With their momentum and exposure slowly building, Incubus returned to the studio and delivered their follow-up album, Make Yourself, in late 1999. They also wound up the year as part of Korn's inaugural Family Values tour, by which time DJ Lyfe had departed and been replaced by DJ Kilmore (first name Chris). By the summer of 1998, the band had amassed enough of a following to land a slot on that year's Ozzfest tour.

Incubus hit the road with a vengeance, opening for bands like Korn, Primus, 311, Sublime, and Unwritten Law. Later in the year, their first full-length album, S.C.I.E.N.C.E., was released. Incubus' first major-label release was the six-song EP Enjoy Incubus, which was released in early 1997 and consisted of previous demos that were revamped in the studio. That, coupled with their strong local following, helped the band get a deal with Epic subsidiary Immortal.

In 1995, Incubus added hip-hop turntablist DJ Lyfe (aka Gavin Koppel) to their lineup and recorded the independently released album Fungus Amongus. By the time the group graduated from high school, they had already been playing all-ages shows around southern California on a regular basis. Their early funk-metal sound was heavily influenced by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but broadened over the next few years to incorporate thrash, rap-metal, post-grunge rock, and grinding alt-metal à la Korn or the Deftones. Formed in 1991 in the San Fernando Valley suburb of Calabasas, CA, group members Brandon Boyd (vocals, percussion), Mike Einziger (guitar), Alex Katunich (aka Dirk Lance bass), and José Pasillas (drums) were all tenth grade classmates when they got together.

Incubus rose to become one of the most popular alt-metal bands of the new millennium, setting themselves apart from a crowded field with a somewhat less-negative outlook and tireless touring.

Early incubus band