Incubus

Biography/History

[Dashboard] [Referred Artists] [Search Options]

Incubus (1991-present): a Funk Metal band from Los Angeles, California, USA.

s a part of the funk metal movement, Incubus started under the line-up of Brandon Boyd (a.k.a. Brandon Of The Jungle; lead vocals/percussion/rhythm guitar), Mike Einziger (a.k.a. Dynamike; lead guitar/keyboards/backing vocals), José Pasillas II (drums) and Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich (bass). Taking their name from a mythical spirit purported to have its way sexually with women while they sleep Incubus, despite their name, proved to be a funk metal/heavy metal act in the style of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Faith No More rather than a death metal band. Their debut EP Let Me Tell Ya 'Bout Root Beer (1996) and debut album, Fungus Amongus (1995), proved to be the state-of-the-art for the genre at the time. The discs crossed the boundaries of laid-back jazz and reggae but never left its funk roots.

See All... ⏬

After singing to 'Sony/Immortal', the follow-up EP Enjoy Incubus (1996) was recorded so the band would have a recording to promote while touring with Korn in Europe.

S.C.I.E.N.C.E. (1997), their second recording, proved to be another mix-up of styles, even including a didgeridoo. Perhaps their touring with Korn a second time influenced their music tastes because the album boasted a nu-metal sound. In 1999 Incubus would return once more with Make Yourself (1999), an album that finally got them a chart spot at 47 US. Morning View would follow (2001), the name taken from the street on which the band's recording studio was situated. The following year, a limited-edition version of Morning View would circulate to coincide with their fall headlining tour. Male Yourself would not see Koppell for he was replaced by Chris Kilmore shortly before.

In 2003, Katunich was quietly replaced by former the Roots guitarist Ben Kenney.

2004 would see A Crow Left of the Murder.... The second spin-off single, Talk Shows on Mute, featured a video inspired by George Orwell's Animal Farm.

Light Grenades (2006) would debut at 1 on the Billboard 200, their first to top the charts.

On December 27, 2006, Incubus launched the I Dig Incubus contest, in which participants cut together clips of the band performing their single Dig, to form a complete music video. On February 1, 2007; five finalists were announced.

It would be another five years before another album, in the form of If Not Now, When? (2011). In 2012 the band joined Linkin Park as co-headliners on the 2012 edition of the Honda Civic Tour. The aptly titled 8 (2017) followed as their eighth studio album.

Footnote: Do not confuse this Incubus with another band by the same name that recorded albums on the 'Nuclear Blast' label who were forced to change their name to Opprobrium or a second band of the same name from Georgia, USA who had disbanded before the formation of this act.

See Less... ⏫