INCUBUS Reflect on Nu-Metal Past: “We Didn’t Want to Be Part of Anyone’s Bullsh*t Little Scene”

With Something In The Water set to arrive on October 10th, Incubus are once again embracing change—something they’ve long valued as artists. In a newly resurfaced Metal Hammer interview originally conducted back in 2001 during the Morning View cycle, the band were already distancing themselves from the nü-metal scene they were once loosely grouped into.

Much like their contemporaries in Deftones, Incubus made a deliberate shift away from the genre’s chaotic mix of funk, rap, and angst-driven heaviness. While their early work leaned into those stylings, it was 1999’s Make Yourself—a 2x multi-platinum record—that saw the band fully pivot toward a more melodic, alternative rock direction. That change wasn’t just a sonic evolution—it was an intentional move to escape the label of nü-metal altogether.

Guitarist Mike Einziger didn’t hold back in the archived interview, bluntly stating:

“We don’t want to be part of anyone’s bullshit little scene. I’ve been quoted on this before and you’re welcome to do it again, but the whole world of rap-metal is just pathetically ridiculous. It makes me wanna throw up. It’s a horrible place to be and we’ve turned our backs on it completely.”

Vocalist Brandon Boyd echoed the sentiment with a touch of humor:

“The term nü-metal is ridiculous in itself – we were even called that at a time and secretly it always made us cringe. We never identified with anyone in that particular scene. The whole business of being angry at the world has been so overplayed, so to be called the antidote to that is right on.”

He added that much of what had become mainstream by the early 2000s felt formulaic, likening the trend to Korn’s influence being diluted by imitators:

“There’s some really good stuff that dominates for a second, then you get a whole bunch of imitators who trivialize the original idea. But if you look to the underground, there’s a whole heap of great new ideas that come out as a backlash. But now we’re in dire need of a backlash.”

As for how he wanted the band to be viewed at the time, Boyd hoped Incubus would be seen as progressive thinkers:

“Perception is a very fickle thing… But if I could control it, I would want us to be perceived as neophytes, which is the opposite of a neophobe – someone who embraces change and is into evolving ideas. I like to think of us as a band that’s on the move.”

He concluded on a more personal note:

“At the end of the day, we just make music that makes us happy, and I know at heart we are all nice guys too. But we have bad days – I mean, I can be a dick. Stick around, you’ll see it.”

Even nearly two decades later, Boyd remained clear on the band’s discomfort with the nü-metal label. In a 2019 interview with Kerrang!, he said:

“It felt a little strange to be associated with some of the bands around that time who were very deeply misogynistic in their content and vibrationally kind of violent. It never felt like we were of the same ilk.”

That said, Boyd made sure to acknowledge the support they did receive:

“There were a handful of those bands, like Korn, that embraced us and took us on tour. I remember Fieldy seeing us starving near catering and just going, ‘Are you guys hungry?’ We looked like stray dogs and nodded. He told us to eat. That was a huge moment. We wouldn’t be where we are if it wasn’t for the kindness of bands like Korn.”

As Something In The Water approaches, it’s clear that Incubus are still chasing growth, shedding expectations, and staying true to their evolving vision.

---

Do you love independent bands, or are you in one? The Mosh Network is not just a rock/metal news website, but it doubles as an independent band directory, designed so that visitors can browse independent bands by not just subgenre, but location as well. It’s perfect to keep your finger on the pulse of your area’s hottest and newest bands or if you’re in a band, it’s a great way to find bands to network with! Click the banner below and start discovering bands all over the world, now!