Incubus

Incubus came of age in an alt-rock metalscape that lionized bands like Linkin Park and Deftones—brooding bros dedicated to exploring angst in as big and loud a manner as possible. But the California alt-rockers never got as heavy as their peers, choosing instead careful composition, intricate guitar lines, and lyrics that touched on subjects other than disgust, anger, and fear. In 2008 the band took a hiatus that, among other things, allowed guitarist Mike Einziger to study music at Harvard, then returned with a greatest-hits album in 2009 and the new If Not Now, When?, its first new studio album since 2006.

Updated 08/11/2011