Zebrahead: Mfzb : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

There's no crass gimmick on this Orange County, California, quintet's third CD, like the previous one's Playmate of the Year title, bikini-babe cover model and Playboy magazine tie-in. But it's implied. The musical vision is all Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit ("Type A" begins "Shut up/I'm not like you!," in contrast to Linkin Park's "Shut up when I'm talking to you!"), Rage Against the Machine (metal, rap and politics in "Rescue Me") and Offspring-style punk ("Over the Edge" has the requisite catchy "whoa-oh!" chants in the background). Zebrahead occasionally rocks, as guitarists Greg Berdorf and Justin Mauriello turn the volume way up and strum for maximum head-banging impact. But they're hitched to too many flat, unoriginal ideas -- and you get the gnawing sense the band's ambitions are in realms other than music and songwriting.

STEVE KNOPPER
(November 3, 2003)