Incubus: They’re Not Just Another Band

Perhaps you remember the incubus from European History class. In medieval European folklore, the incubus was known as the male demon who visited women in their sleep to lie with them in ghostly sexual intercourse.

I’m talking of a different Incubus. I speak of the one whose pictures have been plastered in magazines, looking like a hormonally blessed band or another one of those synthetic boy bands. You may have heard of their tunes like "Pardon Me," "Stellar" or "Drive." For all you know, you may have sang along with joyful abandon as well. You are probably one the two million plus fans who bought Make Yourself and couldn’t wait for the new album to come out. Either way, whether you’re an Incubus ignoramus, believer, or recent convert, one thing’ s for sure: Incubus rules!!!

Take it from me (and a growing number of Pinoy fans who swear their lifelong allegiance to them)! I remember the first time I laid my eyes and ears on Incubus with the same clarity and fondness I had the first time I saw Star Wars. I was watching TV when this amazingly well-conceptualized, well-lit, well-edited video came out with an equally mind-blowing, very angry yet catchy song (not to mention the extremely good-looking guy who was singing it). I was intrigued … obsessively intrigued.

Composed of five young, twentysomething creative forces (Brandon Boyd on vocals and percussion, Mike Einziger on guitar, Dirk Lance on bass, Jose Pasillas on drums, and DJ Chris Gilmore handling the turntables), the band actually began its groove in high school. Despite their age, the guys wasted no time getting their music heard, feverishly playing in neighborhood parties, all-age clubs, and even at the Roxy on Sunset Strip.

Incubus soon grabbed the attention of several major labels with its adrenaline-driven shows, unique style and sound, and the huge following it has amassed with its determined self-promotion. In 1996, Immortal Records recognized the band’s many abilities as a touring live band (as opposed to the usual, out-of-the-box, one-hit wonder sensation) and immediately signed them up. Three full-length albums later, the rest, as they say, is history.

For old fans, Incubus’s latest melodic incarnation in Morning View might take some getting used to, but its ‘stratospheric string orchestrations, Disney-esque trip-hop escapades, lyrics about contentment under a full moon’ are perfect for people just getting acquainted with this on-the-brink-of global-stardom band.