If you are a newer Incubus fan and you haven't heard their earlier stuff you should branch out and listen to this. It is a lot harder than their newer stuff.

Fun and experimental. I cant believe I somehow missed this back in the late 90's. I am torn between this experiemental style and the current refined style. Anyways, its amazing how talented and creative Incubus are.

This is absolutely the best, and most unique metal/melodic rock/hip-hop/funk record of the 90s. Hands-down. No arguments. They recorded this when they were all in their late teens. That says a lot about the talent on this record. Undeniably incredible album.

This album is one of my favorites ever. I had it for so long it no longer played, so I bought a new one. The used copy I bought was scratch free and played perfectly. Good thing to because I turn the volume up for this one and listen start to finish. This CD cant be compared to other artists or any of their other CD's.

Yay.

But at least this release had one good song, Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song).

Redefine is an unorganized mess at best.

Vitamin is OK. It's starts off fine. Very angry and heavier than their newer stuff. But then it progresses and gets kinda lost. Not bad just all over.

New Skin has Brandon rapping. Please don't rap, you're no good at it, Sunshine. Just stick to singing and grooming yourself, as well as sharing your lyrics/heart with us. That's what we like from you. And that's all we need.

OK. I lied. Glass is very listen-able also, so I can't say there is only one good song. Glass is one too.

Magic Medicine is an experimental blur actually. All of these sounds bounce around in the form of production, and makes you feel like you're going truly, madly and deeply insane. Maybe that's what they were aiming for!

A Certain Shade Of Green is quite angsty, and not in a good way. Moving on...

Favorite Things is also listen-able. Good for them. They don't have Brandon rapping again! XD

You already know how I feel about Summer Romance; it's the best track here. I like the "reindeer" bells, and just how different it is from other songs out. It's peaceful too.

Nebula sounds like a Cold/Breaking Benjamin reject and it's beneath Brandon, IMO. Enough said.

Deep Inside slightly wins because it mixes jazz/and screaming to make and give off an interesting vibe...

Calgone is shallow metal.

This, Fungus Amongus and Make Yourself aren't that great of albums. Surely, they do improve each time though, with these three releases:

FA was terrible and makes me nauseous thinking about it. Some songs on S.C.I.E.N.C.E. are tolerable, but the rest is angsty/predictable and disposable rock. It's quite the surprise that I'm voicing this, since I'm a big fan of Brandon's lyrics and vocal style, but this album at hand is one of the most overrated alternative albums I've ever freakin' had the displeasure of listening to!!

Make Yourself was angsty, and showed off Incubus' poppy side. It was better than both previous albums put together, but still lacked something. It was just scream, scream scream.

What else can I say?

This album was over-hyped (especially on gameFAQs), overrated and just plain angsty/weird/stupid.

I HATED it!!

2.5 stars.

EDIT: I may have to check this out again seeing as I like Glass a lot and that track wasn't on my favorites list before. Eventually, since I'm a fan, I will get all the albums but I'm not sure about FA. I hated that one B A D.

wow , on one hand to the naive music fan this could sound like an awesomely unique album. but to anyone that knows better they know that this album completely rips off the band faith no more's angel dust album but worse. once you hear angel dust you'll never come back to this. this cd is the reason why incubus has been clumped together with other crappy nu metal bands such as system of a down, korn, and linkin park throughout their career. that being said, this album is still done better and more uniquely than any other faith no more nu metal copycats. since this album they have learned how to be themselves, evolved, and created their own style of music. i feel that they are at their best when they are their poetic, slightly girly selfs, with a hint of hard rock and experimentation. it only gets better from here. make yourself starts to break the mold, then finally they break through with morning view. crow shows their immense diversity, talent and the power of their creativity and live shows, and light grenades refines crow into a more polished sound. they have developed into the best modern rock band , put on one of the best live shows, and i can't wait for even more from them. science and fungus are nothing more than a reminder of where they came from and what they're capable of , but they are best when they're themselves.

I like Make Yourself better, followed VERY CLOSELY by this one. Fans of the newer releases will undoubtedly have a slightly harder time getting into this album, because it is much heavier than any of the new stuff. I consider this album to be one of the best of the nu-metal era. Since this cd, Incubus has evolved into more of an experimental alternative rock band, shedding the nu-metal genre like it was a snake-skin and maturing by leaps and bounds. Well, I like all types of rock and metal, and for me, I love the older Incubus. It just had a funky metallic edge that sounded so fresh, and it still sounds great 10 years later.

A decade old and it barely shows its age. This album is awesome! I personally think this is the best thing Incubus ever did. Though they were very young when making this album, they seem to show a certain maturity that was missing in the nu-metal scene. I didn't really see any angst here, just straight up funk rock that jammed. It seems to be intelligent while at the same time maintaining a bit of looseness to it and keeping the listener constantly entertained. Really, there aren't any extremely weak tracks. Some standouts include:

Redefine
Vitamin
Idiot Box
A Certain Shade Of Green
Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song)

I personally prefer this album over Make Yourself and Morning View. There's something about it that just won't let me take my ears away from listening to it. Certainly it isn't one of the all time best, but it certainly attracts one's attention for a long time. The songs just don't seem to get old at all!

Incubus' first great album is ironically also their last. Depending on how you view their formative demo-compilation Fungus Amongus, it is also their debut album. Signalling the consolidation of the funk-metal stylings of Fungus Amongus and the E.P. Enjoy Incubus, with the backing of a major label (Immortal/Epic) the southern California youngsters found themselves with more studio time, more experience and ultimately more scope than ever before to flex their creative muscle.

Commonly credited as the brainchild of (since-fired) bassist Alex Katunich aka. Dirk Lance, S.C.I.E.N.C.E. (origins of the title remain a mystery) is a ferocious and fascinating hybrid of metal, funk, drum and bass, hip-hop and jazz fusion. Indeed, Katunich's rapid-fire slap/mute style forms the basis for many of S.C.I.E.N.C.E.'s most recognizable pieces, most notably 'Redefine', 'New Skin' and 'A Certain Shade of Green'. His laid-back, groove-heavy playing on tracks such as 'Glass' and 'Deep Inside' also showcase the burgeoning talents of drummer Jose Pasillas on a percussion-laden record.

Frontman Brandon Boyd is the figure least recognizable from Incubus' current incarnation however, with his staccato quasi-rap vocals; tabla, djembe and didgeridoo playing, and lyrics concerned with social belligerence, spiritual rebirth and higher states of consciousness belying his current status as a supermodel-dating, GAP Jeans poster boy.

Turntable-ist DJ Lyfe also shines in his final outing with the band (he would later be fired, with unconfirmed reasons for his dismissal ranging from disputes over publishing monies to Lyfe having slept with Boyd's girlfriend) adding a much-imitated aspect to the band's frenetic sound.

Comparisons with Faith No More not withstanding, S.C.I.E.N.C.E. is often overlooked with regard to the band's catalogue, yet it stands as their only truly accomplished work, with subsequent records ranging from inconsistent (Make Yourself, 1999), to middle-of-the-road (Morning View, 2001), lacklustre (A Crow Left of the Murder, 2003) and unadventurous (Light Grenades, 2006). S.C.I.E.N.C.E.'s most unfortunate legacy however, stands as its considerable contribution to the popularisation of the loathsome 'nu metal' genre.

A decade after the release of this album, I still own it, I still listen to it a few times a month (not nearly as often as I did between 1997 and 1999, but still very often) and, in my not-so-humble opinion, this is one of the the absolute best albums ever recorded. I can't say anything that hasn't been said by anyone else here about the depth of this record, but what I CAN tell you is this...

I've owned this CD for 10 years now. I've actually physically worn it out 2 times from playing it so often (yes, it's possible) and had to replace it each time with a new copy. And after 10 years, this is still one of my favorite albums of all times. I lost a lot of interest with the band with the radio-friendly stuff on their later albums, and have lost almost all interest in their recent work, but I will NEVER tire of this album.

This is one of the very few albums that I can throw on any time and absolutely love every single second of playtime. Listen straight through 1 time and I can guarantee that you'll love it too.

INCUBUS is really in their prime with this album. The sound is completely unique, which I think they lost somewhat with their following albums.

I think it was 98 or 99 when I first heard this and immediately I was blown away and hooked on the band. Something like all the creative energy/quality of Faith No More, Fishbone, Living Colour etc... at their best drawn into one lively, exciting group. Great and intelligent vocals, strong riffs and playing, but a dynamite clear and highly progressive sound: something like Sevendust meets Sigue Sigue Sputnik - if that makes any sense: not like either but they play real instruments well and they have intense detail to timing: the dynamic changes in the music and so on.

May be one of the best albums ever made: is certainly unique. And better still it's as fresh now as it was then. For sure if the 6 tracks on 'enjoy incubus' were on this it would be - as that also is a freak.

Best tracks are the first 7, rest is good but not with the same punch as the first lot, but that's high praise. 'Redefine' sets a frenetic pace for the album, and even through a variety of tempo's you never feel the energy drop. All of it is powerful, heartfelt but terrifically fresh and different.

It's a very different record to what came next and beyond from them, and to an extent I am glad they changed to a more commercial flavour as they deserved success: I like their new stuff also but not to the same extent - this record is really something special. to listen to it now I still have no idea how it failed to get the recognition of their later stuff- I can only imagine it was the lack of heart on the part of the record co.

This is what Incubus was back in the days of 1997. "S.C.I.E.N.C.E." is probably my favorite album that Incubus has ever put out. The album has so much variety from jazzy tracks like "Summer Romance" to funky tracks like "Magic Medicine" to harder tracks like "New Skin". I'm a huge fan of them and enjoy pretty much everything they have done. "Make Yourself" had once been my favorite until I discovered "S.C.I.E.N.C.E." not so long ago. It now stands as one of my all time favorite records. My favorite tracks are probably "New Skin", "Vitamin", "Idiot Box", and "Calgone". Here are my track ratings...

1. Redefine - 9.5/10
2. Vitamin - 10/10
3. New Skin - 10/10
4. Idiot Box - 10/10
5. Glass - 9.5/10
6. Magic Medicine - 9/10
7. A Certain Shade Of Green - 9/10
8. Favorite Things - 10/10
9. Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song) - 9.5/10
10. Nebula - 8.5/10
11. Deep Inside - 10/10
12. Calgone - 10/10

Overall: 96% A

From beginning to end this album is awesome. I love every moment and I feel that everything is put together so well. Even the hidden track keeps you entertained for the entire 12min or so that it goes. I just can't tell you how much I love this album. A word of advice though, for anyone who feels that "Make Yourself" isn't the best and enjoys "A Crow Left Of The Murder" or "Morning View" the most should take my review with caution. I wasn't a huge fan of "ACLOTM" and I like the harder "Morning View" side of Incubus more. You will probably still find something you enjoy from this you just may not consider it the best. Anyway, check this out if you are interested to hear the Original harder funky side of Incubus.

Well, this cd is great for what it is. A catchy up-tempo sing along. Incubus isn't doing anything here that hasn't been done before, as least as far as song structure goes, but they do it very well. You know the whole verse, catchy hook, verse, catchy hook, musical interlude, catchy hook, next song. Anyway, it's all good.

Some notable tunes here are, Nebula-Ilovethespeedychoursthatrunsveryquickly and then
Slooows right down. Redefine and New skin are tight, tight, tight.

the definitive incubus album that translates in a kind of friendly and slightly more focused "Mr. Bunglesque" album

Incubus has evolved musically over time. Nowadays they sound like an alternative hard rock band with a pretty natural sound, but on their first few full length albums they sound much more like older Red Hot Chili Peppers with a turn table. There are elements of funk, rap and metal, and a much goofier and playful feeling than recent Incubus. I personally favor the older stuff, not so much because of the style, but because it's just more entertaining.

"Redefine" is the quintessential early Incubus song, and sets the tone for the rest of S.C.I.E.N.C.E.. It has the bizarre lyrics and unique delivery, and a strong rock chorus. The next four tracks follow in the same footsteps. They're all unique sounding but are still catchy as hell and fun to listen to. "Magic Medicine" is an instrumental that samples an odd sound clip from the reading of a children's book and shows off the DJ's skill at putting together some of the most interesting interludes I've ever heard, which the band has unfortunately steered away from doing these days.

The single "A Certain Shade of Green" and "Favorite Things" are two back to back strong rock songs with good guitar work that feel similar to what the band would go on to do on their next album. "Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song)" is another funky track that shows the band's range. "Nebula" is one of the more alternative, risky songs and succeeds well. "Calgone" is another great hard song that leads into a very long, odd hidden track filled with sound clips of both a humorous and sometimes creepy nature. It's one big ode to the chances the band liked to take back then, and wraps up the album in a very Incubus-like way.

I love this album. I haven't always been the biggest Incubus fan, and I will never go as far as to say that I have been a big fan since day #1. After I bought "Make Yourself" and fell in love with it, I bought "Morning View" and fell in love with that as well. Then I went and bought S.C.I.E.N.C.E. SCIENCE is the better out of the three (my opinion, of course). I never imagined that I would hear something better than Make Yourself, but it is true!! This album never gets old, and it has more of an intense, "hard rock" sound that I wish Incubus would use more often in their other albums. I can listen to SCIENCE anytime and not get tired of it. Hopefully, the album that Incubus is working on now has some sort of SCIENCE feel to it, as they said "A Crow Left Of the Murder" would have. If you are debating on wether or not to buy this album, all I have to say is that you will be making a big mistake if you do not buy it. LONG LIVE INCUBUS!!!!

I just heard this album for the first time the other day, picked it up, and can't stop listening to it. I always appreciated Incubus as musicians, but wasn't too into the music I'd heard by them. Well, hearing this CD made me see them in a whole new light. They're all great instrumentalists, their style is unique, the vocalist is great, and the songs on this particular album are full of energy, fun beats and great melodies. I have a newfound respect for these guys, they're amazing! Definately a must-own CD for any rock fan!

I first found out about this great band from my friend. He showed me Megalomaniac first (which is on ACLOTM) and I thought it was just ok. Then months later Incubus came up again and I bought S.C.I.E.N.C.E. SICKEST CD IVE EVER HEARD IN MY LIFE. All these songs grow on you. This whole CD is a masterpiece. I was wondering why I hadn't bought this months ago! This CD has it all. I mean I thought it was going to be just another bland rock CD that I would stop listening to in two weeks because it would already be boring to me. I was wrong. I am still listening to this CD everyday. Yes, its that good. And I've had it for around 2 years. No joke. I know people will just read this review and not care about this underappreciated CD and band, but you'll regret. I never knew Metal, Funk, and Jazz could be so sick!!! Seriously, go out and buy this. Do not walk to the store, RUN!!

Oh and also dont miss the bonus track on Calgone! Possibly some of the SICKEST jams youll ever heard in your life.

I was first introduced to Incubus in 1997 when they toured with 311. I went to the concert for 311 (who, by the way, was fantastic), but as soon as Incubus came on stage, they stole the show. They were unlike anything else I had ever heard, and they put on an intense, energetic performance. After the concert, I immediately bought S.C.I.E.N.C.E. and was thrilled to find that the album captured the same energy from the live.

Brandon's vocals are completely unique. He can stretch notes and do things with his voice that don't seem humanly possible. As far as selection, the album is extremely diverse. There are the heavy songs (Vitamin, Nebula, Redefine), the slow & melodic (and my personal favorite) Summer Romance, and funny, hypnotic Magic Medicine. In all of the tracks, the lyrics are sensitive, smart, and quite personal.

The music on the album is stunning. It sounds completely fresh, like nothing else that I had heard at the time the album was released. At the time, I wasn't much into music that relied on a lot of computerized sounds mainly because I didn't like the repetetion. But with this album, Incubus mixed cool digital sounds with classic bass lines, guitars melodies, and drums. The result was it worked & it stands the test of time as 9 years later I'm still loving it.

Probably what I like best about Incubus, and this album in particular, is how their songs are positive, genuine, and uplifting. I'm tired of angry, angsty music that sounds made-for-MTV. The songs on S.C.I.E.N.C.E. have meaningful, sometimes funny lyrics. It sounds like the band was having fun making this album. You feel good, not depressed or down, after listening.

Incubus is probably better known for their later releases, which were more radio friendly, but this album remains my favorite to date. I highly recommend S.C.I.E.N.C.E. for those who want to try something a little different, a little experimental, and get an idea of how they started out.

In my opinion.. this is the best cd I own. I have listened to this Cd through over fifty times and I still always find my way back to it. I for one love experimental rock mixed with with soothing jazz and funk melodies. That's exactly what this Cd is. It's more rock than anything, but the greater side of the Cd mixes in all kinds of interesting things. For me this is the perfect Cd. If you can listen to a Cd all the way through, THAT many times, without ever skipping a song then it has to be a perfect Cd. The structure of the Cd is emaculate I wouldn't change a thing, even if I could. Incubus is probably one of my favorite bands because; I've monitored them over the years I can't help but realize the change they have made as a band. They have slowly morphed into what they are today and I love them either way. First came Fungus Amungus, very funky and raw, then Science. Science threw in alot of new things but still kept that funky sound in alot of their songs, that is why I personally love this Cd, next came Make Yourself.. this Cd is really what made Incubus famous, Make Yourself is the perfect mixture of their newer material and their older material.. that's why it is also a perfect Cd. Next came Morning View, my least favorite.. It is still a great Cd, but it was a bit too mellow for me. Lastly ACLOTM.. this Cd is Incubus' newer material at it's prime.. another 5 star Cd. For this flawless transformation you've gotta love Incubus.. but back to Science. For me the stand out tracks on Science are all of them, but if you're a new listener try: Redefine, New Skin, Glass, A Certain Shade of Green, Summr Romance, Nebula, Deep inside, and last but not least Calgone.. this track ends at 4:49 but keep listening for the secret track that will blow your mind. All I can say is.. BUY THIS CD IMMEDIATELY! It is only $9.99 almost everywhere.

I enjoy this album quite a bit. That's because Mr. Bungle only released 3 albums, and this one is like a lost one or something. These guys are quite talented at playing their instruments, but Brandon copies Patton SOOOO intently it can be quite irritating at times. S.C.I.E.N.C.E. is much more standable to listen to when you think of it as a homage, a cover band of sorts...just don't go in expecting anything new if you're a Patton or Bungle fan. So in that sense, it's not an original album at all, but it's like a very good Mr. Bungle tribute album. It's worth a listen now and then.

I think this album is Incredible. So experimental.. it almost makes you feel like you're on another planet. There are so many catchy tunes on here.. its hard not to sing along. The guitar is fantastic, along with the drumming and the funky sounds. It all just fits. Ironic though? who knew heavy metal with dj scratching sounds good. Incubus is the only band who could pull that off. Yeahboy!... this album is Incubus at their best!

please remember that S.C.I.E.N.C.E came out BEFORE Make Yourself, Morning View and the other one (thats how much i care about their latest album) i noticed that some people are saying that these albums are MUCH better than the S.C.I.E.N.C.E! THIS CD PAVED THE WAY FOR THE REST OF THEM!!!! this IS Incubus!! the garbage on the last 2 albums is purely their conformity to the almight dollar. HONESTLY! What is it that you want? a whole album full of "Drive" and "Pardon Me"? get over it people... what makes Incubus so great is their ability to change it up and not have each of their songs and each of their albums sound the same... OPEN YOUR EARS!!!!!

This CD is so wonderful. I am a huge Incubus fan and I became one along with many others off of the success of Make Yourself. I picked this up to ease the anticipation of Morning View. This CD flat out blew my mind. It's not like any other Incubus release. First off, they have DJ Lyfe and not DJ Kilmore on this record. Their styles are really different. Lyfe used a lot more samples of weird random stuff while Kilmore seems more into scratchin' and ambient sounds. I love crazy sampling but I think the replacement was necessary. This Cd is way crazy. Cuts like "Redefine" and "New Skin" almost have an old school Chili Pepper vibe to them. Mike uses way crazy guitar effects on this CD too. Songs like "Glass" and "Nebula" use a lot of crazy sounds. Brandon Boyd is an amazing singer and is his normal self on this album. Great melodies and this album is really pretty heavy and electronic sounding. Not like Nine Inch Nails electronic but cool in a different way. There is an 11-minute hidden track of DJ Lyfe mixing some of the weirdest sounds you will ever hear. It can't even be explained. Put on a pair of headphones and grab a drink or whatever you like and this CD will take you to Narnia and back. Thumbs WAY UP!

Incubus' first major release "S.C.I.E.N.C.E." sounds nothing like a young band. This album flows better than most i've ever heard and it's probably Incubus' most creative, but weird, work. It's very funk orientated and heavier than all their other stuff. It's a great record..

1.Redefine 9/10...A nice heavy/quirky way to start it off. The chorus is great and the bass solo in the middle is stunning.
2.Vitamin 10/10...One of my favorite Incubus songs ever. The riff to this song is so cool and i love the way how brandon talks through the verses.
3.New Skin 8.5/10...A good song, but not one of my favorites. Has a good chorus but lacks a good breakdown, still good.
4.Idiot Box 9.5/10...Another one of my favorites. The beginning is so cool with the turntables that slowly build into heaviness. Great song.
5.Glass 10/10...Recently has become one of my top 5 favorite Incubus songs. I've been looking over this the whole time and now came to my senses. It's very unusual but phenominel, i just love it.
6.Magic Medicine 8/10...Wow, not even really a song, just a beat to a lady's voice, pretty funny and cool.
7.A Certain Shade Of Green 9/10...Used to be one of my favorites, but I most certainly wore it out. Still a great song and the bridge is very cool.
8.Favorite Things 8/10...Used to be one of my favorites but it gets old kind of quick, still good.
9.Summer Romance (A-G L S) 9/10...Another grower, a softer song with some cool effects. Very nice vocals, some parts of this song wouldn't seem out of place on Morning View.
10.Nebula 9.5/10...Probably the heaviest on the cd, and weirdest for that matter. Just an out of control song that is alot of fun.
11.Deep Inside 9/10...Whoa. Very experimental and different. Starts off very jazzy and catchy and ends up heavy and crazy, great song.
12.Calgone 9/10...This actually may be the heaviest song, close tie with Nebula. Tremendous song that rocks hard with a very cool bridge that draws you back in. Stay tuned for 11 minutes of stoned madness.

This is an overall exceptional release, and i recommend to everyone. If you want to start with Incubus i'm not sure this is where you'd want to but maybe, it's tremendous.

This is by far Incubus's greatest achievment. It's just too bad that it happened so early in their carrer. Anyways if you have never listened to this albmn you are doing yourself an injustice. This is one of the greatest rock albumns ever. If you liked Make Yourself or any of the bands newer releases, this cd will blow them out of the water. The cd kicks things off with Redefine which contains some of the best scratch tracks combined with great guitar and vocals. Next up is Vitamin which right from the get go hits you with a heavy guitar rift followed by New Skin with a mix of heavy guitar, bass, and bongoo drums. Track 7 A Certain Shade of Green is by far the greatest Incubus song ever. It has all the great instumental Incubus is known for with some of the funkiest lyrics Boyd has thought up. If you play the disk in you computer you can watch the video for the song as well. All in all I cannot recomend this cd enough. If you consider yourself an Incubus fan and do not have this go and get it right now you will not regret it.

This Album is TERRIBLE!Not Like Incubus At All.It is Just A Bunch of mindless Singing With No Rythum.I Was Dissapointed
Better Albums:
Make Yourself
Morning View
A Crow Left Of A Murder

All right. This is one of the best Cd's of our time. I am not kidding. If youve never heard this CD, buy it now. Youll regret not hearing it. If your listening to the Killers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against The Machine, 311, any band like that, put all of that down and take alisten to this CD.

Best songs- Redefine, New Skin, Idiot Box, Glass, Summer Romance, Deep Inside, Calgone.

If you listen to Calgone, keep listening at the end of the song. The actual song is 16 minutes 3 seconds, and if you keep listening, youll find a little treat. Im not going to tell you what it is, but its really good. Believe me. This part of the song is also named Jose loves Kate Moss.

SICK ALBUM!!!!!!!!!!!

This album is Incubus in its purest form, I believe. Full of innovation and cleverness, but not very easy to listen to. I recognize that it has incredible skill and "musicology," but it is not why I bought the CD. For those of you who are like me and want to listen to something that makes sense and does not demand full attention to follow, this is not the CD for you. This CD demands your full attention, is best listened to alone and should be contemplated deeply. (Does not play well in an office environment!) I can see why it appeals to many people, and I give it immense credit for its uniqueness, but it just doesn't fit my style at this time.

Having originally purchased this title some 5+ years ago on a recommendation, I was instantly...a fan. Naturally, we all put various titles and artists in our very own dust bins. Wheteher burnout, something new or a different genre is needed, that's just how music is.

Just dropping a quick note today to say that I have indeed dusted this baby off yet again. In a way, I'm glad that's it's been awhile since last cuing this one up. In a word: unbelievable.

Although I am a serious fan of all types of mucical genres and era's, I don't claim to have heard it all. But what I do claim is this is without a doubt, one of the very best albums my ears have ever had the pleasure of listening to.

There is no possible way to decipher a best track. From start to finish, it's nearly perfect. That's not to say it's without flaw, though, and I guess that to me makes it all the better.

Rock, jazz, funk, you name it, it's here all packaged in one energy ridden beauty. It's degree of originality, to this day, is quite refreshing. I'd say that 98% of today's similar genre music can only aspire to be half this good. No wonder I nearly wore this one out as a result of getting my rock on over the years. Every aspect, vocals, percussion, bass, guitar, DJ, etc., couldn't be better executed.

Yeah, I do have an appreciation for Incubus' later releases as they are good in their own way. But this without a doubt, is their crowning achievement. For those of you who for whatever reason havn't heard this yet, wait a second no more.

SCIENCE is simply-or was simply-Incubus at their best. The raw creativity and perfect melding of heavy and funky stylings is second to none. This is the sound of kids who grew up listening to Faith No More, Primus, Mr. Bungle and the Red Hot Chili Peppers and actually sounded, you know, GOOD and ORIGINAL, as opposed to the legions of stupid rapcore and nu metal bands who followed in Korn and Limp Bizkit's wake.

What sets this album apart from the pack is flawless musicianship(God, I miss Dirk Lance. Ben Kinney sucks)and good songwriting. That's what I said, SONGWRITING. Lyrics that are clever, compelling, and have something to say. Top it off with some well-thought out use of turntables and electronic effects and you have a great album.

Sadly, after this album Incubus began a steady decline. Make Yourself was an okay album but too commercial. Morning View had some good songs here and there but was pretty dull. The band who wrote and performed the godawful A Crow Left of the Murder is not the Incubus I knew.

Incubus has turned from a pop/rock band to a heavy politically oriented band. But this album is before they were well known. It has a lot of punk rock/metal/jazz/funk elements in it. It is definitely my favorite album of Incubus's five. The main thing to listen for, in my opinion, is Dirk Lance's incredible bass playing. It sounds just like drums, but its not! Every other element says we're gunna play what we want. I would like to see this in some of their new albums. I give S.C.I.E.N.C.E. 5 out of 5 stars.
Song number one, "Redefine", is a great opening song. It's the kind of song that will get you hooked right away. It is quite a bit heavier than most of Incubus' other songs. The best part is the crazy bass solo in the middle of the song, it sounds much like a drum solo.
Song number two, "Vitamin", has some great guitar riffs to start out with, otherwise it is kind of the same throughout the whole song.
Song number three, "New Skin", is the band's first single ever. It is a great song, the guitar on it is really cool, and the DJ puts in some crazy effects. I also like the tribal style drumming in it.
Song number four, "Idiot Box", comes strait out with a very heavy guitar. The tone of the song goes back and fourth keeping it very interesting.
Song number five, "Glass", is a different style song. It has a lot of different effects for everything. The guitar sounds cool at the beginning and the DJ adds just the right effects when they are needed.
Song number six, "Magic Medicine", is an instrumental. The song is based around samples that are played by the DJ. It also has a cool techno style drum beat that goes well with the bass line.
Song number seven, "A Certain Shade of Green", is by far the best song on the album. It has an awesome guitar riff that is catchy as hell. The bassist, Dirk, uses the crazy talent that he shows in the first song's solo. The drums and DJ blend there fills very well, and the Vocals are nice to listen too. Everything just blends perfect, and the bridge in the middle is very tasty.
Song number eight, "Favorite Things", is another song with cool guitars. The Bass sounds cool with the distortion, otherwise it's an average song.
Song number nine, "Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song)", is the song that first got me interested in this CD. It is the odd-ball of the album, but it is one of the better songs. It's a soft jazzy funk song. The bass is smooth and cool, and the guitar is just the way a jazz guitar should be. It shows a different side to Incubus.
Song number ten, "Nebula", is all about the DJ and the crazy fast drums. There is a different funky techno metal style to it. It is a fun song to listen too.
Song number eleven, "Deep Inside", is also one of the best on the CD. It has that smooth jazz bass like in Summer Romance, but it has heavy transitions in it that put it in a category of its own. The vocals are also very good.
Song number twelve, "Calgone", is a great ending song. It is one of those that make you want to listen to the CD over again. It blends all the elements of the album.
Stick around for the 18 minutes of the last track, that is a funny surprise in itself.

That's what I thought when I first heard my friend describe this CD. Hearing what I heard on the radio by Incubus made me mad that they would even TRY to imitate Mr. Bungle. But I actually gave this CD a chance...and boy did I make the right choice. I would have never thought that Incubus - a mainstream band - could've possibly pulled off an album like this. I was, err am, shocked. They actually made a decent CD where others have failed. See Slipknot. Horrible Nu-Metal band that try to imitate the Bungle. They wear the clown suits and everything. But they failed miserably in their first album to imitate Mr. Bungle.

But enough about that. About the album. It is mind-blowing. It grabs you and doesn't let go. It is infectiously catchy. It is simply phenomenal. The vocals are incredible, the drumming is incredible, the guitar work is incredible. That's all I need to say about it really.

One thing still irks me though. Why did Incubus go the mainstream route? You can clearly hear in this album that they are extremely talented. They have so much potential to be one of the best modern bands, but they sacrificed good music for fame. It saddens me.

Now you're probably wondering why I gave this album only four stars. Well, it's actually 4.3 stars. I really can't give this album 5 stars as well as Mr. Bungle, because they are simply superior in every way. But I don't think any band will surpass them anyway. But this album has earned Incubus the right to hold a candle to Mr. Bungle, which in itself is a compliment.

Highlights of this album: Certain Shade of Green, Favorite Things, and Summer Romance. These are incredible. The rest are a mere fantastic. :P

PS: Brandon has even admitted in many interviews that Mr. Bungle was a HUGE influence.

Before one listens to this cd for their first time, they should also be aware of the cultural impact that it had to their target audience at the time: High-school teenagers in the year of 1997.

A simple walk around my high school campus revealed several individual cliques: "Ravers" infatuated by the fad of ambient electronic music, "Stoners" who listened to mainly rock and hip-hop of the time (i.e. Cypress Hill, Korn), "Jocks" who proudly boasted a dichotomy of Pennywise, Slayer, and Gangsta Rap, and of course your punk-rockers, teeny-boppers, etc. you get the idea.

When S.C.I.E.N.C.E. came out, it started as a quiet ripple among the musically open-minded and those in the know about the underground local music scene (their hometown Calabassas was a mere 15 minutes from our campus). Without the aid of strong radio support, grassroots word-of-mouth eventually took over, and nearly everyone in our class had a copy of the album by the end of the 97-98 school year. There was something on it for everybody: dj breaks and interludes with hints of jungle techno, strong melodic choruses, heavy guitar riffs, funky grooves, this album literally integrated almost every genre imaginable. Even the way they looked on their album cover inspired new fashion standards for your average 16 year old kid: dreadlocks, baggy pants, adidas, and short-fitting tees... like a cross between Jonathan Davis of Korn and a hip-hop artist.

The music is incendiary of course; Without this music, there would be no impact. This music has all the perfect elements that I feel music is missing today: A singer who can sing without coming off as whiny. A bass player not afraid to slap without being compared to Flea. A tight and diverse, jazz-influenced drummer. A dj who truly knows their instrument is more than scratching turntables.

This is when their overall image and sound as a band clicked for me. They promote a level of spiritual consciousness and societal psychedelia. As if you were to transport a hippie into the later 1990's, this was a contradiction that painted images of beauty inside the listener, and encourages them to find out more.

Fans of Angel Dust-era Faith No More and Red Hot Chili Peppers need this in their cd collection. Get this and become a part of music history.