On Feb. 27, 2026, virtual band Gorillaz, created and led by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, released their ninth studio album, “The Mountain,” produced by their own label, Kong. The album contains 15 songs with a total length of 1 hour and 6 minutes. “The Mountain” displays a sound inspired by south Asian culture, Indian languages and classical Indian instrumentals.
Compared to their previous albums, “The Mountain” features a much more cinematic sound and storytelling conveyed through music. Gorillaz’ typical sound consists of electronic elements and unorthodox creative direction, as well as a diverse merging of genres across songs. “The Mountain” specifically combines the genres of south Asian instrumental and meditative music, lively cultural sounds from regions such as India, Central America and the Middle East. Certain songs also draw influence from rap and hip-hop. The feel of the album being a cinematic storytelling experience was intentional. “[You’re] supposed to listen to [the album] from beginning to end,” Hewlett said in an interview.
“The Mountain” also features several other artists, most notably Ajay Prasanna, IDLES, Dennis Hopper, Tony Allen, Sparks and vocals from the late Bobby Womack.
The Gorillaz band is known for their engaging and thought provoking animated music videos along with their albums. The band has extensive lore centered around the four main virtual characters, Murdoc, 2-D, Russel and Noodles. Typically, the albums released are used to drive along an ongoing storyline with extensive lore since the band’s creation in 1998.
The band’s creators, Albarn and Hewlett, stated that the album was influenced by their own personal experiences of recent loss, and that the purpose of the album is to explore themes of the afterlife and death as a concept. This may be why the creative direction was taken to lean into the classical cultural influences of South Asia, which as a region has a very diverse culmination of religions and beliefs, each with their own unique views about what happens after death.
The name of the album was inspired by the two creators’ visit to a mountain in western China. It could also be interpreted as how cultural values are more solid and “natural” compared to western celebrity and social media culture.
All in all, I would say that this album is definitely up to par with previous albums Gorillaz has released. It has a refreshing sound and a certain intrigue that really only the band possesses. Certain songs on the album such as the opening track have a relaxing quality, while other songs such as “Damascus” have an uplifting feel. “Damascus” specifically contains the most Middle Eastern influence, which is evident in its Arabic lyrics and upbeat tempo. With all of these influences, the album still manages to hold a cohesive sound.
