Incubus and Korn, treats for the rockers

This is great news for all rock music lovers. Incubus and Korn, two of the most successful rock bands of all time, are coming to the Philippines for one-night-only concerts produced by Ovation Productions at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. Coincidentally, both come from California and are fine examples of the current state of the American rock scene. Incubus will be at the Araneta Coliseum in Incubus Live in Manila on Thursday, July 28. Korn, on the other hand, will be also be at the Big Dome in Korn Live in Manila on Wednesday, August 10.

Incubus is made up of Brandon Boyd on vocals; Mike Einziger on lead guitar; Alex Katunich on bass; and Jose Pasillas on drums. It is a big name in the field of alternative rock and developed its huge fan following with albums like Make Yourself, Morning View and my big favorite A Crow Left Of The Murder. Among the band’s big selling singles are Drive, Megalomaniac, Anna Molly and Love Hurts.

If Not Now, When? is the latest by Incubus and fans are in for a big surprise. Is it age or some change in the inner lives of these guys? No matter what it is, this must be the band’s first quiet and romantic album. Not really that quiet. Let us just say quiet by Incubus standards. Switchblade is still loud and In The Company of Wolves is epic long. But the rest are well-made songs with interesting lyrics and good, well-thought out melodies. Singles out are Promises Promises and Adolescents. Other cuts are If Not Now, When?, Friends And Lovers, Thieves, Isadore, The Original, Defiance, and Tomorrow’s Food. Bonus tracks are the live versions of Surface To Air, Dig and Pardon me.

If Not Now, When? is the band’s seventh and first studio album in five years. It comes after Light Grenades and Brandon’s first solo album, The Wild Trapeze from last year. There was also a well-put together greatest hits collection, Monuments And Memories that also turned out to be a big seller at around this time. This one kept the group busy touring two years ago. 

Incubus Live In Manila is part of the Asian leg of the world tour in support of the new album. The band is also set to perform in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Jakarta in Indonesia, Mount Fuji in Japan and the Jisan Valley in South Korea. Tickets to the show are now available at Ticketnet outlets in all SM Department Stores and at the Araneta Coliseum box office. Prices are P6,500, P6,000, P5,500, P4,500, P3,000, P1,500 and P750.

Korn is made up at present of Jonathan Davis on lead vocals and bagpipes; James “Munky” Shaffer on guitars and backing vocals; Reginald “Fieldy” Arvisu on bass; and Ray Luzier on drums and percussion. Korn is one of the pioneers of the rap-metal trend that came about in the late ’90s. Among the band’s big selling CDs are Life Is Peachy, Follow The Leader, Issues, Untouchables See You On The Other Side and Korn Untitled. The big singles are Freak On A Leash of the landmark special effects showcase video; A.D.I.D.A.S.; Got The Life; Right Now; Trash; Make Me Bad; Falling Away From Me; and Here To Stay.

The latest from the Grammy winning and Platinum selling Korn is Korn 3: Remember Who You Are. As rockers already know by now. Korn music is not for everybody. What I like about the band though is that despite the strong language and Davis’ unconventional vocals that are somewhere in between rap and singing, they create very good melodies. Check out Are You Ready To Live, At The Guilt Go, Pop A Pill and Fear Is a Place To Live in the new album and hear what I mean. But to really appreciate Korn, I recommend that you get the greatest hits collection with the best cuts from seven albums.

 Korn Live in Manila also features Slapshock, one of the most popular and I must say, most enduring among local rock bands as opening act. Tickets to the show are now available at Ticketnet outlets in all SM Department Stores and at the Araneta Coliseum box office. Prices are P4,500, P4,000, P3,500, P2,500, P1,500 and P500. Careful, the show can really get your head banged and will use explicit language.