Spotlight on Pagan Music

A weekly feature highlighting the best music from Pagan, Pagan – influenced, and occult artists. You can hear many of these artists on my weekly radio show and podcast, or you can check out the annual “Darker Shade of Pagan” music special available for download online.

INCUS

Incus

Band Bio:
Incus is a magical group of fiery and dynamic tribal rockers who use their music to cut through illusion and weave their sonic spells on the audience. Their music captivates and sets the body swirling. Great songs, great energy, and a great live show with an instrumentation that is quite unique.

Incus web site.
Incus MySpace page.

Song download:
“Dead Wood” (Mp3 file)
“In An Instant” (Mp3 file)
“Just One Thing” (Mp3 file)

Reviews:
“Ethereal female vocals interplay with the dramatic male lead vocals. Filled with lovely piano, impassioned percussion, intoxicating cello, and haunting atmospheres, the sublime music of Burning Thread casts a spell on the listener.” – Outburn Magazine

“Boston’s Incus conjure up a slightly bizarre sound reminiscent of a sort of dark carnival. A thread of tribal percussion runs through the early Rasputina-esque cello, bass, spacey keyboards/piano, and the dual vocals of founder jason Cohen and the angelic Gypsy vocals of Nina Lanza. As intense and pointed as it is hypnotic and expansive, Burning Thread captures the Incus troupe in top form, all that??s missing is the spectacle of the live show (though you almost don??t notice, the disc captures the feel so well)…” – From Dust Zine

“By default, the brooding sound of cellos and distant female vocals throughout the album sets a somber mood. Add Jason Cohen’s haunting voice, (periodically taking on a Dave Gahan tone) with drums steadily pounding away, and the creeping tendrils of gloom move in to ensnare any spare traces of cheer you have lying about. There are times when the energy picks up to a tribal pitch, especially during “Big Grey,” while in other instances Incus prefers to keep things melodically quiet with piano. Admittedly I don’t wander these stark musical lands often, but if you’re looking for something to keep you company on cloudy days this won’t disappoint.” – The Noise

My Two Cents:
While some bands fear being classified, others embrace the classifications and surpass them. Such is the case with Incus, a tribal-influenced band who noticed that many of their fans were Pagans, Burners, Belly-dancers, and other related (sub) cultures. So they started touring the festivals these groups attended, and incorporated dancers and fire-spinners into the band. The result is a whole greater than the sum of its parts, and a band that is evolving into something truly worthy.

Further Reading:
Interview with Jason Cohen of Incus.

Tags: Paganism