Black Light Burns

Black Light Burns is an alternative rock band featuring Wes Borland (of Limp Bizkit fame). The band's original studio lineup consisted of Borland, along with Danny Lohner (Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle), Josh Eustis (Telefon Tel Aviv) and Josh Freese (The Vandals, A Perfect Circle, Nine Inch Nails). Their debut album Cruel Melody, was released on June 5, 2007. The band released a covers album+DVD package in summer of 2008 titled Cover Your Heart and the Anvil Pants Odyssey, and is currently working on its second album.

History

Formation

Borland states that Black Light Burns is the culmination of the various projects he has been working on ever since he quit Limp Bizkit in 2001. Things began with Big Dumb Face, a solo project that Borland had been working on during his time with Limp Bizkit. Borland didn't take the project too seriously, and used it to basically test the waters, and see how hard it would be to do something serious on his own, without the aid of his bandmates. After he quit the band, he began working on several different projects. The first of which was supposed to be an instrumental album one could listen to and simply relax. Simultaneously, he began Eat The Day. With this project, Borland stated that he became cocky, and thought because of his previous success with Limp Bizkit, duplicating that success with a new band would be simple. He soon found out this wasn't the case. Eat The Day eventually unraveled itself, as, in Borland's words, "I think everybody involved in that project had different ideas about the direction that it should go". Borland became self-absorbed, and along with continuous pressure from the label, and struggles finding a lead singer for the band, the project eventually disbanded.[1]

In terms of their lineup, Black Light Burns is somewhat of a successor to the brief project The Damning Well, which consisted of mostly the same members. The main difference this time around being that Borland has taken vocals into his own hands, after many attempts to find a proper vocalist in various projects.

After the 'failure' of Borland's various projects, Borland began writing a solo record with Danny Lohner, Josh Freese, Josh Eustis, and John Bates all contributing. This solo record was the beginning of Black Light Burns, and stylistically at the time, it was more of a mellow, relaxing, and esoteric outing. Wes returned to Limp Bizkit once again in late summer of 2004, turning down the spot as Nine Inch Nails touring guitar player. According to vocalist Fred Durst, Borland only agreed to return to the band on the condition that their label, Geffen, agreed to support his then burgeoning solo project, Black Light Burns.

It began only as a side project, with Borland writing many of the songs during his time off from Limp Bizkit, but soon things in Limp Bizkit became very quiet, and Borland stated that Black Light Burns was now his main project, and anything else he did, including Limp Bizkit, was a side project. Eventually arguments broke out on MySpace between Borland and Durst, and Borland left Limp Bizkit once again, although according to him, the band members had already gone their separate ways, he simply decided not to return. By this time, however, Borland had written significantly heavier material for Black Light Burns alongside the softer material, and Black Light Burns had evolved into a full out band as opposed to a softer solo effort.

The Black Light Burns song titled "I Have a Need" was instrumentally written to be included on the Limp Bizkit release The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1), but was cut in order for the EP to remain mostly metal oriented. It features Limp Bizkit's bassist Sam Rivers on the track, and Wes was allowed to use the song for Black Light Burns when the song was turned down for use by Limp Bizkit.

Cruel Melody

Borland has stated that he is the only constant in Black Light Burns, as the other members of the studio lineup are expected to be mostly unable to participate in touring with Black Light Burns, such as the notoriously busy Josh Freese.

The initial touring lineup of Black Light Burns Wes Borland – Vocals, Guitar, Marshall Kilpatric – Drums (previously in The Esoteric), Nick Annis – Guitar (previously in Open Hand, Turn of the Screw), Sean Fetterman – Bass (previously in Turn of the Screw).

However, Black Light Burns' first tour was previously set to begin in fall of 2006 with From First to Last, who Borland also plays bass for on and off. This tour was to feature Borland doing double duty as the singer/guitarist for Black Light Burns and then bassist for From First to Last afterwards. However, Sonny Moore (From First to Last) developed a node on his right vocal cord and has to get surgery, thus ending Wes Borland's current touring stint with From First to Last.

Lie served as the first single from the album, going to radio on March 20. A music video was released soon after this.

Borland announced touring dates for May 2007 opening for Chevelle in April. While staying in Texas for a show, Chevelle was robbed of their equipment and canceled all tour dates for that week. Black Light Burns was unsatisfied with not playing for this time and played a few shows to test the waters of their upcoming headlining tour.

In its first week of release Cruel Melody sold 6,000 copies in the US according to Indiehq.com. ^[1]

On July 13 2007 Black Light Burns was featured on the Carson Daly late night talk show where they performed "Lie."

Future events

Borland says that he has written 18 new songs for the follow up to Cruel Melody, with their drummer Marshall Kilpatric and guitarist Nick Annis aiding in the writing process, which Borland describes as heavier, more guitar driven based, and not as dark as Cruel Melody. Borland also has stated a strong desire to try and write more songs for Black Light Burns with Sam Rivers of Limp Bizkit on bass, and to get DJ Lethal of Limp Bizkit to do some programming parts on the next record as well, but it has yet to be said if those plans came to fruition or not.

In late 2007–early 2008, after a scheduled break from touring for the their label to secure an overseas release of Cruel Melody, Black Light Burns released a cover album titled Cover Your Heart and the Anvil Pants Odyssey that also included remixes and b-sides from Cruel Melody, and a DVD containing live and behind the scenes footage of the band. Artists PJ Harvey, The Jesus Lizard, Love and Rockets, The Swans, Fiona Apple, Lard, and Borland's own old side project Big Dumb Face will be covered for the release. "Devil Inside" by INXS was originally intended to appear on this album as well, but it has since been removed. Cover Your Heart is the name of the actual CD of covers, remixes, and b-sides of Cruel Melody, while The Anvil Pants Odyssey is the name of the DVD. The two discs released together in spring of 2008.

On March 30, 2008 Wes Borland made a post on the band's MySpace about how he filled in for the band X Japan and was "looking forward to coming home and getting back to work on the next BLB album", by which he means the second full length Black Light Burns album, due to the fact that their cover song album was already complete by that point in time.^[2]

As of August 2008, at the ETP Conference, it was announced that Borland is now the current Marilyn Manson guitarist.^[3]

However, Borland has since left Manson's employ, claiming his reasons for leaving included rejoining his old band and having creative differences with Manson, citing "It's the Marilyn Manson show over there." ^[4]

Two new songs have appeared on http://www.myspace.com/wesleyborland They are entitled Cats and Cats And Cats, B4Lf3r. Borland said that these two songs will not be on the next Black Light Burns record, and are just demos that he works on from time to time for use in other projects

On December 16, 2008 Wes Borland made a post on the band's MySpace blog that confirmed they would appear on the Underworld: Rise of the Lycans: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. They contributed the track "I Want You To", which is taken off their forthcoming record. The song is available on their official MySpace page. This is not the first time Borland's work appears on an Underworld series soundtrack; his previous band, The Damning Well, appeared on the Underworld soundtrack and much of Cruel Melody is believed to be taken from that project. ^[5]

Black Light Burns have been touring with Combichrist since December of 2008, and have included two new songs in their set. One is "I Want You To" from the Underworld: Rise of the Lycans soundtrack, and the other is titled "How To Look Naked". The lyrics to the first verse of "How To Look Naked" were previously used in the song "Iodine Sky", the last of Cruel Melody; Borland whispers the same words at the end of the track.

Currently, Black Light Burns is on temporary hiatus due to a Limp Bizkit reunion. Wes Borland has rejoined Limp Bizkit and there are plans for a tour and a new album. Borland has stated many times on Myspace and Twitter that a second record was completed and currently put on the backburner until he found a label willing to release it.

Band members

Current members

• Wes Borland – lead vocals, guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, programming, production (2005–present)
• Nick Annis – guitar (2007–present)
• Dennis Sanders Jr. – bass guitar (2008–present)
• Marshall Kilpatric – drums, percussion (2007–present)

Past members

• Sean Fetterman – bass guitar (2007–2008)

Guest contributors

• Josh Freese – drums, percussion (on Cruel Melody)
• Josh Eustis – keyboards, synths, sound design (on Cruel Melody)
  • Eustis was originally supposed to join the live lineup, but opted to do production instead, leaving Borland to use his laptop to reproduce samples and keyboards live.
• Danny Lohner – guitars, bass, production, programming, sound design (on Cruel Melody)
  • Borland has also stated that Lohner may contribute to future records.
• Sonny Moore – vocals on "Coward"
• Sam Rivers – bass on "I Have a Need"
• Carina Round – vocals on "Cruel Melody"
• Johnette Napolitano – vocals on "I Am Where it Takes Me"
• Endless Hallway – certain members appear on one of the three still as-of-yet untitled song written during the summer of 2006, that are currently unreleased.

Discography

Studio albums

• 2007: Cruel Melody
• 2009: TBA

Compilation albums

• 2008: Cover Your Heart and the Anvil Pants Odyssey

Singles

• 2007: "Lie"
• 2007: "4 Walls"

References

External links

• Black Light Burns official website
• Black Light Burns Fansite
• Black Light Burns article for Billboard.com