Putting Duran Duran Next To Iggy
It’s a shame sometimes that humans don’t have memories like a goldfish. Too often people are more than happy to trawl through the dark abyss of their mind to dislodge worthless information that should have remained forgotten. Take Black Light Burns for example. As a new band on the music scene most people wouldn’t have given them too much thought, classing them merely as a new band and checking out their music accordingly. But, Black Light Burns are more than just a new band and its this fact that unfortunately could, rightly or wrongly, sway people’s opinions. After all this is a band fronted by Limp Bizkit’s guitarist, a band whose name somehow triggers a strange response from music fans and a name that sadly many will have to get passed in order to appreciate this album as something new and entirely different. Fingers crossed people can detach Wes Borland from his former band.
Nicely titled ‘Cover Your Heart’, Black Light Burns latest album is literally a covers album of the band’s favourite music, giving them chance to pay homage to the bands they have loved and the music that has influenced them. Kicking off with ‘Forkboy’ by Lard, Black Light Burns leaves no doubt about their electro/industrial sound as the static tinged rumblings of the opening track are strapped to some fast paced riffs that grow rapidly from a twinkling start into a full thumping attack. Even Duran Duran get the Black Light Burns treatment with the catchy pop synth core of ‘Hungry Like The Wolf’ remaining remarkably intact, gaining some surprisingly appealing drum beats to add some weight to the original’s mellower base. Likewise, Sisters Of Mercy’s ‘Lucretia My Reflection’ sticks to the original’s formula, adding only subtle changes that make for a brilliantly dark dose of industrialised electro that is perhaps the highlight of the album.
Thumping menacingly in, ‘Rid Of Me’ boasts a crunchy blast of riffs before Borland’s rough whisper threateningly creep through the song, bringing a hint of venom to P.J Harvey’s track with great effect before Jesus Lizard’s ‘Art Of Self Defence’ bulldozes in with undiscriminating drum beats and anger ravaged vocals that threaten to attack all. Indeed no one escapes the Black Light Burns treatment with Iggy And The Stooges also getting some new touches as ‘Search And Destroy’ spits and snarls with electro bite.
For those who can look past his previous band, Borland’s new outing with Black Light Burns does suggest that there is more to this man and indeed ‘Cover Your Heart’ contains some great reworkings of tracks; let’s hope now people will see the band as separate from any previous act and listen to the music before making up their minds.