• Record Label: Virgin
  • Release Date: May 24, 2005
User Score
8.9

Universal acclaim- based on 589 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 29 out of 589

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  1. Mar 22, 2018
    6
    I know that lots of people (critics and fans alike) love Demon Days. For me, it's not really sticking. It is undoubtedly original, and I like and search after originality in music. I love the concept of the actual band Gorillaz more than I like the music they make. The music on this album is enjoyable enough, but I have a hard time caring too much for the weird lyrics. I can't find anyI know that lots of people (critics and fans alike) love Demon Days. For me, it's not really sticking. It is undoubtedly original, and I like and search after originality in music. I love the concept of the actual band Gorillaz more than I like the music they make. The music on this album is enjoyable enough, but I have a hard time caring too much for the weird lyrics. I can't find any profound messages on DD, or anything that has any real meaning whatsoever. I have only heard DD all the way through twice, and so far I don't care too much for it. I like the music and vibe on most of DD's songs, especially the music on "Kids with Guns", "Feel Good Inc" - which I've heard 100 times - and "Dare". The final track is probably the weakest on the album. Expand
  2. Aug 24, 2010
    6
    It doesn't beat any records in my opinion, but worth a listen. Some people are going to love this; others are going to view it as pointless rubbish.
    While it has its high points (DARE, Don't Get Lost In Heaven) it also has some more annoying, and rather stupid songs. These include Last Living Souls and White Light. Maybe you should listen to the previews on iTunes or Amazon before buying.
    It doesn't beat any records in my opinion, but worth a listen. Some people are going to love this; others are going to view it as pointless rubbish.
    While it has its high points (DARE, Don't Get Lost In Heaven) it also has some more annoying, and rather stupid songs. These include Last Living Souls and White Light. Maybe you should listen to the previews on iTunes or Amazon before buying. It's not for everyone.
    6/10. Why? Although it can give an enjoyable listen, its music seems somewhat temporary. One has to be in the correct mood, and accept that the weirdness of some of the songs just aren't up to scratch. I don't feel it had much potential to fill. Nevertheless, an enjoyable listen.
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  3. Nov 27, 2013
    6
    NOTE: A 10/10 refers to a nonexistent perfect album. I don't toss excellent ratings around.
    Also, I'm not a hater, I went into this with an open mind, and think Gorillaz and Plastic Beach were excellent albums. Now, on to the review!
    Despite all its good tracks, Demon Days is unfortunately quite an inconsistent album, not at all meeting my expectations. Essentially it's a concept album
    NOTE: A 10/10 refers to a nonexistent perfect album. I don't toss excellent ratings around.
    Also, I'm not a hater, I went into this with an open mind, and think Gorillaz and Plastic Beach were excellent albums. Now, on to the review!

    Despite all its good tracks, Demon Days is unfortunately quite an inconsistent album, not at all meeting my expectations. Essentially it's a concept album about sad things all the gloom, misery, and dystopia you can think of but it often gets repetitive, or sometimes it forms a cohesive narrative over two or three tracks only to abandon it completely at the next. For example, even though I did think the two-track finisher of "Don't Get Lost in Heaven" and "Demon Days" ended the album quite well, I don't know at all where the miners and the volcano came from. Earlier in the album, I thought it was going to be about the band gathering a rebellion to overthrow a dystopian government, if i'm interpreting the lyrics to "Feel Good Inc." correctly. Even if you think of it as the type of concept album which doesn't tell an actual story but simply describes the subject of being depressed, that isn't consistent either. I have no idea why they decided to keep "DARE" in here though it's decent as a single, it feels so out of place here. It might as well be the album's worst track if I score it based on how it fits in with the others.

    The guests are pretty good, though. Anything with MF DOOM on there is good. Feel Good Inc., which features De La Soul, has a nice performance by them as well, even if the maniacal laughing is a bit overdone. Roots Manuva is a skilled rapper, but not lyricist. I didn't, however, like what Shaun Ryder and Dennis Hopper contributed to the latter half at all.

    Sigh. Damon, you've made Parklife, 13, Think Tank, and the self-titled Gorillaz album, and you would go on to make your masterpiece with Plastic Beach. What happened with this? It's not by any means a bad album, but...

    I think I'll score it a 6. There are many good ideas, but more often than not, they just don't mix. At least Gorillaz and Blur have other great albums to their names.

    STANDOUT TRACKS:: KIDS WITH GUNS, FEEL GOOD INC., EVERY PLANET WE REACH IS DEAD, NOVEMBER HAS COME, DON'T GET LOST IN HEAVEN, DEMON DAYS
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  4. DavidO
    Jun 1, 2005
    5
    Listened to this several times and apart from Feel Good Inc there's not a single track that sticks in my head. What happened to the unconventional catchiness of the previous record? Hugely dissapointing follow-up....
  5. ReyP
    Nov 4, 2005
    6
    The first half of the album is fantastic, but it really drops off from there. "Kids with Guns" has one of the best grooves of the year.
  6. KellyO
    Oct 11, 2005
    5
    This album might be better than its predecessor.......but what C.D. isn't?!
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 37 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 37
  2. Negative: 0 out of 37
  1. Uncut
    90
    A dazzlingly clever record--great beats, brilliant production, top tunes and some of Albarn's best singing. [Jun 2005, p.106]
  2. Demon Days actually is even better than its predecessor.
  3. Before you even consider the sonic and melodic innovation paraded through the album there’s so much crammed into each of these fifteen songs (without any one of them sounding overproduced or cluttered) that repeated listening is a must.