Review Summary: A more refined, yet still raw and enjoyable reprise of their debut album with some excellent new songs thrown in the mix.
What exactly is
funk metal? Before Incubus'
Fungus Amongus was released, there was no real funk metal band that was well known. Yes,
Fungus Amongus was not a huge hit, but they became an underground sensation with this album. Keep in mind, Brandon Boyd and his band are roughly around the age of 17 and 18 when they developed this 'underground sensation'. And while
Fungus Amongus has some pretty bad audio quality and a lot of the songs were boring with over-used basslines and funk techniques, Incubus showed originality and quite simply they were nothing like most people had ever heard.
Fungus Amongus was heavy, funk-inspired rock. But it was more funk than metal, and this appealed to many rock listeners, because where Red Hot Chili Peppers dabbed a bit more with traditional rock with some funk tendencies, Incubus put everything on the table with more funk than metal. This left Incubus the only band that was easily identifiable as this mysterious genre, funk metal.
We're not talking about a few funk basslines here and there with some loud, traditional heavy guitar riffs either; we're talking about a full blown fusion of funk bass and metal-influenced guitar work.
Enjoy Incubus was a step in the right direction for Incubus, and it was Incubus' first major-label release. The EP, featured re-worked versions of
Fungus Amongus's best songs, and a few new recordings altogether. See, the difference is that most of the re-worked tracks from
Fungus Amongus sound completely different, with some recognizable tempos, the same lyrics and song structures. This makes
Enjoy Incubus a completely different experience than Incubus's lo-fi debut. The album has proper recording, mixing, and production. The album is a huge step up from their debut, and forshadows
S.C.I.E.N.C.E.'s heavy side, and
Make Yourself's hip-hop influences all in one, short, six-track EP.
Before
S.C.I.E.N.C.E., this album feels and sounds as close to their breakthrough record
Make Yourself as early Incubus gets. No, there's still plenty of the heavy funk guitars and bass with heavy guitar riffs, but the album feels like their later records with a more creative, funk influence. For example, the re-worked
Shaft! kicks off with an atmospheric, fast-paced and fast-timed guitar riff before blowing into a fast, crazed, and frantic chorus where Boyd screams "SHAFT!". The song feels a lot like
Stellar, with more of an old-Incubus charm. Same with the re-worked
Take Me To Your Leader, which doesn't feel as funky as it previously did. Filled with fast guitar riffs and solos and echoing vocals, the song feels a lot like
Make Yourself as well.
That's really all to be found in the department of Incubus laying off the heavy funk basslines.
You Will Be A Hot Dancer introduces you to Incubus's funk basslines and guitar riffs quickly, with a heavy, frantic chorus where Boyd's voice slowly builds up. Its one of
Enjoy Incubus's best song, along with the album's funkiest track,
Azwethinkweiz. The name of the song may be mindless, but the song is far from it. The song kicks off with a funky guitar riff backed by some rhythmic whistling before Boyd comes in switching his voices from a lower growl to a high-pitched funk-toned falsetto vocal. The chorus is catchy, and very slower-paced then the rest of the album. The chorus is slow, and the exit after the chorus exhibits some of Incubus's funk/progressive rock influences where they mess around with Boyd's vocals and guitar riffs.
Version is a nice addition to early Incubus's catalog, the song switches from low, slow-paced funky verses to hard-hitting metal choruses. The song is prototypical of Incubus of this era, long verses with fast, screaming chorus and random song structures.
Hilikus was another one of my favorites off of
Fungus Amongus, and once again, the re-worked edition is better than the previous. The song features some rather fun DJ scratches and turn-tables in the back, and the scratches work well in the chorus. Boyd comes off as less over-bearing in the chorus, as he's toned down the screaming in the chorus; and making the chorus much better. The song breaks down into random funky guitar solos and bass rhythms at any time, and makes a truly great track.
The album kind of loses all bits of momentum it had and pulls a 180 at the end though. It had a lot going for it, until the mindless thirteen minutes of "Hidden Track" litters the end, which is mostly silent, random, and at times, they are singing Happy Birthday. Well, I guess you could turn the album off after
Hilikus, but what was the point of the "Hidden Track"? Go ask Brandon Boyd. Its surprising Immortal Records let Incubus put this at the end of their track, as its a rather immature trick bands use when they are just starting out so they can say, "My album has a hidden track.".
The lyrics are immature, but that's probably because of their age. Just like with
Fungus Amongus, they are mostly random words that fuse well with the rhythms and music, a lot like what R.E.M. does lyrically. It also pulls away from the music, because I like my music to have a bit more depth. But don't get me wrong, the music
itself is good and fun, but its shallow and fun, a lot like most mainstream rock out today. This album was Incubus in stasis with the overly-funk
Fungus Amongus, metal
S.C.I.E.N.C.E., and hip-hop influenced
Make Yourself. It put Incubus in a perfect spot, and allowed Incubus to expand upon their sound in many different genres, while keeping their die-hard fanbase who followed them from the beginning happy. If you want to listen to some early Incubus, this album is a much better choice than their debut.
DOWNLOAD:
You Will Be A Hot Dancer
Version
Azwethinkweiz
Hilikus
