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.
Stop a Bullet
Black Light Burns Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've acquired a taste for watching you in pain
It's pretty hard to admit; it makes me feel like shit
But I mean it
And I know that I am wrong
The weaker you get, the more I feel strong
So I want you to leave, wipe your face on your sleeve
And beat it
This doesn't end with you
I walk around, and I think of people other than you
That I wish they were cursed
That I wish them the worst
I really wish 'em the worst
But I'm doing my best
And I hope you forgive me now that I've confessed
'Cause I'm tryin' to resist my heart becomin' a fist forever
[Chorus:]
Because you can't, you can't, you can't stop a bullet
I'm givin' you my trigger but you better never pull it
You can't, you can't, you can't stop a bullet
I'm givin' you my trigger but you better never pull it
You've got something to say
You've acquired a taste for watching me in pain
It's pretty hard to admit it makes you feel like shit
But you mean it
What the hell can we do?
I'm a different face of the man you knew
I'm a hole you'll fill
For the rest of your life
[Chorus]
You can't, you can't, you can't stop a bullet
I'm givin' you my trigger but you better never pull it
You can't, you can't, you can't stop a bullet
I'm givin' you my trigger but you better never pull it
You can't, you can't, you can't stop a bullet
I'm givin' you my trigger but you better never pull it
You can't, you can't, you can't stop a bullet
I'm givin' you my trigger but you better never pull it
The lyrics to "Stop a Bullet" by Black Light Burns are dark, introspective, and emotionally charged. The singer admits to having a sadistic streak, enjoying watching the person they're addressing suffer. This admission makes them feel ashamed but they can't help the way they feel. They recognize that their behavior is wrong, but their sadism makes them feel stronger the weaker their victim becomes. They want their victim to leave, to get away from them, so they won't act on their sadistic urges.
The second verse reveals that the singer isn't just sadistic towards this particular person. In fact, they wish ill on others and "hope they're cursed." They're struggling with their dark impulses but want to do better. The chorus, "you can't stop a bullet, I'm giving you my trigger but you better never pull it" is a metaphor for giving the other person the power to hurt and manipulate them, but warning them not to do so. The song ends with an admission that both the singer and their victim are wounded, with the victim being a hole that the singer will never fill.
The lyrics are a powerful exploration of self-awareness, acknowledging one's dark side, and the tremendous effort it takes to resist one's impulses. The metaphor of the trigger is a potent image of the paradoxical vulnerability and strength of being emotionally exposed to another person.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got something to say
The singer has a message to communicate
I've acquired a taste for watching you in pain
The singer enjoys seeing the other person suffer
It's pretty hard to admit; it makes me feel like shit
The singer feels guilty about their sadistic tendencies
But I mean it
The artist is sincere in their statement
And I know that I am wrong
The artist acknowledges that their behavior is unacceptable
The weaker you get, the more I feel strong
The singer gains power and superiority from the other person's vulnerability
So I want you to leave, wipe your face on your sleeve
The singer wants the other person to leave and not show weakness in front of them
And beat it
The artist wants the other person to leave immediately
This doesn't end with you
The artist's sadism extends beyond just the other person
I walk around, and I think of people other than you
The artist has sadistic thoughts about other people as well
That I wish they were cursed
The singer wants bad things to happen to other people
That I wish them the worst
The artist wants the most negative possible outcome for other people
But I'm doing my best
The singer is trying to control their sadistic desires
And I hope you forgive me now that I've confessed
The singer is seeking forgiveness for their sadistic thoughts and behavior
'Cause I'm tryin' to resist my heart becomin' a fist forever
The singer doesn't want to become permanently violent and cruel
Because you can't, you can't, you can't stop a bullet
The artist is warning the other person that they can't control or stop them
I'm givin' you my trigger but you better never pull it
The artist is metaphorically giving the other person a weapon, but warning them not to use it
You've got something to say
The singer is acknowledging that the other person also has something to communicate
You've acquired a taste for watching me in pain
The other person also enjoys seeing the singer suffer
It's pretty hard to admit it makes you feel like shit
The other person also feels guilty about their sadistic tendencies
But you mean it
The other person is sincere in their statement
What the hell can we do?
The artist is uncertain about what to do in this situation
I'm a different face of the man you knew
The singer has changed in some fundamental ways
I'm a hole you'll fill
The artist has created an emotional wound in the other person that they will always carry
For the rest of your life
The other person will never fully recover from the singer's actions
You can't, you can't, you can't stop a bullet
The singer repeats their warning that they cannot be stopped or controlled
I'm givin' you my trigger but you better never pull it
The repeating line emphasizes the seriousness of the situation and the singer's warning
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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