Black Light Burns
Cruel Melody

There are many musical paths that can be successfully explored by an artist worthy of this name. Solo projects and otherwise, genre changes, and the declaration of 'not guilty' and 'unintentional' commercialization, as experienced by the good Chris Cornell or the more oriental and 'alienoid' Daron Malakian (former SOAD) with results of varying depth. This so-called "do-it-yourself" experience has also been embraced by the eccentric Wes Borland who, tired of the "Nu-Style" guitar riffs that framed Limp Bizkit's albums, preferred to focus on an alternative project: Black Light Burns.
I'll say right away that BLB has little to do with Nu-Metal and even less with L. Bizkit, with whom relations seem to be over. No matter what F. Durst might say, he will now have to settle for Terry Balsamo on guitar.

The style with which this "Cruel Melody" can be associated is 'Industrial' mixed with 'Alternative Rock', featuring New Wave sounds, altogether a picture not easy to describe in a review.
On first listen, the factor that most characterizes the album is the presence of distorted guitars and introspective lyrics (I'm building a house of murderous intention) taken from the first and only single "Lie" or (I thought I was above you I hate that I love you) from "Animal", along with an admittedly tentative passage in a style ranging from new wave to grunge as in "Cruel Melody", with a lot of Depeche Mode in the initial part, and with an ending that winks at the late Cobain.
When light touches the creative genius, it reaches a level of absolute depth and thus tracks like "4 Walls" (which recalls a bit of Serj Tankian, who, in terms of creativity, doesn't have much to learn), the aforementioned "Animal," and the 'Rammsteinian' "Mesopotamia" are absolute confirmations of that.
In particular, "Animal" and "Coward" undeniably have a 'je ne sais quoi' of radiophonic appeal, possessing a style that has certainly been delivered in the past, nothing particularly new, but still they are the most enveloping and fascinating tracks on the CD, with a singing style that may seem a bit superficial but encapsulates the dark essence of the record.
Notably, it seems the second part of the album is a prelude to what will happen to Borland in a few months (I will explain what I mean shortly); tracks like "Stop A Bullet" and "New Hunger" should be affiliated with a genre, new wave, that seems to have lost its shine in recent years. The introverted and controversial compositional ability of Black Light Burns delivers a very full-bodied dark finale and a calm one full of 'ifs' and 'buts,' with the closing track "Iodine Sky" as confirmation, with its length (over 8 minutes), its gloom, and its exclusively instrumental nature.

As previously mentioned regarding our dear Wes, there are some novelties that seem to be prophesied in this album. In fact, Borland will be the new guitarist for M. Manson, as officially announced by the 'reverend' during an interview given in August. In short, the genius blended with Borland's character will meet its match; sample this "Cruel Melody" and get ready...for the best. Album rating: between 8 and 9.