REVIEW: zebrahead - Pulling Teeth

Hailing from Southern California, punk icons zebrahead - Adrian, Ali, Dan, Ben and Ed - are back with the follow-up to previous 'III' & 'II' EPs, which had been previously released in 2021 and 2023. ‘I’ is set to be the final instalment of the trilogy. The EP is full of influences from artists like Sum 41, Yellowcard and Billy Talent, but whilst their fingerprints can be felt clearly, it's still a very obvious zebrahead release.

Kicking off this EP is the punchy track ‘I Have Mixed Drinks About Feelings’, which really sets the tone for the rest of the running time of this collection of songs. Fans of zebrahead will already know how catchy their songs can get – this is no different. A real earworm of a track, with some thoroughly addicting vocals from Adrian and co. Going straight into the title track ‘Pulling Teeth’, and as expected it’s another upbeat, fast paced song with catchy drums from Ed alongside plenty of raging vocals making this a great follow-up track showcasing yet again exactly what zebrahead are all about.

This leads into ‘Sink Like A Stone’, which contains a serious message about mental health - which, even in the current day and age of openness and transparency about it, has a huge stigma surrounding it. The track is a true anthem, the guitars are melodic and upbeat, and the rapped vocals bring something new to the EP. This makes for an excellent checkpoint on the EP, not only because of its slightly differing musical style to the songs before but also because of its relative tonal shift, to bring a new light onto the release. 

‘Doomsday on the Radio’ comes next, offering an unapologetic punk-fuelled track, formed of punchy vocals that go hand in hand with the rapped ones making this a classic piece of zebrahead work. All in all, it makes for a great penultimate track. As we reach the final track ‘Puppet Stringers’, it feels like there's a strong Sum 41 influence throughout this. Alongside the roaring guitars and punchy vocals, the perfect mix of rap and blasting drums make it a perfect ending track. It’s all too easy to imagine just how good this would be to hear live at a show, ideally at a summer festival with the sun going down!

The EP has a real free flowing concept that manages to drag the listener into what feels at once like a story, and also a message about the state of the world. The best thing about this release is that, whilst it clearly talks about the world we live in, listening to this will also give you a welcome break from it. This EP is a great release from a band in their prime, and makes the future of zebrahead feel all the more exciting.

Words: Lisa York

Photo: Susanne Mueller