Wow, that pretty much sums up this album, but since that isn't much of a review, I will write more. I have been hooked on this album ever since I first heard it in around April of 2005. I bought it for myself and it has been in regular rotation in my CD changer ever since. Zebrahead is a band that mixes pop-punk and a little bit of rap, not unlike Linkin Park, but Zebrahead is much better. Zebrahead is:
Justin Mauriello: Vocals, Guitar
Greg Bergdorf: Guitar
Ben Osmundson: Bass
Ed Udhus: Drums
Ali Tabatabaee: Vocals (Rapping)
If you want the full bio, just look at the previous page. Moving on. This album has too many songs to do a track by track because, if you have read my other reviews, then you know that i write alot about each song and I am far too lazy for that.
Vocals: The dual vocal stylings of this band are what set them apart from almost everything out there right now. The pop-punk hooks of Justin are very catchy and the rap sections of Ali are fast and brutal. Both vocalists are utilized rather strongly, and usually refuse to settle in on a constant pattern. "Rescue Me" and "Runaway" feature Justin on the verse and chorus and Ali on the pre-chorus and bridge. "Strength", "Hello Tomorrow" and "The Set-Up" present themselves with Justin doing an intro to each verse and full chorus singing with Ali doing the verse and bridge. Justin and Ali also have songs that are mostly one vocalist or the other. Justin shines with "Dear You' as his main feature while Ali quickly raps out songs such as "Alone", "Type A", and *"The Fear"* and also takes a very hardcore vocal approach that can be heard in "Type A".The level of variation in the vocal work is truely unique and really adds some zest to what is a normally one-track genre.
Lyrics: Lyrical variation can also be found on the album, but in a smaller proportion than that of the vocals. Subjects range from politics and rebellion ("Rescue Me", "Strength"), teen angst ("Runaway"), relationships and such ("Dear You", "Into You", "Over the Edge"), and some are really outside of a single subject ("The Set-Up", "Type A", "Alone"). The lyrics involve imagery and emotion and can be rather unique.
Instrumental:
Guitar: The guitar work on this album is very ear catching. Catchy leads as in "Over the Edge" will stick in your mind for hours, while some heavier rhythmic guitar parts, as in "The Set-Up" and "The Fear" will get your foot tapping. The guitar parts for the album also utilize some weird effects, as in "Alone" or they can solo, as you can hear in "Hello Tomorrow" or "Alone". Heavy overdrive and pickslides are used in almost every song though, so, although the guitar work is definitely above average, it is a little redundant in sound.
Bass: Bass is nearly impossible to make out. The only true moment it really has is in the verse of "Rescue Me" where there is a very short, yet catchy, bass lead. I can't really say much about the bass.
Drums: The drumming for this album is very solid. Although it rarely strays outside of the typical pop-punk beat, it does have it's moments. "Alone" features some of the best drumming on the album. Not a whole lot of variation in the drum section, but it is a nice pace-keeper.
Other: I'm not sure, but I think there might be a tiny little bit of DJ style stuff on this album. There are some very technical scratching noises that dominate in the song "Alone" and a weird, synth-like intro to "Blur".
Standout Tracks: All of the songs are very good on this album, but the ones that I would rate the highest are: Strength, The Set-Up, Blur, House Is Not My Home, Into You, Falling Apart, Type A, Runaway, Dear You, and the bonus song, The Fear.
Overall, this album has been dubbed a classic by me because its truely amazing. Catchy songs that never get old and some nice insturmental work make it one of my favorite albums of all time. I recommend this album to everyone because its very good. This can't be rated high enough. Listen to this, and hopefully their new stuff (due out february) is just as good.
