The most successful virtual band ever is bidding goodbye from the recording scene. Yes, the Gorillaz maker Damon Albarn confirmed that the cartoon rockers will no longer record studio albums.
Who says cartoons can live longer than mortals? They definitely won't live long enough as their lives lie at the tip of the pen of their maker, and once he says it's enough then it's all over for the sketched "alternative rock" musicians.
Well at least the Gorillaz made it to the pages of the Guinness World Book of Records as the most successful cartoon band that sold over 6 million copies before calling it quits.
However, Albarn said the Gorillaz will still have a project but it will be a film featuring a score composition and not another album.
Blur singer Damon Albarn created the Gorillaz in 1999 with the co-creator of the comic book Tank Girl, Jamie Hewlett.
The Gorillaz is composed of four animated members namely Russel, Murdoc, 2D, and Noodle whose musical style ranges from wide musical influences and alternative rock.
The Gorillaz released their first self-titled album in 2001, which sold over six million copies worldwide.
Two particular hit tracks from the album that pushed up Gorillaz album sales to the platinum level are Clint Eastwood and 19-2000 as well as the bonus track Dracula.
Clint Eastwood is a remix of electronic and rock riffs that samples music from the film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly which of course stars Clint Eastwood, hence the title of the song.
Meanwhile, 19-2000 got a much needed boost from the FIFA 2002 game where 19-2000 of the Gorillaz headlined as a soundtrack.
In 2005, the Gorillaz released a follow up album entitled Demon Days, which spawned the hits Kids with Guns/El Mañana, DARE, Feel Good Inc., and Dirty Harry.
Demon Days reached double platinum in the United States and five times platinum in the United Kingdom. The Gorillaz also won one of five Grammy nominations from their Demon Days album for the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals category.
The lead single off the Gorillaz Demon Days album, Feel Good Inc., became such a huge hit peaking at the second top spot in the UK charts and at number 14 of the US charts.
Demon Days' second single DARE did quite as well giving the Gorillaz their first number one hit single in the United Kingdom.
Artist contributions in the Gorillaz Demon Days album include Martina Topley-Bird, De La Soul, Bootie Brown of Pharcyde, NeneH Cherry, MF DOOM, Shaun Ryder, Roots Manuva, Dennis Hopper, Ike Turner, the Children's Choir of San Fernandez, and the London Community Gospel Choir.
Prior to its official release, the media released different presumed titles of the Gorillaz Demon Days album, but nobody really guessed it right.
Guessed titles include Reject False Icons and We Are Happy Landfill.
When a promo stint was released for the single Dirty Harry of the Gorillaz, an exclusive video entitled Rock It was also released online, however, disclaimers were later sent out informing the public that Rock It will not be included in the album.
Nobody knows if Rock It will ever be released as the virtual band says no word about it.
The final track listing of Demon Days that was leaked online on April of 2005 only included the Intro, Kids with Guns, Feel Good Inc., O Green World, Dirty Harry, Last Living Souls, November Has Come, All Alone, Every Planet We Reach Is Dead, White Light, El Mañana, Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head, Demon Days, DARE, and Don't Get Lost in Heaven.
So for now that the word already came out about no more follow up mp3s from the Gorillaz, fans of the animated rock band might as well make do with Demon Days, music videos and old Gorillaz wallpapers.
