Incubus Of Frustration
Basa Benejan
Life Is Strange. I say this not from a place of discontent or frustration, but more so from a fascinated and reverent position, in that any vantage point from which I peer into (or at) this ever-evolving dance, I find myself smiling in a delighted, albeit diz\u2026
Nu metal might have been the biggest thing to emerge from heavy metal in the 90s, but not every band was thrilled to be handed the label. In an exclusive interview in the new issue of Metal Hammer, Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd recalls his frustration at being lumped in with the likes of Coal Chamber and Limp Bizkit.
"I thought it was terrible," he says, when asked about the legacy of nu metal. "I know a lot of people love it, but being called 'nu metal' kinda hurt my feelings. If we made one record that fits into that genre, so be it, but I've never heard that in our music myself."
The "one record" Boyd refers to is S.C.I.E.N.C.E., Incubus's mainstream debut (after independently releasing their first record Fungus Amongus), released in 1997. In a feature in the latest issue of Metal Hammer, Boyd discussed the impact of that record, and the inspiration behind the band's first major single, A Certain Shade Of Green.
With its incorporation of funk-metal inspired beats, turntable scratches and rapped vocals (not to mention the ever-prevalent down-tuned guitars), it's hard to see S.C.I.E.N.C.E. not falling under the nu metal tag, but Boyd is having none of it.
"We weren't trying to fit into a particular niche at a particular time," he insists. "We were just kids being influenced by a small handful of bands that we grew up with. Just to name a few: Primus, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mr. Bungle, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Firehose..."
For all of his protests, Boyd does share fond memories of supporting Korn in their early days. "It felt like we had support," he says. "They would see us limping to the show as our van coughed its way into the parking lot. We weren't supposed to partake in the catering, but they would see us show up malnourished and under-slept and be like, 'Have you eaten? Go get some food!'"
Staff writer for Metal Hammer, Rich has never met a feature he didn't fancy, which is just as well when it comes to covering everything rock, punk and metal for both print and online, be it legendary events like Rock In Rio or Clash Of The Titans or seeking out exciting new bands like Nine Treasures, Jinjer and Sleep Token. ","contributorText":"With contributions from","contributors":["name":"Stephen Hill","link":"href":"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/author\/stephen-hill"]}), " -0-10/js/authorBio.js"); } else console.error('%c FTE ','background: #9306F9; color: #ffffff','no lazy slice hydration function available'); Rich HobsonSocial Links NavigationStaff writer for Metal Hammer, Rich has never met a feature he didn't fancy, which is just as well when it comes to covering everything rock, punk and metal for both print and online, be it legendary events like Rock In Rio or Clash Of The Titans or seeking out exciting new bands like Nine Treasures, Jinjer and Sleep Token.
Incubus' song 'Just A Phase' delves into the feelings of frustration and the transient nature of difficult periods in life. The lyrics metaphorically describe the artist's emotional state as 'bottled fizzy water,' suggesting a build-up of tension and pressure. The act of being shaken up by someone else indicates an external force causing disturbance, much like someone's actions or presence causing emotional turmoil. The reference to a fingernail running down a chalkboard evokes a sense of irritation and discomfort, harking back to a childhood memory that was thought to be left behind. This imagery suggests that the artist is experiencing a situation that is grating on their nerves, something they believed they had outgrown.
The chorus, with its repeated line 'Yeah, it's just a phase,' serves as a mantra to remind oneself that the current struggles are temporary. The song seems to address the concept of impermanence and the hope that any negative situation will eventually pass. The mention of 'temporaryism' as a widespread affliction compares the fleeting obsessions and trends of society to significant historical events, implying a critique of the short attention spans and fickle nature of contemporary culture. The artist expresses a cynical view, anticipating the moment when the current phase will end, and normalcy will return.
The song's bridge, where the artist questions 'Who are you? When will you be through?' could be interpreted as a confrontation with either another person causing distress or with a part of oneself. It reflects a desire for resolution and the end of this challenging phase. The song, through its lyrics, encapsulates the feeling of being caught in an uncomfortable period of life, waiting for it to pass, and holding onto the belief that it is just a temporary state.
The guild he had protected the demon from might be on the bad side, essentially acting like a group of vigilantes conducting illegally against the modern Hunter law enforcement, but for all Ichigo knows the incubus could actually be less than innocent (as far as a creature synonymous to sin can be) and he may have to finish what they started with his own hands. Whether to kill him or turn him in to the nearest guild in the city, is debatable.
Great book. A big fave of mine. I like your "70's horror that never heard of Stephen King." I think Dick Laymon would have enjoyed this book. The cover above with the figure on the stairs is very, very "Halloween". BTW, the "Incubus" movie was disappointing.
Yup, the movie bit. I mean, I wanted to see the prosthetic wonder that... Uh... you know, that drooling grapefruit thingie.
Funny story. I was in the twelfth grade. Friday night, and I had the house, and a female classmate all to myself. Just as I was about to get some, my three friends arrive unannounced. They've brought scotch and a VHS tape of incubus. They pop in the vid, pour the scotch into my largest milk glasses, and get down to the serious business of alcohol and horror, fat chick be damned. Later on they made her drive them home, but only after she watched them drink scotch by the pint. And yes, the movie bit. No, the relationship didn't work out.
ARRRGH!
I had that original paperback version of the novel fresh of the supermarket shelves back in 1978 & someone borrowed it & I never got it back.
That's why I'm such a freak about my books now & refuse to allow anyone from outside my home to borrow them. Meaning, basically, that my wife can read 'em & that's the extent of my sharing.
I DID get to read the book before it's disappearance though & I LOVED it.
Yeah, being a 17 year old male with raging hormones had something to do with it, but not everything. It was just a beautiful example of a cool, scary, lurid paperback original.
Not to mention that Russell was a fairly underrated genre author.
Jim
BTW, one of the prizes of my horror movie tie-in collection is that 1961 copy of SARDONICUS. Great book.
I love hearing all these horror-fiction memories, guys! Keep 'em comin'.
Mac, the drooling grapefruit thing was terrific!
Jim, technically INCUBUS wasn't a paperback original; you can see the hardcover edition above, from Morrow. What was on that paperback edition you had? I couldn't find it anywhere.
It should be mentioned that Ray Russell was not simply another pulp horror writer. I consider SARDONICUS a modern horror masterpiece, but he did a lot of respectable non-horror work at Playboy. (I can't help but wonder if SARDONICUS isn't loosely based on the silent film, The Man Who Laughes?) I recently got a copy of "Playboy's Ribald Classics" which is edited by R.R. and has a great intro wherein he vigorously attempts to establish the difference between "ribald" and "pornography". I recommend that all fans of R.R. pick this book up. -Leftcoastghost-
Well that turned out to be a huge waste of time! I went through all of that trouble to reach the band through the proper channels (under false pretenses to score drugs) and all I wound up with was the number of some DJ! Hey incubus, if I wanted bunk molly I could have just hit up drum and bass night at the hippie bar down the street!
i agree with you harry i love how this song builds up.Tomorrow, what price will I pay?"Could I make it all up to youby serving coffee for two in bed?Would you then gimme the time of day?I need a map of your head, translated into Englishso I can learn to not make you frown. "
i love that line. anybody who has every gotten into a fight with their girlfriend knows what this is like. the morning after a big fight u feel you have to do anything and everything to make it all up to her, even if you dont know why you got into a fight in the first place. I wouldn't say it was the best on MY but easily one of the top 3
I love this song. It completely describes one of my pet peeves. People will tell you everything's fine and then sit around seething while you don't know what you did wrong. You want them to just lash out and just scream at you so that everything is out in the open, but they just want to sit in silence. "You'd feel better if you'd vent/put your frustrations into four letter words/and let them out on mine, the most weathered ears in town." That's exactly what I've wanted to say to so many different people.
Men always gripe that women do this all the time. They ask what's wrong and we say "fine" even when everything is not at all fine. I heard this song and that's what I thought of right away, and so I've promised myself I'll never do that!!!
This song has personal meaning to me, because the first line basically describes my life. Everything is going great, and then suddenly, one little thing messes everything up. I think people live through music more than they know and we sould all recognize the importance of any music we listen to. This song is just a great compilation of true life. Listen and feel.
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