EP REVIEW: O – Zebrahead
Following the EPs I, II and III, Slam Dunk stalwarts ZEBRAHEAD are rounding out this project with the release of their latest EP, O. A short burst of energy that long time fans of ZEBRAHEAD will love, and even better, one that casual fans can dip in and out of and still find something of value within the handful of songs that are ready for listening to. It’s not the best bit of music you’re ever going to hear but it’s the musical equivalent of a blockbuster film where you leave your brain at the door and just enjoy it without giving it too much thought.
Opening track Burn Burn Burn is a rip roaring opener which packs a punch with its opening riff which is very LINKIN PARK-esque with its frenetic energy. As soon as the rapping verses from Ali Tabatabaee kick in, you’re in safe hands as the band treads familiar roads that have honed their style over the years. Whilst these parts of the song are great, the vocals of fellow frontman, Adrian Estrella are lacking the bite that Tabatabaee brings. There’s some impressive harsh vocals toward the end but it doesn’t feel as big as what has come before it.
A Perfect Life Is Such A Bore follows on and feels much tighter than its predecessor. ZEBRAHEAD aren’t afraid of wearing their influences on their sleeves here, with the influences from the likes of PENNYWISE and SUM 41 shining through with this rough around the edges track that packs a really good punch with its brooding nature and great driving musicianship. Estrella and Tabatabaee bounce off one another perfectly in this song as both of them are hitting all the right notes that really take us back to the early 2000s with the nostalgic sounding song. Once again, the guitars are the true driving force of the song that creates another great rhythm and bounce for the EP that has you wanting to mosh or two step throughout. I Know What U Did Last Summer focuses heavily on a nu-metal/rap rock sound and once again takes us back to the early 2000s of the nu-metal heyday. So far it’s the weakest point on the EP’s short run time. After building some good momentum with A Perfect Life Is Such A Bore, it falters slightly and tries to be a bit too edgy without really being able to back up the edginess and does for the sake of doing so. There’s some good breakdown moments that will easily bring chaos to the masses in a live setting, and perhaps will work better live itself. But for now, it doesn’t quite scratch that itch it’s trying to.
Smoke Signals From My Couch, brings a bratty pop-punk style to this blend of genres, combined with some fun sounding ska guitars that gives the EP a shot in the arm. It’s nothing new but causes no harm by being just fun and not completely serious. It works perfectly with the rapping too which maybe it shouldn’t, but that’s just the miracle of life eh? Anyways, it brings a lot of fun to the record and has a great hot summer day feel to it. Another blast of nostalgia comes with the almost cringe inducing and pop-punk titled Happy Endings At The Movies. Whilst the title isn’t great, it’s anthemic nature brings a nice energy to it that is reminiscent of those early pop-punk days, just with the odd rap thrown in that honestly fits surprisingly well. The huge riffs and choruses scratch an itch that only pop-punk can, it’s a nice to sit back and listen as you remember those times when you had nothing to worry about before being brought back down to earth by the time the song finishes.
I Don’t Know How To Put This (But I’m Kinda A Big Deal) brings about the end of the EP in quite a boisterous style, and is by far the heaviest and most frenetic track on the EP. It’s a whirlwind of sound which does play it safe. It doesn’t quite have the punch that songs from midway through the EP has, but it’s a fine way to end O with some fun desperate sounding riffs and good vocals on display throughout.
As stated before, this isn’t the best thing you’ll ever hear. It’s possibly the most inoffensive release you’ll listen to this year. There aren’t many risks taken here and for a band like ZEBRAHEAD that have been around forever, you feel that they should take a few risks at this point in their careers rather than playing it completely safe. Still though, O is a lot of fun that you enjoy in the moment and would still bring the same emotions on multiple listens.
Rating: 7/10
O is out now via MFZB Records.
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