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 worked 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 band mates. 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, he became cocky, and thought because of his previous success with Limp Bizkit, duplicating that success with a new band would be simple. Borland soon found out this wasn't the case. Eat The Day eventually unravelled 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.
In terms of their lineup, the band 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, he returned to Limp Bizkit once again, 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 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.
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) in 2005, 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.
On June 16, Borland announced that the band and Geffen Records had parted ways. There was little word in the following months over the situation regarding a new label, though as of October 25, the band is in negotiations with a label, and are hoping to release their debut album early 2007.
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 includes Nick Annis (previously in Open Hand, Turn of the Screw) as a guitarist and Marshall Kilpatric (previously in The Esoteric) on drums, as well as Wes Borland himself.
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 (singer of FFTL) developed a node on his right vocal chord and has to get surgery, thus ending Wes Borland's current touring stint with From First To Last.
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 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, INXS, 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. 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.
As of August 2008, at the ETP Conference, it was announced that Borland is now the current Marilyn Manson tour guitarist.
Also Two new songs have appeared on http://www.myspace.com/wesleyborland. They are entitled Cats and Cats And Cats, B4Lf3r
Much like Nine Inch Nails, Black Light Burns consists of two entities, the studio band, and the live band. Some members of the band that recorded in the studio may not be able to tour with the band, and future live members might contribute to future CD releases, therefore lineup changes could occur. Borland did all of the vocals, guitar, and bass on the album.
Studio Line-up
1. Wes Borland - (previously in Limp Bizkit, Eat The Day, Big Dumb Face)
2. Danny Lohner - (previously in Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle)
3. Josh Freese - (The Vandals, Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle, many more)
4. Josh Eustis - (Telefon Tel Aviv)
When asked on Black Light Burns's MySpace if the studio band listed above would return for the band's second record, Wes Borland replied "Probably not. Marshall is the full time drummer for BLB now, but Danny Lohner may be returning for some input on the next record."
Live Line-up
1. Wes Borland - Vocals, Guitar
2. Marshall Kilpatric - Drums (previously in The Esoteric, Today is the Day)
3. Nick Annis - Guitar (previously in Open Hand, Turn Of The Screw, shortly played for Seether while on tour in Ozzfest)
4. Dennis Sanders Jr.-Bass
Wes Borland's MacBook Pro will be playing the keyboard or loops that the four above bandmembers can't/won't be playing live. According to Borland, Josh Eustis, who played keyboards and sound design on Cruel Melody, was supposed to join the live lineup, but opted to do production instead, leaving Borland to use his laptop to reproduce samples and keyboards live.
Because of You
Black Light Burns Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've searched
The back streets to the shore
The river banks
No thanks
It won't feel like before
Because of this
I fish for little bits of time
And turned them into mine
I thought I'd let you know
I won't be letting go
I won't be turning cheek
I won't be swallowing
I thought I'd let you know
I won't be letting go
I won't be turning cheek
I won't be suffering
Because of you
I waste
The life I thought I made
I throw away what's warm
The colour starts to fade
Because it seems
I dream
Of being somewhere else
I try to find that place
And end up by myself
I thought I'd let you know
I won't be letting go
I won't be turning cheek
I won't be swallowing
I thought I'd let you know
I won't be letting go
I won't be turning cheek
I won't be suffering
[x3]
Because of you
The lyrics to Black Light Burns's song Because of You paint a picture of someone who is in a state of emotional turmoil. The singer sings about how they have been searching frantically for something - possibly meaning or purpose - but have been unable to find it. They have wandered through the back streets and river banks, feeling lost and apathetic. The singer seems to be addressing their pain to the person who caused it, saying that they won't be letting go, turning the other cheek, or suffering any longer.
The singer goes on to describe how their life feels like a waste since they met this person. They throw away what's good and warm, and everything starts to lose its color. Despite their best efforts to find a better place, they always end up alone. The repetition of the phrase ''I thought I'd let you know'' drives home the message that the singer is trying to get through to this person - declaring that they are finished with suffering because of them. This anguished pleading makes it clear that the person being addressed in the song has caused profound damage to the singer's life and state of mind.
Overall, the lyrics suggest that the singer is blaming someone for their struggles and frustration. The singer is trying to convey the message that they will no longer put up with being held back because of this individual. It is a powerful and emotional self-expression of pain and anger.
Line by Line Meaning
Because of you
Due to your actions or presence in my life
I've searched
I have scoured and explored my surroundings
The back streets to the shore
From the lesser known or hidden areas to the coastline
The river banks
I have traversed along the side of the river
No thanks
I did not find what I was looking for
It won't feel like before
The experience will not be the same as it once was
Because of this
As a result of this situation
I fish for little bits of time
I search for and try to hold onto brief moments and experiences
I memorized your thoughts
I remember and know your thoughts and ideas
And turned them into mine
I have assimilated your thoughts and made them a part of myself
I thought I'd let you know
I felt compelled to inform you
I won't be letting go
I will not release my grip on this situation or emotion
I won't be turning cheek
I will not turn the other way or ignore the issue at hand
I won't be swallowing
I will not accept or tolerate this discomfort or pain
Because of you
Again, because of your actions or presence
I waste
I squander and misuse
The life I thought I made
The existence I believed I had created for myself
I throw away what's warm
I discard what is comforting and familiar
The colour starts to fade
The vibrancy and liveliness begins to disappear
Because it seems
Due to the appearance that
I dream
I envision and imagine
Of being somewhere else
Of a place or situation that is different or better than my current one
I try to find that place
I attempt to locate and attain that desired place or situation
And end up by myself
Yet I still remain alone or isolated
I won't be letting go
Repeating the idea that I will not release my hold on this issue or emotion
I won't be turning cheek
Again, stating that I will not ignore the problem
I won't be swallowing
I will not accept or tolerate this discomfort or pain (repeated multiple times in the song)
I won't be suffering
I will not endure this pain or hardship
Contributed by Kaylee G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.