Demon Days

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Lore & Background

The album's narrative is rooted in frontman Damon Albarn's train journey from Beijing to Mongolia, where he witnessed a landscape of dust bowls and dying towns that inspired the concept of 'the world in a state of night'. This visual and thematic shift was further shaped by discarded ideas from a scrapped Gorillaz movie script, which focused on ego and an endless night. The lyrics tackle apocalyptic realities and the brutalisation of a generation, exemplified by tracks like 'Kids with Guns', inspired by a school incident involving a knife, and Dennis Hopper's narration in 'Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head', a parable about greed and retribution set to reggae. Albarn described the album as an allegory for their current reality, aiming to achieve 'dark pop' that reflects the nightmare of environmental decay and societal collapse.

In Their Own Story

During recording at Buspace Studios, Danger Mouse joined the project on 7 April 2004, bringing a more intricate production style compared to the debut. The sessions saw the return to Unit 13 where the first album was recorded, but with a different musical approach as Dan 'the Automator' Nakamura stepped aside. A pivotal moment occurred when Albarn struggled to perfect the vocal harmonies on a track; after a revelation about Brian Wilson's demeanor versus his bandmates', he recorded three smiling harmonies and one miserable harmony to capture the correct vibe, paying homage to the Beach Boys. Dennis Hopper contributed narration at EMI Music Publishing Studio in a basement near the Astoria Theatre, where Albarn admitted to being incredibly shy until bumping into him by accident. The album's creation was driven by a desire to prove Gorillaz were not just a gimmick, with Hewlett noting that repeating the process successfully would validate their artistic integrity.

Reader's Guide

Demon Days achieved massive commercial success, debuting at number one on the UK Albums Chart and number six on the US Billboard 200, eventually selling eight million copies worldwide. It earned six-times platinum certification in the UK and double platinum in the US. The lead single 'Feel Good Inc.' topped the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for eight consecutive weeks and won the band their sole Grammy Award in 2006 for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. Instead of a traditional tour, the band promoted the album through Demon Days Live residencies in Manchester and New York City, performing the full album across five shows in each city. These performances featured almost all guest artists, with Albarn and the band appearing on stage in silhouette against Hewlett's visuals. The era also saw the release of B-sides on D-Sides (2007) and multimedia compilations in Phase Two: Slowboat to Hades (2006).

Did You Know?

• The album's main inspiration came from Albarn's train journey through impoverished rural China, where he saw 'dead trees as far as the eye can see'.
• Dennis Hopper narrated the track 'Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head' in a basement studio owned by EMI Publishing next to London's Astoria Theatre.
• 'Feel Good Inc.' won Gorillaz their only Grammy Award, taking home Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 2006.
• The band forgone a traditional tour for Demon Days Live, performing the album in full across five shows each in Manchester and New York City.
• Albarn recorded vocal harmonies by smiling for three takes and looking miserable for one to mimic the dynamic of Brian Wilson versus the Beach Boys.