a more reflective tone. It’s less about rebellion than about doubt, the quiet suspicion that the world might not be what it seems.

The Empty Dream

Indian strings and airy synth textures create one of the album’s most peaceful soundscapes. Albarn sings softly, his voice drifting through the arrangement like the last warmth of sunlight before evening arrives. Occasional electronic effects give the song a slightly futuristic shimmer. Beneath its calm surface lies a bittersweet reflection on love and absence. The message is simple but profound: accomplishments and ambitions mean little without the person you wish could share them.

The Manifesto

“The Manifesto” explodes with energy, blending Indian rhythms with hip-hop swagger. Flutes swirl around the beat like wind rushing across the mountain’s slopes. The song carries a theme of perseverance — climbing forward even when the path seems endless. Midway through, the track breaks into a fiery rap section that confronts power and violence directly. The combination of global instrumentation and hard-hitting bars captures Gorillaz at their most ambitious, turning political commentary into an electrifying anthem.

The Plastic Guru

Light, shimmering synths give “The Plastic Guru” a bright, springlike atmosphere. The song feels like sunlight breaking through clouds, with melodies that ripple gently across the mix. Albarn’s lyrics explore belief and perception, suggesting that people often choose the truths they want to see. The track balances philosophical ideas with playful production, recalling the dreamy optimism of Gorillaz songs like On Melancholy Hill. It’s a reminder that beauty and illusion often coexist.

Delirium

A celestial choir opens “Delirium,” creating the feeling of rising into the clouds. Soon, a steady synth beat pulls the song back into rhythmic motion. The track then fractures into manic laughter and chaotic percussion before returning to calm. This constant shift between serenity and frenzy mirrors the emotional instability suggested by the title. Gorillaz capture the sensation of losing control while still keeping the groove intact.

Damascus

Twinkling synthesizers and swirling flutes give “Damascus” one of the album’s most mesmerizing soundscapes. The melody sparkles like distant stars while the beat pulses steadily underneath. The song pays tribute to people forced to travel across borders and survive in uncertain conditions. Its imagery of navigating by starlight evokes resilience in the face of hardship. Musically, it blends global influences into one of the album’s most cinematic moments.

The Shadowy Light

With its laid-back rhythm and buoyant synth line, “The Shadowy Light” floats effortlessly. The music drifts forward at an easy pace, almost like a dandelion carried on the wind. Albarn reflects on existential questions about belief, chaos, and meaning in a universe full of conflict. The line “living is the ending” suggests that life itself may be the ultimate destination. It’s a quietly philosophical track that feels both peaceful and profound.

Casablanca

“Casablanca” mixes electronic beats with the smoky elegance of a late-night jazz bar. Soft strings give the track a romantic glow while the rhythm maintains a steady pulse. The song references Gorillaz’s fictional animated world while hinting at distant cities and burning landscapes. The mood feels like calm within chaos, a moment of reflection during turbulent times. Its cinematic atmosphere adds a nostalgic dimension to the album’s journey.

The Sweet Prince

One of the album’s most personal songs, “The Sweet Prince,” reflects on the death of Damon Albarn’s father. The title echoes the famous farewell line from Hamlet, transforming grief into a poetic goodbye. Flutes blend with sweeping strings and piano to create a gentle, almost ceremonial atmosphere. Rather than dwelling solely in sadness, the track imagines death as a transition into another life. The result is a farewell that feels both mournful and dignified.

The Sad God

Closing the album, “The Sad God” adopts a delicate, almost childlike synthesizer melody. The sound resembles an old video game theme, giving the track a strangely nostalgic quality. Albarn sings from a reflective perspective, contemplating how humanity uses the gifts it has been given. The tone isn’t judgmental; it’s quietly sorrowful, like a creator watching their creation struggle. As the album fades out, the song leaves listeners with a lingering sense of wonder and melancholy.

The Mountain is a remarkably balanced album, merging bittersweet reflection with moments of optimism and sharp observations about the political climate. At a time when many artists hesitate to address these issues directly, Gorillaz prove that music itself is a powerful platform for critique. An artist’s voice isn’t limited to social media statements. It lives most powerfully within the music itself. In a moment when so much collective grief fills daily life, from the news to social media, The Mountain feels especially timely. The album encourages humility, reminding listeners that everyone is capable of mistakes and that the way we use our time and resources matters. Ultimately, its message is deeply human: trophies, titles, and achievements mean little without connection. Sometimes we need an album like this, a reminder to keep moving, keep climbing, and keep going up the mountain together.

Written By Taylor Sheridan Lempke