Zebrahead is: Ben Osmundson, Matty Lewis, Ali Tabatabaee, Greg Bergdorf, Ed Udhus

It's been three years since we last heard from Zebrahead, but the Orange County, California-based band is making their presence felt once again with highly anticipated new album MFZB. Revitalized, road-tightened and eager to redefine their focus, the quintet comes out swinging, delivering a flurry of pummeling rhythms, clench-fisted chords and meaty hooks that connect with each listen.

"Having taken such a long time between records, we knew we had to come back with something strong," says Zebrahead bassist Ben Osmundson. "We really took our time with it and wrote and recorded over 90 songs, and then picked the best of the bunch. It took a while, but I think we wound up with our best record ever.

"Produced by Cameron Webb (Tenacious D, Limp Bizkit, Godsmack) and John Travis (Monster Magnet, Kid Rock, Sugar Ray) and, co-produced by Marshall Altman (Tsar, Marc Broussard, Jupiter Sunrise), MFZB proves it was worth waiting for with smart, razor-sharp rockers like "Rescue Me," "Strength" and "Falling Apart." The album has all the electrifying energy of a live Zebrahead show, blending raging tempos and ringing guitar lines into surging, insistent choruses that stick after a single listen.

Against a big, buoyant backdrop painted by guitarist Greg Bergdorf, drummer Ed Udhus and bassist Ben Osmundson, and singers Lewis and  Ali Tabatabaee detail scenarios of betrayal ("The Setup"), domestic troubles ("House Is Not My Home") and soured relationships ("Hello Tomorrow"). "There are still light numbers like 'Over The Edge' (a drinking song) and our first acoustic track, 'Dear You (Far Away),'" says Osmundson.

"But we've seen and been through a lot over the years-both individually and as a group. A lot of that wound up working itself into the music, resulting in our most personal album to date.

"As for the album title, Tabatabaee says it's a tribute to the band's loyal followers. "MFZB is the name of our fan club," he explains. "We're so grateful for their support and patience while waiting for us to deliver a new record. We've kept in touch with them through our web site, posting road journals and studio updates and corresponding through e-mail, and we really appreciate the fact that they've stuck by us. This one's for them."

MFZB is the follow up to Zebrahead's critically acclaimed sophomore release, "Playmate of the Year". Released in 2000 to rave reviews, the album's hummable title track received over 4000 spins on Modern Rock and Rock radio, garnering airplay on some of the nation's biggest alternative stations, including KROQ in Los Angeles, KNDD in Seattle, KDGE in Dallas and WRAX in Birmingham. The editors of OC Weekly included the band in their "129 Greatest OC Bands Ever" list and wrote in the June 20-27th, 2003 issue that "…"Playmate of the Year" was just as catchy and hummable as anything the Offspring or Lit ever came up with." Meanwhile, its provocative companion video, which co-starred a harem of curvy Playboy playmates and was shot at the Playboy mansion, was steaming up television screens across the country.

The band gigged relentlessly in support of the album, and toured with a diverse cast of characters, including Less Than Jake, Kottonmouth Kings, 311, Reel Big Fish and Goldfinger. Reviewing a local show, the Los Angeles Times praised the band for "its blend of punk-pop and groove," writing, "The quintet understands how to keep a crowd engaged, fueled by nonstop energy and an endless stream of jokes from singer/guitarist Lewis...The band was smooth and confident... like a new generation of Rat Pack Showmen…Zebrahead demonstrated that for one night at least, it was about the performers."

Daily Variety lauded the group for offering "75 minutes of easy to digest, high energy music that recalled such bands as Descendants, 311, Blink 182 and the Beastie Boys." After conquering the States, Zebrahead tore through Europe with Green Day and played a plethora of festival shows, sharing stages with everyone from The Strokes and Radiohead to Good Charlotte and Stone Temple Pilots. From there, it was off to Japan, where it could be argued that Zebrahead is bigger than Godzilla.

"The Japanese audiences are phenomenal," says Osmundson. "They're really exuberant and you don't see that kind of enthusiasm anywhere else in the world. They're hungry for good music and we love playing there." Zebrahead's year was capped off by a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance for their blistering cover of Metallica's "Enter Sandman." The track appeared on the Extreme Championship Wrestling companion album ECW Extreme Music and featured legendary Motorhead frontman Lemmy on lead vocals. Inspired by the likes of Fugazi, the Descendants, Rage Against the Machine and Green Day, Bergdorf, Osmundson, Tabatabaee and Udhus formed Zebrahead in 1996, with Lewis joining to strengthen the band later. After building a rabid fanbase on the strength of their raucous live shows and releasing the Yellow EP on indie label Doctor Dream in 1998, the band signed with Columbia and released their major label debut, Waste of Mind, later that year. That was followed by Warped Tour dates and chart success.