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A review by jacobsite
Gorillaz: Rise of the Ogre by Gorillaz
5.0
I can say with complete confidence that Gorillaz is among my favorite bands ever, if not my absolute favorite. As part of the fan base, Rise of the Ogre is something I’ve meant to read for quite awhile now. Written in promotion of Demon Days back in 2006, this “autobiography” focuses on the lore behind the band members, what brought them together in universe and the inspiration behind their music via interviews and narrations. It reads like the script of an episode of Behind the Music, with just the right amount of inserting the two genuine minds behind Gorillaz, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, into the wild world that Gorillaz exists in.
Now, as a serious fan, this book is amazing. It’s so funny, so witty, it’s exactly what I was hoping it would be after all these years. But would I recommend this to a non fan? Absolutely not. You’ve gotta be deep down the rabbit hole to get much of anything out of Rise of the Ogre, as much of the humor that comes from it is due to direct references to Gorillaz songs, albums, promo art and music videos. So if you happen to read this review and are interested, but aren’t too interested in/familiar with Gorillaz, listening to the first two albums and checking out the videos associated should be able to catch you up. If anything you should do that anyways as the S/T and Demon Days are phenomenal albums.
But yeah, I loved it, it’s very much a new favorite, but if you aren’t a Gorillaz fan you might wanna skip this one.
Now, as a serious fan, this book is amazing. It’s so funny, so witty, it’s exactly what I was hoping it would be after all these years. But would I recommend this to a non fan? Absolutely not. You’ve gotta be deep down the rabbit hole to get much of anything out of Rise of the Ogre, as much of the humor that comes from it is due to direct references to Gorillaz songs, albums, promo art and music videos. So if you happen to read this review and are interested, but aren’t too interested in/familiar with Gorillaz, listening to the first two albums and checking out the videos associated should be able to catch you up. If anything you should do that anyways as the S/T and Demon Days are phenomenal albums.
But yeah, I loved it, it’s very much a new favorite, but if you aren’t a Gorillaz fan you might wanna skip this one.