ZEBRA - IV

Posted: 8/24/03

Reviewed by: Dirt

Category: 80s Hard Rock

Released: 7/7/03

Label URL: www.frontiers.it

Artist URL: www.thedoor.com

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My first introduction to Zebra was when I was a freshman in college. I was hanging with a girl from my Sociology class (a class which I rarely attended due to my late night activities) and took a gander through her music collection. I came across Zebra's 1983 self-titled debut, and she was shocked that I didn't know who they were. Although "Who's Behind The Door" and "Tell Me What You Want" received quite a bit of airplay and the band hailed from my home state of New York, I had no clue about them. A few years later their 3.V release became a staple of dorm-room parties, but it wasn't until the late 80s that I actually had the opportunity to see the group play live. Since that time, I've seen Zebra many more times and their three studio cd's and one live opus have always been in regular rotation in my cd changer. On many occasions, I heard vocalist/guitarist Randy Jackson talk about the possibility of a new studio album, but the more time passed, the less likely it seemed that it would come to fruition.

To my disbelief, IV was released on July 7th in Europe and July 8th in the USA. Containing eleven tracks of classic Zebra, fans of their previous outings will be very pleased by what the band has laid down here. The trio (Randy, Felix Hanemann - bass/vocals, and Guy Gelso - drums) have stayed true to themselves, and unlike many other 80s acts, haven't been influenced by anything modern or contemporary. This is basically the same band that released "Tell Me What You Want" in 1983. Randy's air-raid vocals are in prime form, as well as his 'other voice', the melodic approach. The band proves to be a well-oiled machine, playing an original style of rock, one that can only be compared to the great classic rock artists of the 70s. Just like their other albums, IV has some standout tracks. The debut had "Tell Me…" and "Who's Behind The Door," No Tellin' Lies had "Bears" and "Wait Until The Summer's Gone," and 3.V had "Can't Live Without" and "Better Not Call." IV has the amazing "Arabian Nights," which is similar vocally to "Wait Until The Summer's Gone," "Light Of My Love," which could have appeared on the debut, and "K.K. Is Hiding," a song with a cool groove and guitar solo. There are also some more melodic pieces driven by Randy's acoustic guitar like "So I Dance" and "Who Am I" which are growers, and can be compared to the sound on "Bears" or the intro to "Who's Behind The Door." The only down point comes in "Waiting To Die," which contains some out-of-character saxophone, and finds the band sounding like a lounge act. The peppy "My Life Has Changed" is a definite keeper that sneaks in there before "Why" concludes the album with introspective lyrics and a poignant musical approach.

The Bloody Truth: This is an album for all fans of of Zebra, past and present, and while you may worship their debut, the band has successfully created new material that lives up to the legacy created by their former work. I suspect the more you play this album, the more you will get out of it. This is a template for what rock music should be like. Powerful, creative, varied, emotive, and true to what the band is and was always about. Listen and learn ffrom these guys. Most of all - buy this album if you like classic rock, melodic rock or hard rock, so that we won't have to wait another seventeen years for the next studio album from Zebra. (Chris Dugan)