Black Light Burns
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| Black Light Burns | |
|---|---|
| Origin | California, USA |
| Genre(s) | Alternative Metal Alternative Rock Industrial Metal Industrial Rock |
| Years active | 2005-present |
| Label(s) | I AM: WOLFPACK |
| Associated acts | The Damning Well Limp Bizkit From First to Last Nine Inch Nails A Perfect Circle The Esoteric Telefon Tel Aviv Fear and the Nervous System |
| Website | www.blacklightburns.com |
| Members | |
| Wes Borland Nick Annis Marshall Kilpatric Sean Fetterman |
|
| Former members | |
| Josh Freese Josh Eustis Danny Lohner |
|
Black Light Burns is an industrial rock band featuring Wes Borland (formerly of Limp Bizkit, Big Dumb Face, Eat the Day). The band's original studio lineup consisted of Borland himself, 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 will release 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.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] 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 himself 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.
[edit] 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. (http://indiehq.com/2007/06/13/536/#more-536)
On July 13 2007 Black Light Burns was featured on the Carson Daly late night talk show where they performed "Lie."
[edit] Future events
Borland says that he has written about 15 new songs for the follow up to Cruel Melody, with their drummer Marshall Kilpatric 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.
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 announced plans for a covers album titled Cover Your Heart and the Anvil Pants Odyssey that also includes 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 will be 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.[1]
[edit] Band members
[edit] Current members
- Wes Borland – lead vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards (2005 - present)
- Nick Annis – guitars (2007 - present)
- Sean Fetterman – bass (2007 - present)
- Marshall Kilpatric – drums, percussion (2007 - present)
[edit] Past 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.
[edit] Guest contributors
- Sonny Moore – vocals on "Coward"
- Danny Lohner – second guitar on "Coward" and "I Have a Need"
- 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-titled song written during the summer of 2006, that is currently unreleased.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums
- 2007: Cruel Melody
- 2008: Cover Your Heart and the Anvil Pants Odyssey
- 2008/2009: Black Light Burns' Second Studio Album
[edit] Singles
- 2007: "Lie"
- 2007: "4 Walls"
