Album Review: INCOGNITO THEORY’s “Whiskey Fueled” Is A Shot Of Dirty Jersey Metal

When I first starting going to local shows in New Jersey I came across a heavy band called Dying Eyes Of Sloth, and we’re talking heavy. While they were a solid band they just had trouble getting a strong following. Then one show their singer David Incognito grabbed me and said he had something new in the works. That something became Incognito Theory who are going strong locally and have recently released their second EP Whiskey Fueled and it’s a continuation of where their first EP Ashes Divide left of.

The opening title track hits you like a shot of whiskey, definitely if you’re a Jack Daniels drinker. No soft lead in, just hard and hitting right out of the first note. David Incognito coming at you strong as if he were the child of a mix between Zakk Wylde and Layne Staley. Add the left-right punch of the bass and drums and you feel like you’ve just gone a few rounds of shots with the guys at the bar.

With “Unbroken But Scarred” you can feel the growth from their first album on the writing. Lyrically this is easily going to be a fan favorite because it’s something many of us can identify with. Being scarred by someone you once was close to but still strong enough to continue on. Musically this is a great driving song. The bass and drums setting a perfect rhythm making you feel like you’re cruising down the Garden State Turnpike, windows down, radio up, and rolling towards the Jersey shore or out to a local show.

For those of you looking for something a little more radio friendly to ease into, which rarely exists in rock and metal, then “Vengeance” is your song. I really don’t know why but there’s something about this song that while it’s heavy it also feels like I can see a bunch of drunk college kids singing along to the chorus like they’ve heard it a thousand times on Ozzy’s Boneyard or Octane on SiriusXM. It’s got that vibe that can easily appeal to the most devoted of rock and metal fans but also the ones that listen to try to be cool.

Incognito Theory has hints of some of your favorites – Black Label Society, Pantera, Alice In Chains – but at the end those are just pieces that make up a band that gives the world their taste of Dirty Jersey Metal.