Incubus Make Yourself CD - Import

Includes an enhanced component.

Incubus: Brandon Boyd, Mike Einziger, Jose Pasillas II, DJ Kilmore, Dirk Lance.
Additional personnel: Dave Holdridge (cello); Cut Chemist. Nu-Mark (scratches).
By 1999, the Los Angeles aggro unit made the stylistic leap from Korn-like shouting to 311-like harmonizing. Features 14 tunes, including the grunge-tinged single "Stellar," the surprisingly funky "Privilege," and the heavy "Out From Under."
This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.
Produced by Scott Litt, Incubus' second full-length album, Make Yourself, makes a bid for broader mainstream success while keeping the group rooted in a hybrid of familiar late '90s alt-metal (i.e., roaring guitars, white-noise sonic textures, and an undercurrent of electronics) and Chili Pepper funk-rock. Where S.C.I.E.N.C.E. sometimes veered abruptly between the two genres without really fusing them, Make Yourself finds the band settling more comfortably into its sound, and once again, there are a few really good singles. Once again, too, there are still a few awkward moments and underwritten songs, but overall, the album should definitely please fans. ~ Steve Huey
Take the apocalyptic, electronics-tinged riff-rock of bands like Korn. Subtract the fratboy sensibility and the Red Hot Chili Peppers-derived hip-hop rhythms. Add a sophisticated sense of melody and harmony, a more optimistic lyrical outlook, and a sense of dynamics. You've essentially got the Incubus sound. Incubus practices the kind of rapid intra-song mood shifts that were Nirvana's trademark, but instead of merely going from soft to loud and back, they change stylistically, switching from full-on hard rock to almost jangly, low-key alt-rock. The resultant sound should appeal to fans of both styles. The tasteful application of electronic effects updates the feel of MAKE YOURSELF nicely. There's plenty of teeth-gnashing and shrieking angst to be found in the lyrics, but there's hopefulness and pop-friendly catchiness as well. In the world of late-'90s radio rock, Incubus seems capable of being all things to all people.

Alternative Press (1/00, p.88) - 3 out of 5 - "...a stylish attempt to merge...metal-edged riff-rock with hip-hop turntable aesthetics....reveals a band with more [brains] than...balls...."
CMJ (11/1/99, p.26) - "...a fresh and sassy new amalgam....[Incubus] still rock the night away, but they've mellowed out considerably on the smooth-movin' MAKE YOURSELF."