Make Yourself

I can think of a lot of albums more deserving of being on this list than Make Yourself. It's not that it's bad, necessarily. It's just not good. This album was tops for the whole nu-metal scene which I'm just not a fan of. Be metal. Don't be metal. Either is fine. This shake-and-fake, half-assed, sing-song nonsense is honestly kind of annoying to me. Every song sounds the same, the vocals are whiney and emo punctuated by repeated "daddy won't hug me" refrains. Not my jam.

So - an incubus is a spirit that rapes women and I mean, yeah, that's pretty much the vibe I get from this music. This is AGGRESSIVELY 1999 soul patch rock and 100% not something you need to hear before you die. I don't know if I could dislike this more. Wait - the album cover. Okay yeah, I dislike it more now, so there's still room to grow. Oh! "I feel emphatic about not being static." Yes, there's much further to go. Down, straight down. Oh no - Battlestar Scralatchtica. FUCK. YOU.

Incubus is kinda like tasty junk food for me. I know its not really that good, but is still enjoy consuming it lol

An absolute nothing album. Embarrassing that it’s made this list and calls the selection criteria into question. The album itself is a mess, and a boring, tame, weak mess at that. Crap like this is why kids stopped listening to “metal”

Sounds like what Jesse Pinkman would listen to. But it’s varied enough to stay interesting at some points

Imagine a baker who has made a living specialising in selling nothing but steamed horseshit. One day, looking at the gourmet establishments around him and realising he might need to diversify to stay afloat, he diverges slightly from his speciality and launches a new line of cream cakes… horseshit flavour. While the baker may consider this an improvement, the change would be barely perceptible for anybody who didn’t consider horseshit delicious to begin with. For those uninitiated, the lasting impression of these cream cakes would remain one of… horseshit. So it is with Incubus’s second album, which sees them moving away from their beginnings as a through-and-though metal band. “Selling out” in the eyes of their most devoted fans, they created something more “melodic”, with alt-rock, grunge, funk and even hip-hop overtones. On paper, that might sound promising. But to this reviewer who can find nothing to like in nu-metal’s overblown, heavy-handed, hi-gain, self-flagellating nonsense, there’s almost nothing to latch onto anyway. Over-affected, whining vocals undermining any sense of melody. Blaring, grinding guitar riffs lacking in subtlety or passion. Gimmicky record scratching (presumably that’s the “hip hop” talking). And worst of all, truly awful lyrics. Vague sentiments of self-pity and taking control of life spill out over the whole thing like toxic waste. Here’s an example from the closer, “Out from Under”: “To resist is to piss in the wind; anyone who does will end up smelling Knowing this, why do I defy? Because my inner voice is yelling There is a fist pressing against; anyone who thinks something compelling” I can’t discern any such compelling thoughts involved in the making of this album. And so I proudly resist, piss into the wind and waddle off in the strong stench of my own self-satisfaction. And horseshit.

Repetitive prog rock/nu metal has never been my idea of a good time, and combine that genre with this particular era of late 90s schlock rock, and you get Make Yourself. My only memory of Incubus was as the lame edgy band my middle school classmates would attach their personalities to for a few years. The lyrics are a hilarious attempt at nihilism and the production is so wrapped up in all the worst 90s tendencies, it hurts my head. Rating: 1.5/5

Not even in the top 1001 albums by artists with the initial I in 1999. Terrible!

I can only assume threats of physical violence against list authors is the explanation for this album's inclusion.

Felt like I was dipped in the Holy Waters of the 90s.

Sorry. BRB. Just went to grade school/ high school. I’m in my tan van. Listening to this on a tape to CD player.

Je vous invite à vous référer à la critique de mon compagnon d'écoute elmerguez concernant cet album. Celui-ci a en effet su trouver les mots justes, bien que très mal orthographiés.

I first heard Pardon Me on the radio in high school and was immediately interested in hearing more of this band. I soon bought this and their earlier albums at the local CD shop (when those were a thing). I had a ton of stuff going on in my life at the time and music just amplified it all. This was one of the albums I listened to a lot through it all so listening to it now just sucks me back into those days. That's why it's five stars for me. Aside from personal reasons, I think it's a solid album and one of their best.

I enjoyed Incubus when they first broke through with "Pardon Me" in 1999. As they followed that single with "Drive" and "Stellar," it was a refreshing light in a dark time. Yes, it was a dark time. The heydey of grunge was fading and Total Request Live was reshaping the music industry, resulting in a late 90s/early 00s hard rock landscape that was filled with Limp Bizkits and Kid Rocks. You think Incubus was angsty?? Incubus was mellow and tame for the times. For additional reference as to why Incubus stood far above their contemporaries, putting interesting spins on early 90s hard rock rather than learning all the wrong lessons like Limp Bizkit, Korn, and Creed did, look no further than the events of Woodstock '99 or the 2001 PBS Frontline documentary "Merchants of Cool." But does Incubus hold up today? For me, absolutely. While I prefer their calmer, more musically adept songs like those "Make Yourself" singles, their loud, crunchy, angrier stuff is great too. Brandon Boyd has a terrific range and is one of my favorite rock singers of the past 30 years, whether screaming or singing. Their post-fame follow-up to "Make Yourself," "Morning View," is even better, more mature, less screamy, less overdone crunchy guitars. They really refined their unique take on DJ-accented hard rock (and in a way that for me works far better than their rap-rock contemporaries). While "Morning View" is an easy 5, and "Make Yourself" takes longer to find its footing and then majorly stumbles with the misplaced "Battlestar Scratchalactica," we'll give this one a 5 too, on account of 3 great singles, a string of really good albums of which only this one made the 1001, improving the group's review average, and for being the anti-Limp Bizkit.

3rd day in & one of my favourite albums

This is peak 90's grungy rock fuckin yea.

Incubus is and will probably be for a longtime, one of my favorite bands. Not the first record I discovered by them, but definitely one with the songs I ended up liking the most. The songs have great hooks and musical builds. Brandon is a great songwriter and can sing very good. But Incubus has always been about the musical strength for me. They make sure every member gets to shine, but never overdo it. Amazing record! Favorite lyrics: - The humanity I know, watch the warmth blow away. - I will hold you close if you're afraid of heights. - You do something to me that I can't explain. So would I be out of line if I said I miss you? Key tracks: Privilege, Nowhere Fast, Consequence, The Warmth, When It Comes, Stellar, Make Yourself, Drive, Clean, I Miss You, Pardon Me 8,5 out of 10

Incubus was a reprieve from the stupid heavy/NuMetal bands of the late 90s and early 00s. They were heavy at times, but they also had a sense of melody. I listened to Fungus Amongus (I think that was the name), S.C.I.E.N.C.E, and this one. After this, the singer got pretty infatuated with himself shirtless. A friend remarked at the time "I'd like to staple a shirt to that guys fucking body." Indeed. But before Incubus were teenage girl and dorm room poster boys, they were a funky and heavy rock band that toured with 311. And this record was a sweet spot. But we're talking about a moment of relatively little musical consequence in the grand scheme of things. So, 2/5 is the best I can muster here. I was happy to find that revisiting this record, I still like "The Warmth" as much as I did in 1999.

Pardon me while I admit that I could never stand that "water over wine"y dudes voice! But have to admit that some of the songs are ok.

Incubus was one of my favorite bands growing up, I think this album sits comfortably somewhere in the top 3 of their discography.

Definitely 5 stars for me. Probably 4.5 if I am being objective. An album I will always really love.

What's not to love. One of my all time favorite albums. I'd give it 10 stars if I could!

This is one of those records that comes out when you are the right age to hear it. It may not actually be a 5 star record. But listening to this on my CD walkman walking to and from my McJob at 20 puts this in a very special place for me.

First Incubus album I owned, and probably still their best, even though I’m partial to S.C.I.E.N.C.E.

Incredible. Just incredible. Every song, every aspect. Just loved it. Favorite track: Make Yourself

Nostalgia-based 5 start, not sure if it deserves this but it's at least a 4.

Great as always. The warmth / make yourself / drive pardon me . Brings back teenage years

Incubus is my jam, so I'm biased. Stellar and Pardon Me are excellent. Drive is the major breakout hit. It has a polished radio sound, that is actually not what I think of when listening to incubus. I Miss You captures the band much better.

Great album, they really defined there sound a bit more and went into a more pop softer sound on a few songs which worked really well. A lot of things to to like. One of my favorite albums of that era and the The Warmth is still one of my fav songs.

Always loved this album

One of my personal favorite record ever. This brings me back to the era of my life when music finally made sense and my love affair with music began. For all, those formative years of middle and high school mean so much when it comes to cementing what it means to be "good music" and I'm thankful for records like these to paint the the listing picture of my youth.

The vocals, the instruments, and the perfectly balanced sound at this polished point of alt rock island vibes. I don't care what they say, Incubus never sold out.

One of my all time favourite albums. Loved it when I was a teenager and still do now.

Never heard of them before. Almost every song sounds the same. ... And that's genius because I like everything on this album! The singer craftily merges his voice with the music so I have no idea what the songs are about - pure perfection. Even the part where the album is broken and spasms back and forth is melodic and deeply satisfying. Five stars from me, will definitely come back to this.

Solid af

Yes, I love this album because it takes me back to a different, exciting time in my life. But, and I may be in the minority here, I also love how it sounds today. Great vocals, pounding guitar, even the DJ in the mix serves as a flourish and not relied upon too heavily.

Put grunge, reggae/ska and hip hop into a blender and you get this. I think this is important music on one's journey to heavier music.

First time listening to this album in full. Head banging tunes with nice instrumentation and vocals

I've listened to Drive so many times that I thought I knew who the band Incubus was. Their style surprised me, I feel like I was listening to Tool at some points. Interesting and sufficiently different from the bulk of this list, I'm glad I got to listen to the whole album!

I was sleepwalking through this album thinking this is the lamest nu metal shit ever (and I somewhat like my metal) until drive came on and something in my brain supernova’s. It’s one of those songs I’ve heard everywhere throughout my entire living memory where it’s good enough to remember but not good enough to seek out and listen to intentionally so my first reaction to hearing it was shock more than anything. Like I’m not supposed to hear this anywhere but a mall.

This is really 1999. And somehow I just dig it. This isn't quite nu metal, not quite funk, not quite rock. Incubus' breakthrough album sits somewhere in between it all. Mike Einziger's riffs are interesting, José Pasillas' is on fire - but it's Brandon Boyd's vocal that impresses me the most. Not when he semi-raps on "Pardon Me" but his understanding of melody just hits me. There are some incredible songs on this that turns the nostalgia all the way up for me. Of course there's also stuff like "Battlestar Scalatchtica" whis is horrible and dumb - and I don't care that much for the turntables in general. I never noticed that this was almost 50 minutes long. And that's something.

Ah yes that time in history with soul patches, ear lobe plugs, rock bands with DJs, that Justin Delong guy from the Mac vs. PC commercials, pretentiousness of rocking out in 7/8 time, and those generic MTV music videos which are either super deep or were just made up on the spot.

I read this quote from singer Brandon Boyd about recording the album "When we're making music together, it's like five men making love — in a very platonic sense." And that perfectly captures this record; it is the sound of five men standing in a circle with their pants around their knees, awkwardly tugging on each other's limp dicks and trying not to make eye contact. "Making love, but platonic" -- get real, gentlemen, if you're gonna fuck, then fuck. Enough of this half-hearted teasing. Jeez, this is incredibly dull. It's loud, but all the energy has been washed out by the over-polished late 90s alt-metal production. The singer wouldn't know a catchy melody if it stabbed him in the ear. And the interminable scratching! The wikipedia article is full of quotes from reviews that damn with faint praise: "Incubus had found a beta-male approach to new-metal" "On this effort, Incubus seems more concerned with playing with sounds and differentiating themselves from Kid Rock than they do with making enjoyable music." "With the bland, radio friendly offering Make Yourself, it looks like Incubus is more likely to get compared to the likes of The Goo Goo Dolls and Sugar Ray." This is the worst kind of forgettable and tuneless alt-metal, engineering by a major label to shift units. It doesn't even have the conviction of mindless aggression like most nu-metal (your Korns, your Deftones, your Bizkits Limp). Don't get me wrong, I despise all those nu-metal bands with the burning heat of a thousand suns. This is anodyne and insipid, but at least it isn't hateful. Neither hot nor cold, I spit it out of my mouth. 1.5 stars, rounding up to differentiate this from shit I really hate.

I’m not gonna lie: it took some doing to make myself get through this one.

I saw these dudes on this tour at Ozzfest and remember thinking their performance would’ve been better scheduled at dusk rather than at 3 in the afternoon. There’s a spacey ambience to this record that’s better suited for the evening than the sweltering heat of a July afternoon. There’s some unique guitar work on this record, with a host of delay and other effects employed to achieve a spacey atmosphere. So it’s kind of an interesting record in that regard. Otherwise, it feels really dated and a bit like a lowest common denominator-type record. I’m not really sure it belongs on this list, and three songs in, it’s already starting to feel like a chore to get through.

I didn't listen to this shit when it came out, and I'm not listening to this shit now. Metal sucks.

Nope!

As a person who was in high school and owned this album when it came out, this sounds like someone put “make me some songs that sound like 1999” in an ai song generator. It’s dated. It’s not particularly great for the nu-metal genre. It’s not even Incubus’ best album.

Not sure why this was included in the book at all. Drive is a fantastic song, but the rest are very ordinary and had little cultural impact that I remember. I've mentioned it before in other reviews, but the amount of crappy 90s albums that are on this list is astonishing, given NOT SINGLE TOOL ALBUM WAS INCLUDED

One of my all-time favorites!

I dove into Incubus in preparation for the first Sick New World festival, and I was really surprised to find they were a funk/semi-metal band since I only knew Drive. One of my favorite things about this album is they have some really catchy choruses. Some of my favorite are: Privilege, Nowhere Fast, Make Yourself, and Pardon Me. Very fun album, funky and fun to sing along too. Low 5.

This album is da bomb

Always had a soft spot for Incubus, since 'Stellar' from this album was in the first guitar hero game, their album SCIENCE was full of nu-metal bangers, and 'Wish You Were Here' was also a banger tune. Turns out this album is also just full of great alt-rock tunes front to back. Who could have guessed.

Incubus was one of the first bands I really got into, I live the blend of funk and the use of turntables and I really love the singers voice

One of my favorite albums from this time period.

Easy 5 star rating for this one. Peak 90s music that still holds up in today's world.

Excellent album. It's going into my Tidal library and getting five stars.

Maybe the most late 90s/early 2000s hard rock album ever. Punchy riffs, emotional and angry lyrics, but also some funky and proggy elements to keep it fresh and interesting. And so much fun to dance to. A top-tier fun album. Top tracks: Privilege, Drive, Battlestar Scralatchtica

Love love love this album. Brandon Boyd’s voice is amazing and the power behind each song is evident.

I didn't really have to listen to this one, most all of the songs have been in a pretty consistent rotation for me since I bought the CD in my younger days

LOVE LOVE this album!

100% nostalgia

I probably expected this from my favorite genre but Make Yourself is a legitimately fantastic album. Nearly every song sounded really great on this album with absolutely outstanding vocals, music, and lyrics but also managed to each have their own identity while still sounding like they fit together. The diversions this album had (Drive and Battlestar Scralatchtica) also managed to feel like nice breaks from the album's typical structure without being too annoying or jarring. This is easily among the best albums i have ever looked at for this project. Best Song: Out from Under Worst Song: Battlestar Scralatchtica

Yeah I like it. Reminds me of the Matrix Soundtrack but significantly more listenable; more rolling and organic in the bass lines. I thought I knew this band, but no Kenny! its PRIMUS that did the South Park theme, not INCUBUS. So, this is nu- or funk metal. Not for everyday. But its a great Funk to push through by at 8PM after a long hr slog when here is decidedly poopy but paperwork to do! Productivity kick. Influenced by bands I like, as it turns out. Makes sense.

10/10

Great transitions. Nice rock album to listen to

Love this. Their best by far.

When this album started, I knew that I would like it but also could quite grasp why it would be considered an essential album. It is certainly to my taste, but then a lot of bands would be that I’d still admit aren’t exactly groundbreaking. However, as this album continued, I began to really appreciate the complexities of what I was hearing. Rach said there were parts that reminded her of more industrial music. I commented that there were parts that sounded like Alkaline Trio. Then suddenly it might sound like OPM. I love just how much is happening on this album. It is genre bending, but bends into everything I like.

My Walkman put an uncountable number of scratches into this disc. The high school poetry still tickles me 25 years later. The singles (given an ample amount of time away from Drive) are still bangers. The opening song Privilege still feels like a great way to start a road trip, Battlestar Scratchlactaca is a fun way to really let the DJ shine. The album cover looks like a 2000's era mousepad.

This album is very dear to me as a child of the late 90s. Wonderful production and stylistically everywhere.

This may be a bias rating because I used to play this album over and over again, but it feels like an obvious 5 to me. The whole album is already in my music library, and they're just as good now as they were then.

I like incubus. It's a great album. Funk fusion esq music from the 90s warms my heart.

Truly awesome album. Incredible vibes, addicting vocal harmonies, creative production value. Love this one. Favorite track: Drive

They gave me a free day today. I already know every song. Gotta go 5.

This album is still so good. Can’t believe it was a 1999 release. I know every song. Can’t not be a 5 for me.

Great alternative rock album with several hit singles.

my favorite Incubus album next to S.C.I.E.N.C.E. I love the lyrics on this album. Battlestar Scralatchtica is kind of filler but the rest is solid.

Stellare and Drive are incredible, and every other song is almost as nice. Great album.

Never guessed that I would be an Incubus fan. I knew they had some bangers but this album was great start to finish. No notes.

A late 90's melting pot of an alt-metal record, bringing in elements of funk, hip hop, metal, and punk, for a deliciously funky and rocking experience. Incubus swings pretty wildly around with genre, tempo, and tone, but they manage to pull it all off. Their highest moments are more traditionally alternative or metal, with picked effect-saturated electric guitar, limber and fresh drumming, and deep and nasty bass, but their more experimental choices, including trance-like synths and record scratches, land really well and sit great in the mix. I think this album is a great summation of 90's alternative, incorporating all of the best elements into an album that still sounds innovative and new. Stand out tracks include "Nowhere Fast", "The Warmth", "Drive", "Battlestar Scralatchtica", "I Miss You", and "Pardon Me".

Outstanding example of the crossover from rap to rock.

If only I could see a statistic of how many times I’ve listened to this record. This is one of the most impactful albums in my life as it shaped a lot about how I view and perform musically. I was an enormous Incubus fan in high school and just started learning how to scratch records. DJ Kilmore was a major influence and inspiration. This record is beautiful, rough, moving and motivating. It connects me with emotions that I forget about every time I listen to it. Brandon Boyd’s voice is mesmerizing and his range is captivating. The band as a whole are extremely talented and I’m happy to see this record on here. 5/5 record for me.

Transports me directly to the past. One of my favorite albums.

Fantastic Album, great Band. I had heard it before, glad I could hear it again.

Great album, Incubus still quite raw but more refined than S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Decent lyrics and Rocky riffs

i really enjoyed this album! i had heard a few songs beforehand and always thought of incubus as kind of a weird, trippy rock band but they're a lot more nu-metal than i realized. this album gave me big alien ant farm vibes (which is a good thing to me). definitely putting some of these into regular rotation! favorites: privilege, nowhere fast, the warmth, stellar, drive, pardon me

I’ve loved this album for a long time and it’s still high rotation for me - I listened to it just last week. It’s funky and heavy, catchy and melodic. Every time I put it on I immediately find myself aggressively air drumming and singing along to every word. I checked the global ratings before posting mine and it hurts my soul to see it reviews so poorly. It seems that you really had to be in the target audience at the time it was released to appreciate it. Highlights: Privilege, The Warmth, Clean, Pardon Me. Drive probably does deserve to be listed as a highlight but it’s so overplayed even I got sick of it.

👌🏻🤘🏻

5/5

Love it!!

4/5

Incubus This really takes me back to middle school/ high school - I really liked a lot of these songs but I don’t think I ever had the full album. They were a very original and cool sounding band, I wish I got deeper into it when I was younger. The dj is such a cool part of their sound. Idk maybe the whole thing is bad and not cool and the proggy parts are actually pretentious. And some of the melodys can feel a bit awkward for me sometimes. Definitely sounds like they were trying to do something different. It used to feel like sometimes it feels good to me but sometimes it feels like something I should like. Maybe it works, maybe not, but I think it actually does. I really enjoyed listening to this the whole way through. 5

This album really sounds like the year it came out lol. I never really got into incubus but the songs are really cool, they’re catchy/poppy while still being kind of proggy and interesting. The heavy parts and dynamics are great, really cool guitar parts on a lot of the songs. Idk 4.5?

Was going to give it 4 starts but I just keep coming back Very guitary, very me

This album brings back a ton of good memories!

Teenage classic

amazing

Really like this album...on repeat!

In 2002 I moved to a subtropical city in the middle of winter. I made friends with a dude who was OBSESSED with Incubus. We listened to a lot of music, drank a lot of beer and just enjoyed life in a warm climate. At the time I knew Incubus' radio hits, but after about 6 months I'd heard their entire catalogue many, many times. I fell completely in love with Fungus Amongus and SCIENCE. I was into the more metal / Mr Bungle style and not so much the straight up rock (for the time) Morning View vibe. Make Yourself was the transition album. I didn't mind it, but didn't rave about it. I ended up seeing Incubus in 2007 or so when they played a festival near my house. I had no idea it was even on, I just went for a walk one day and stumbled across it. They weren't very interesting live, tbh; the band just stood there and Brandon didn't speak at all between songs. They played, they got off the stage. But this morning, listening to Make Yourself for the first time in close to 20 years... hell yeah. It's a really odd mix of bro vibes and pretty intricate rock, but it works and it reminds me of a more carefree time. Full marks, even if it is just nostalgia. 5/5.

this was a blast sad happy memories