Black Light Burns is the new project of guitarist Wes Borland, best known for his chameleon-like days in Limp Bizkit, however “Cruel Melody” doesn’t trudge the same sterile terrain of rap-metal as former employers. Instead, Black Light Burns is where all Borland’s disperse influences come together into a cohesive and entertaining end result. There are hints of The Cure, Queens of the Stone Age and Nine Inch Nails to be found in “Cruel Melody”, especially the later which might come as no surprise considering that Danny Lohner and Josh Freese from Nine Inch Nails along with Josh Eustis of Telefon Tel Aviv are backing up the guitarist throughout these thirteen themes. “Animal", “Lie” and “Stop a Bullet” all glide with a certain electro vibe and dark ambience that could rival Trent Reznor’s best efforts, while opener “Mesopotamia” showcases a very upbeat and catchy rhythm akin to Queens of the Stone Age. The album starts to pale off a bit after the fifth song with some fillers in the shape of “4 Walls" and “One of Yours”, which both sound like they could have been written for the Biscuits. If only Wes Borland could stretch the impressive quality of the first half of the album throughout its entirety, “Cruel Melody” could well become a serious candidate for album of the year. Anyway, it’s still five times better than everything Limp Bizkit has ever done. (6/10)Band info: www.blacklightburns.com
Label info: http://iamwolfpack.com
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