Orange County’s very own rap-punk band, Zebrahead, is at it again with a new five-song EP due February 3rd. A follow up to their 2021 EP “III,” “II” shows Zebrahead isn’t slowing down in the foreseeable future.
Zebrahead has been punk rock-rapping their way into our ears since the mid ‘90s. Hailing from the tip of North Orange County, this La Habra band began experimenting with musical styles together, then exploded on the music scene by incorporating hip-hop elements. While many other bands also made waves during the nu metal era, Zebrahead made it work in a way that others couldn’t. Consider it the tail piece to the flying machine that da Vinci couldn’t figure out.
The Zebrahead of today includes vocalist/rapper Ali Tabatabaee, vocalist/guitarist Adrian Estrella, bassist Ben Osmundson, drummer Ed Udhus, and guitarist Dan Palmer. The band’s creativity is flowing stronger than ever and they have not lost their main pop-punk-rap-rock blend. “III” was a massive success with Zebrahead fans and we expect “II” won’t be far off.
Their soon-to-be released EP will follow the same genre mixture with some great old school throwbacks. The song “Evil Anonymous” brings back the ska sound we haven’t heard from the band in a bit. With horns provided by the brass section of the Spanish ska-metal band, La Pobreska, this sounds like a song arranged straight from the heart of the Third Wave Ska movement from the late ‘90s, mixed with modern punk and a dusting of hip-hop.
The fourth track, “Middle Seat Blues,” was recently dropped and brings heavy guitar riffs, fast drum arrangement, and what sounds like guitarist Palmer in an outstanding guitar solo over a filtered drum loop.
The band’s press release explains the song with, “When asked about the meaning of the song, front-man Estrella says, ‘Surround yourself with quality, not quantity, not everyone around you has your best interests in mind, “Middle Seat Blues” is about just that!’ Bassist Ben Osmundson adds, ‘Imagine a song that combines a bit of metal, a bit of laid-back groove, and splashes a bit of punk on top. Hard to imagine, right? Well, give “Middle Seat Blues” a listen.’”
It’s easy to say that if you liked “III,” you are going to be a fan of “II.” Even more exciting is the news that Zebrahead’s next EP, “I,” is scheduled to be released in late fall of 2023. “III,” “II,” and “I” were all recorded in the same long studio session, so the band has been patiently waiting to release these jams to the world. Can we call this the year of the Zebra?
Be on the lookout for our show reviews on their upcoming concert at House of Blues in Anaheim with Goldfinger on January 14th and with Unwritten Law at Observatory North Park on January 20th.
The Grammy-nominated band will also be on tour throughout 2023, including the absolute “must attend” event of 2023: the When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas with Green Day, Blink-182, The Offspring, Sum 41, Thrice, Simple Plan, Good Charlotte, and a plethora of others.
For now, mark your calendars for February 3rd as the release day for “II.” To whet your Zebrahead whistle, you can catch four of the five songs on the EP right now wherever you stream music, and watch their newly released videos for the songs on their YouTube channel.
