Band:	Zebrahead
Album:	Phoenix
Style:	Pop Punk, Rap rock
Release date:	August 05, 2008
A review by:	Jeff

01. HMP
02. Hell Yeah!
03. Just the Tip
04. Mental Health
05. The Juggernauts
06. Death By Disco
07. Be Careful What You Wish For
08. Morse Code For Suckers
09. Ignite
10. Mike Dexter Is A God, Mike Dexter Is A Role Model, Mike Dexter Is An Asshole
11. The Junkie And The Halo
12. Brixton
13. Hit The Ground
14. Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right, But Three Rights Make A Left
15. All for None And None For All
16. Sorry, But Your Friends Are Hot

I don't know why but Zebrahead was a really familiar name for me. Now that I have listened to the album and some of their previous releases, I'm wondering why I know this band which is all but in the category of the bands that I use to listen to in general. Maybe that it just comes from its name, Zebrahead which is cool actually, but that's probably the only answer which comes to my spirit now? "Phoenix" is the new release of this American Punk band and I'm still wondering how they were signed on the great German label SPV? They just don't fit to this label in my opinion.

Zebrahead plays American/Californian punk mixed with rap vocals (sometime) and Hard Rock. In general the songs of the new release are fast with Punk riffs a la Offspring and other terrible bands like Blink 182. This is happy with lyrics made for teenagers and hyper commercial and catchy chorus. Really I tried to listen to the album several times but in the end I just can't enjoy the music of the band. Sure they have some good ideas and some good fusions between Hardcore, Punk and Rap and at least the guys play soli but their Punk is too "happy". Zebrahead is a bit like an angry Beastie Boys with some Californian Punk influences but without the talent of the band from New York. Really the problem of this combo comes from the choruses which are cheesy damn, I have the feeling that I'm listening to Blink 182 and I can't do that. Though with a bit of honesty I must admit however that the music of Zebrahead is a lot deeper and that some songs have good and original constructions but one more time the happy choruses kill the album? this is terrible really?

The new album is perfectly produced and in the genre I cannot say that the musicians are bad. Though, as you can understand, the problem doesn't come from the performance of the guys who know what they do here but from the terrible Californian Punk choruses that we can listen to on every song of the album? Arg I cannot listen to it anymore that's too much!!!!

Ok, I'm sure that the fans of Zebrahead will enjoy a lot this release but unfortunately, despite the fact that the band is now signed on a Metal label (SPV, the house of Alice Cooper, Motörhead, Iced Earth or Kreator (among many others?)) there is absolutely nothing for a metalhead in "Phoenix". Sorry if you like this band and read this review, but we're on a Metal site and even if I'm really open minded it was impossible for me to enjoy this release? But hey this is just my opinion right?