The rock band, Gorillaz, is set to release their new album, The Mountain, on Feb. 27, 2026. Gorillaz is known for featuring a colorful cast of virtual characters as the band members, each drawn and animated, with the intentions of bringing the illustrations to life. Gorillaz has been creating new music and art since the release of their self-titled album in 2001.
“The illustrated band consists of brain-damaged singer Stuart ‘2-D’ Pot, spirit-channeling psychic drummer Russel Hobbs, martial arts master and guitar virtuoso Noodle, and bassist Murdoc Niccals, who made a deal with the devil to be a successful musician,” teachrock.org stated.
Behind the characters are two artists that have been making music and art since the end of the 20th century. Gorillaz gave these artists a chance to create more beyond their own past projects and works.
“Gorillaz is a virtual band that was born from the minds of Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett in 1998,” SoundofLife.com said. “This venture allowed both men to do something new; Albarn was able to make different music than what he’d come to be associated with and Hewlett’s art jumped off of the page with more success than the 1995 live-action Tank Girl film.”
In the latter half of Feb. 2026, Gorillaz is preparing to release their ninth album, The Mountain. The upcoming album is following their 2023 album, Cracker Island.
“I would say all their music is good, I feel like [The Mountain] will be on the same level [of past albums].” senior Erica “Miles” Timberlake said.
Before the Mountain’s release, Gorillaz delivered six new singles. Each song will be featured on the album, and have many appearances from various artists such as Sparks, IDLES, Black Thought, and more. After the album is released, Gorillaz plans to go on tour.
“Each of the songs features at least one collaborator, and will feature artists singing in Arabic, Hindi, Spanish, and Yoruba,” Tomás Mier of Rolling Stones said. “Along with the album, the band will tour the United Kingdom and Ireland in March, with stops in Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Belfast, and Dublin. Then, the band will perform in June at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.”
After many years of making music and art, the band Gorillaz has crafted eight albums, and with their next album on the horizon, the band has much more music they are ready to unveil to the world.
“Gorillaz may not be the first virtual band, but it’s certainly the most famous – legitimising the concept for those who came after,” teachrock said.
