By 2008, Coldplay had long since ascended from mere indie-Britpop hopefuls to one of the biggest bands on the planet, but Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends marked a sharp turn, away from the polite melancholy of X&Y and into far more ambitious, colourful territory. The band enlisted producer Brian Eno, fresh off his work with U2, to help them break from their formula. The result was something both grand and oddly intimate: an album where revolution, religion, love and loss are rendered in sweeping, painterly soundscapes.
Recording took place between London, Barcelona, and New York, in a process that Chris Martin later described as “organised chaos”. Eno encouraged the band to experiment; playing each other’s instruments; distorting piano lines into strings; and layering choral harmonies over jagged guitar textures. The influence of world music, particularly Latin American rhythms and liturgical, church-like chords, seeps through tracks like “Cemeteries of London” and “Yes”. While the title, appropriated from a Frida Kahlo painting, encapsulates the balance of hope and despair that runs through the record.
Of course, the standout is the title track, “Viva la Vida”, which saw the band trading in their usual stadium rock energy for orchestral drama, driven by cellos, bells, and one of the most memorable string hooks of this century. Its narrative of a fallen king resonated widely, and the single became a global anthem. “Violet Hill”, with its crunchy guitars and biting lyrics, hinted at disillusionment with politics and fame, while “Lost!” wrapped gospel organs around a deceptively simple refrain.
Lyrically, Martin stepped beyond his usual introspection to explore mortality and redemption, but Viva la Vida never wallows. Instead, it radiates an almost spiritual optimism. The album’s closer, “Death and All His Friends”, encapsulates that mood perfectly, opening in subdued reflection before swelling into a euphoric, life-affirming finale that suggests even endings can feel like new beginnings.
Critically and commercially, Viva la Vida redefined Coldplay’s image: art-rock with a conscience, atmospheric yet accessible. It earned them three Grammys and confirmed their place as one of the few acts still capable of making a genuine “event” album in the digital era.
Our version is the 2025 Parlophone reissue, pressed on 1LP of clear 140g EcoRecord vinyl, made entirely from recycled PET (about 9 water bottles per record) rather than traditional PVC. The material is fully recyclable, but sounds and feels indistinguishable from conventional vinyl, a fittingly forward-thinking update for an album that was always about renewal and reinvention.
Jamie, November 2025
Buy your copy of Coldplay's Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008) from us here for £28.
