ALBUM REVIEW: Gorillaz's Demon Days

   Hi guys, so if you read my introduction post you'll notice that I mentioned a band called "Gorillaz" that I love so much. Now I am going to talk about my personal favorite album of theirs, Demon Days. This is probably my favorite album outside of Gorillaz as well, but since I don't listen to much albums so I'm not very sure.

One of the most iconic album cover ever

  Before I talk about this masterpiece, I would like to talk about Gorillaz as a whole, because people might be confused. Gorillaz is a virtual band created by Damon Albarn (musician) and Jamie Hewlett (illustrator) back in 2001. What is a virtual band? It's basically like a cartoon show, but in real life and it's a band. There are people behind the scene who worked on the songs and illustration and it will be released in the name of the band. There are a lot of fake interviews that is written by the writers behind the scene. The creators, however, want the audience to view them as if they were exist. The first band who introduced this concept is The Archies back in the 60s, however I feel like Gorillaz is the one who nailed the virtual band concept perfectly.

Jamie Hewlett (left) and Damon Albarn (right)

   There are 4 members of Gorillaz, which are 2D, Murdoc, Noodle, And Russel. Short description: 2D is the singer that oftenly acts looney but very sweet and sometimes really thoughtful, Murdoc is the bassist and is also a jerk but he's very likable and also has a very sad backstory, Noodle is a strong little girl who plays the guitar, and Russel is the lovable and huggable drummer. I love Murdoc the most because he's hilarious and attractive (don't judge me). They're fictional but I love them so much and I feel like they shape my life. Without them, I would be a very different person.

From left to right: Noodle, 2D, Russel, and Murdoc

   Now let's review the album. Demon Days is an album that was released on May 23, 2005. It has 15 tracks. It has a very positive review. Spin ranked Demon Days as the fourth-best album of 2005, while Mojo ranked it at number eighteen on their year-end list and hailed the album as a "genre-busting, contemporary pop milestone." NME placed it 98th on their list of 100 greatest albums of the decade. Uncut ranked it at 75 on their list of top 150 albums of the decade. Complex included it on their list of 100 Best Albums of the Complex Decade, placing it at number 43. Spin later included it in their list of The 300 Best Albums of 1985–2014. The single Feel Good Inc was nominated on Grammy's Best Music Video and won Grammy's Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. It also won and nominated on much more awards. Oh, and they also performed on Grammy and MTV Music Video Awards with Madonna on that year, to celebrate the success of Demon Days. Awesome, right?

Murdoc, Noodle, and Madonna on the Grammy

   This album has a very heavy theme. It dealt with the "demons" of the world, such as war, addiction, etc. Most of the lyrics from this album are very deep and thoughtful. Here's a sample, which is from the song Demon Days:

...

In these demon days
It's so cold inside
So hard for a good soul to survive
You can't even trust the air you breathe
Because mother earth wants us all to leave
When lies become reality
You numb yourself with drugs and T.V.
So pick yourself up, it's a brand new day
So turn yourself round
Don't burn yourself, turn youself
Turn yourself around
To the sun!

   That song is about how we are too attached with our addiction and cope our trauma with more addiction, which isn't good for our own mental health. We must do positive thing for a change to make us happy! At least that's my own interpretation. The writing is subtle and on point, it's not too obvious so that the listener can interpret it on their own, and it really make us think while listening to it. I really love interesting songs like this. Not to mention that this song has a very emotional beat and always makes me shiver whenever I listen to it. It sounds very ghostly yet beautiful. These positive things are scattered throughout the album and I love it. Another thing that I love about this album, despite that it's kinda a minor thing is the instrumental. It's very clear and crisp. In El Manana, you can hear the violin note that makes your heart break in pieces. In Feel Good Inc and Kids With Guns, you can hear the awesome bassline that will stuck in your head in a good way. In All Alone, you'll hear a very heart-pumping drumbeat. Oh, and Every Planet We Reach Is Dead is just mesmerizing. The instruments really pop and I don't know, it's so bizarre yet unique and memorable. One of my favorite.

Tracklist of Demon Days

   In my opinion, the only negative thing about this album is the track White Light. I think it's a very mediocre track compared to all these fantastic songs. It still fits the theme of the album, but it could've been replaced with a much better track. Like Rockit or Highway (Under Construction). Both of those tracks are from D-Sides, which is an album filled with unused songs that didn't make it into Demon Days. Those are much better than White Light.

Murdoc and his legendary bass

   For those who are new to this band, I recommend you all to listen to the singles first, which are Feel Good Inc, DARE, Dirty Harry, El Manana, and Kids With Guns. You might view the non-single tracks as "weird", like I was before I went nuts with this band. Gorillaz is one of those band who need second or more listen to really "absorb" the meaning of their songs. But when you fully get it, I guarantee that you'll love it. Oh, and I want to add that you should watch the music video while you listen to those singles. Gorillaz's music videos are so unique and fantastic. No wonder why they were always nominated for Grammy's Best Music Video in each album (I hope Saturnz Barz, their newest MV, will be nominated again next year, maybe won the award!).

Noodle on the windmill

   If you want to listen to the entire album, PLEASE DON'T PIRATE IT. Gorillaz uploaded the entire album on their Youtube channel, you should listen to it there! Or you could buy the album, digital or physical. It's really worth your money!

My copies of Demon Days

   And that's my review of Demon Days, the best Gorillaz album. Sorry if this review sounds so biased and pretentious. I hope you enjoy your listen to Demon Days! :D

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FAV TRACKS: Every Planet We Reach Is Dead, Don't Get Lost In Heaven/Demon Days, O Green World, All Alone, Kids With Guns

LEAST FAV TRACKS: White Light

RATING: 9/10
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Source:
en.wikipedia.org/Demon_Days
azlyrics.com
tumblr.com