Incubus
Fungus Amongus

THE REVIEW

1991. The charismatic singer Brandon Boyd and drummer José Pasillas (who had already met at the end of the '80s), along with bassist Dirk Lance and guitarist Mike Einziger, form a band, unsure about the name, but eventually decide to call it Incubus.

In 1994, their first demo is released, titled with the name of the group. The positive response to this demo leads to the release of this 1995 "Fungus Amongus."

Well, this album, along with the subsequent "S.C.I.E.N.C.E.," is a milestone of the alternative-funk metal genre, a cross between Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Primus. It's hard to describe its beauty in my opinion. "Why?", you might ask... But it's simple: "Fungus Amongus" is energetic, fast, powerful, cheerful, and melodic at the same time, across all tracks.

It starts with "You Will Be A Hot Dancer", which hooks you right from the beginning with a very funky guitar, and then follows with a chorus full of RATM energy, with Boyd very close to De La Rocha. Next up is "Shaft", where we enjoy a style somewhat like KoRn's, powerful enough to move everyone. It's all topped off with a little Latin guitar that can be heard just over a minute before the end... what a blast!

The funky sound returns with "Trouble in 421", taking us back to the early RHCP days ("Freaky Styley", "The Uplift Mofo Party Plan", anyone?). With the duo "Take Me To Your Leader" and "Medium", the verses remind us once again of KoRn-like atmospheres, but the choruses deceive us (the presence of a female voice in the second track is noteworthy).

"Speak Free" is the most experimental of them all... a kind of duel between Brandon's voice and Dirk's bass that overlap very, very well... not to mention the vocal effects heard at the end! Einziger's solo, mixed with Pasillas' drumming in "The Answer", is pure enjoyment, as is the piece itself. "Psychopsilocybin" has a wah-wah that doesn't envy other funk-metal bassists in the least... And "Sink Beneath The Line"? The chorus is something terrifying... but what about the final part, with the phrase "She should have worn underpants!" followed by a cartoon sound? Ha ha ha! The final track "Hilikus" is a kind of anthem, a manifesto of the Incubus of that era, a ride impossible to get out of your head because of how great it is... It's a drug but without any side effects (even if it's the second track on the album themed around drugs)!

In short, an essential album for those who want to get to know Brandon Boyd and company better. For those who know that Incubus is not only "Are You In", "Megalomaniac", "Wish You Were Here", but also something else. And this something else, which would be this album, "S.C.I.E.N.C.E." and "Make Yourself" (unfortunately, I still haven't managed to listen to the "Enjoy Incubus" EP) deserves a lot.

Even though "Light Grenades" also deserves a lot, it unfortunately wasn't recognized as much as "Morning View" and "A Crow Left To The Murder" (the group's two lowest points for me).