Black Light Burns

Let's propose a little scenario. If we were the betting type and it was a decade ago, we'd have wagered a decent sum of chump change that Limp Bizkit frontman, the in-need-of-an-attitude-adjustment Fred Durst, would enjoy the longest career of his former Bizkit cohorts, since he crossed over into the mainstream world's consciousness with his antics. Well, we're not big gamblers and Durst's 15-minutes expired years ago as he faded into rap-metal obscurity. Thankfully, Durst riding a crest of continued fame is not how history would have it, and former LB guitarist Wes Borland is having the last laugh. Borland was always regarded as Durst's foil and the one with the most talent in a band cavorting in the shaky, scoffed at rap-metal genre.

That'll be the last mention of Durst, as Borland deserves the attention he's going to get with his latest project, Black Light Burns. Further adding credence to Borland's reputation as an artist who does what he wants for the sake of art, Cover Your Heart presents gritty, grainy, neo-industrial rock covers of both hit songs and underground gems. Borland and his cronies scoured the new wave, punk, goth and noise canons and offer up their unique, dissonant takes. Kudos to BLB for trying the unexpected and staying away from no-brainer covers!

Jeez, where do we start? The lo-fi rendition of Love and Rockets' lone hit "So Alive" sounds as though it were recorded in a tin can, and that was probably Black Light Burns' intention—to keep things as unpolished as possible. Their creative re-imagining of Duran Duran's smash "Hungry Like the Wolf" is dirty, like it rolled around in a garbage dump for an hour! Other standouts include a thoroughly rockin' version of PJ Harvey's disaffected "Rid of Me" and a razored, discordant take on Fiona Apple's "On the Bound." No one is safe from Black Light Burns and their delicious massacring of poppy songs.

Psssst…there are seven instrumentals, as well, from the sessions from the band's debut, Cruel Melody, hanging out at the end of the disc, too.

— Amy Sciarretto
08.20.08