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Band Name: Black Light Burns
Album Name: Cruel Melody
Rating: 4 / 5 User Rating: 4.5 / 5
Label: I Am Wolfpack
Buy Album: Amazon.com
Rate Album: Rate
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Tracklist
1. Mesopotamia
2. Animal
3. Lie
4. Coward
5. Cruel Melody
6. Mark
7. I Have a Need
8. 4 Walls
9. Stop a Bullet
10. One of Yours
11. New Hunger
12. I Am Where It Takes Me
13. Iodine Sky
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Wes Borland has to be one of the most creative guitarists around these days and with his latest project, Black Light Burns, the former Limp Bizkit axeman adds industrial anti-hero to his impressive resume. Quirky, machine-like industrial sounds coupled with the powerful grooves the songwriter was hailed for in his former mainstay equal big surprises and much success for the bizarre character. Heres the reality of sin is combined with the escapism of a Tim Burton move and that will suit many listeners fine.
If Nine Inch Nails (who's drummer Danny Lohner is featured here) got in a train wreck with Zappa and the Bizkit, you'd have the opener "Mesopotamia," a twisting, erratic club buzzer. Now, when folks hear "Animal," they're probably going to say "Hey, what the hell Nine Inch Nails song is this?" But if that's what you're into, you're probably going to dig this anyway. It's just eerily similar, from the mechanized drum bashing, to the wide open chorus to Borland's way too Renzor vox, supposedly given blessing by the pretty hate machine himself.
"Lie" continues the trend of NIN song title-lifting and frankly, the introduction sounds like a direct rip-off of Renzor's work. But it's done so very, very well - it's hard to not get into it. Especially if you prefer old NIN to that produced during the latter days of Renzor's career. So be it. Borland relly digs the style. But if you listen very, very closely, it actually sounds like Trent singing for Limp Bizkit, making one wonder what the Bizkit would have turned into if Fred Durst had a vocal range greater than that of a gnat.
With Lohner's production and boss Ross Robinson's astute mix, cuts like "Coward" and "I Have A Need" come alive with vibrant dynamics. Borland is surprisingly convincing as a frontman. No wonder he was frustrated with the Jacksonville clique. He really could have done it all on his own long ago if this product is any sort of indication.
In the final analysis, "Cruel Melody" is not only an auspicious debut for Black Light Burns, the record contains enough good songs to have just as much of a chance at radio as anyone else. Caveat emptor - you simply must dig NIN to get this, but for those who say nay, Borland proves them all wrong. Each and every one. You can't avoid this album if industrial rock is your casual addiction.
Review by: EF
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