'Crow' unlikely to 'Murder' Incubus' career

A rollercoaster ride -- you strap yourself in, hoping for the best ride of your life. Holding your breath, it's a little slow up that first hill. You finally hit the top, let go of all sensible thoughts concerning space or time, the adrenaline kicks in and that crazy rush fills your body. Before you know what happened, you breathlessly reach the end. Amazing.\nThat is Incubus' new CD, A Crow Left of the Murder. It will thrill hardcore fans and excite those of us who have been waiting for rock to do what it was born to do: ROCK. Brandon Boyd's sexy crooning, capable of overpowering even the loudest guitar, dominates the collective's most recent effort. He weaves lyrics of rebellious philosophy with guitars so earsplitting that at times you almost believe you're standing next to speakers at a live show. \nIncubus has perfected the art of being Incubus. It merges the vocals of Morning View, the otherwordly distortions of S.C.I.E.N.C.E. (and occasionally Boyd's scream) and the Make Yourself brand of rock into a strange but beautiful child. The first single, "Megalomaniac," bashes away on sheer grandeur and leaves, "you're no Jesus… you're no Elvis…," lingering in your head for days. The beginning of the album takes a while to take off, but finally explodes with the energy of "Beware! Criminal." \nIn "Sick Sad Little World," shocking and soothing guitar riffs mix like a strong drink and culminate in a climactic guitar solo. Without stopping the aggressive rock, the band even manages to squeeze in deep proclamations of unending love that will appeal to the female masses in "Southern Girl." Incubus perfects the fast-paced rock that is neglected in new alternative and overused in new punk with "Priceless."\nIncubus' lyrics have reached a new high. The band calls America "chemically comforted," recounts a voice from God saying, "quit blowing each other up," ridicules talk show hosts and successfully uses the word amalgamation in a song. Boyd's vocal prowess exposes his disgust and frustration with humanity throughout the CD, only a few times giving way to tenderness. \nThere are some low points, but as soon as a song begins to get old they throw you for another loop, immediately changing the rhythm. At times, songs get a little choppy and sometimes trip over their own intensity. This is usually overruled by Boyd's powerful voice, but it's still jarring. \nA Crow Left of the Murder is a ferocious mix of hard rock, intelligent lyrics and original sound that will make any Incubus fan proud. The last song inquires, "The ride's over. Did you enjoy yourself?" Yes, boys, I did.