A fake band so dedicated to its fakeness that live concerts are prohibitively expensive, Gorillaz maintains a visual presence like none other: Birthed by Blur's Damon Albarn and comic artist Jamie Hewlett, the group is represented by cartoon characters, yet still manages to sell millions of records. DVDs, then, make as much sense as albums, and they're constructed with as much care: Slowboat To Hades gathers more than 40 bits and pieces, including videos, animatics, "live" performances, live performances, commercials, and more.
The clips, most starring the Gorillaz—those with real-life counterparts and some without—are stunning, though sometimes samey, though the songs, taken from the second Gorillaz album, aren't as strong as the early singles. The disc is still terrific fun, though: A puppet of foul-mouthed bassist Murdoc gives thanks to the music industry (and says "Hail Satan"), and an incredible "live" performance—in which the Gorillaz are projected onto a transparent screen and joined by a holographic Madonna—is juxtaposed with an actual live performance, in which two dozen musicians perform in darkness while cartoons flicker above.
