- The Mountain is Gorillaz’s ninth studio album, released on February 27, 2026 through their own label, Kong.
- The album explores themes of death and rebirth, with a strong Indian musical influence.
- It features previously unreleased posthumous collaborations with Dennis Hopper, Bobby Womack, Tony Allen, Proof and Mark E. Smith.
- A European tour (The Mountain Tour) accompanies the release, from March through June 2026.
We keep a close eye on new releases at Woodbrass, and when Damon Albarn decides to have deceased artists sing alongside Indian sitar players, it naturally gets our attention. Gorillaz returns this February 27, 2026 with The Mountain, a ninth album as ambitious as it is unexpected. 15 tracks in five languages, recorded between India, London, and Los Angeles, and released on their own label, Kong. Let’s break it down.
An album born in India, between grief and wonder
The story of The Mountain begins in late 2022, when Jamie Hewlett — Gorillaz’s co-creator — traveled to India with his family. An extended stay in Jaipur for personal reasons would become a major source of inspiration. Back in London, Hewlett convinced Albarn to return to India to record there.
The sessions were recorded in Mumbai, New Delhi, Rajasthan, and Varanasi, as well as Damascus, Los Angeles, and New York. The title track was composed after a visit to Amber Fort, where Albarn recorded a violinist playing a local folk tune — the very foundation of the opening track.
The album title is stylized in Devanagari (पर्वत, parvat) on the cover, meaning “mountain” in Hindi. The album features lyrics in five languages: English, Hindi, Arabic, Spanish, and Yoruba.
When Gorillaz brings back the ghosts
The standout feature of The Mountain is its use of previously unreleased vocal takes by deceased artists. Albarn dug through the Gorillaz session archives to give vanished voices a second life:
- Dennis Hopper — on the title track, using recordings from Demon Days (2005)
- Bobby Womack and David Jolicoeur (De La Soul) — on The Moon Cave
- Tony Allen — on The Hardest Thing
- Proof (D12) — on The Manifesto
- Mark E. Smith (The Fall) — on Delirium
For Albarn, talking about death required lost voices to take part in the message. The group had also considered Lou Reed, but his estate declined.
The idea of bringing back the voices of departed artists was embedded in the group’s DNA from the very beginning. The original Gorillaz manifesto already specified that Russel Hobbs would be able to summon the spirits of deceased musicians. The Mountain brings that mythology to life quite literally.
An equally impressive lineup of living collaborators
On the living-artists side, the lineup is dizzying: Anoushka Shankar on sitar on several tracks, Johnny Marr (formerly of The Smiths) on three songs, IDLES on the hard-hitting The God of Lying, Yasiin Bey and Omar Souleyman on Damascus, Argentine producer Bizarrap, Bollywood legend Asha Bhosle, Paul Simonon (The Clash), Black Thought (The Roots), and Sparks. A global musical tapestry.
Death as the common thread, life as the destination
Albarn and Hewlett both experienced personal losses before their stay in India. The result is a concept album about death and the afterlife, yet one that paradoxically overflows with luminous tracks blending synth-pop, sitar, and dreamlike waltzes. Hewlett described the record as “the perfect playlist for a party halfway between this world and what comes next.”
The album was designed to be heard from beginning to end, as one continuous journey — a deliberately countercultural approach in the age of scrolling.
To get the most out of the album, listen with a good pair of headphones and follow the track order. The production by James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode) is packed with sonic details that reveal themselves over repeated listens.
Critical reception and tour
The first reviews have been unanimously glowing, with a score of 81/100 on Album of the Year and ratings as high as 100 (Evening Standard). Clash calls it a significant leap forward, while Uncut highlights the paradox of an album about death that celebrates life brilliantly.
Onstage, the Mountain Tour will kick off in the UK in March 2026, with European dates running through June. The group will also be the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on March 7 — a first for Gorillaz.
A peak for Gorillaz
Twenty-five years after their first album, 2D, Murdoc, Noodle, and Russel have never seemed more alive. The Mountain creates a dialogue between the living and the dead through a kaleidoscope of genres and cultures. Gorillaz proves that it is still possible to surprise and push the boundaries of pop in 2026. An album to listen to, revisit, and let sink in.
