Cruel Melody

Last updated
Cruel Melody
Black Light Burns-Cruel Melody.jpg
Studio album by
Black Light Burns
ReleasedJune 5, 2007
Recorded2005–2006
StudioCastel Renholder Studios (Los Angeles, California)
Genre Industrial rock, alternative rock, alternative metal
Length62:33
Label I AM: WOLFPACK
Producer Danny Lohner
Black Light Burns chronology
Cruel Melody
(2007)		 Cover Your Heart and the Anvil Pants Odyssey
(2008)

Cruel Melody is the debut album of American rock band Black Light Burns, released on June 5, 2007, through Ross Robinson's label I AM: WOLFPACK. The album is an outcome of frontman Wes Borland's efforts after his departure from Limp Bizkit in 2001, after which he took part in many projects such as Eat the Day and The Damning Well. After receiving additional inputs from then members Danny Lohner, Josh Freese and Josh Eustis, Cruel Melody was released in the spring of 2007.

Contents

Background

Wes Borland began writing in early 2004 a solo album of mainly melodic and esoteric material after he disbanded his projects such as Big Dumb Face, Eat the Day and The Damning Well but slightly before he rejoined Limp Bizkit in mid-2004. During this time Borland was offered the touring guitarist spot in Nine Inch Nails, and frontman Trent Reznor offered his opinions on the material as it was at the time. He encouraged Borland to "not sing like someone was asleep in the next room" and make it a heavier affair, while coincidentally Borland was changing the material slowly more into that. While the songs were written by Borland, he did have additional input from producer Danny Lohner, drummer Josh Freese (both ex-members of The Damning Well) and the keyboards and additional engineering were assisted by Josh Eustis.

The song "I Have a Need" was instrumentally written to be included on the Limp Bizkit release The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1) , but was cut in order for the EP to remain mostly metal oriented. It features Limp Bizkit's bassist Sam Rivers [1] on the track, and Borland was allowed to use the song for Black Light Burns when the song was turned down for use by Limp Bizkit.

Release and promotion

Cruel Melody was released on June 5, 2007, selling 6,000 copies in its first week in the US according to Indiehq.com. [2]

Black Light Burns toured extensively in America, starting slightly before the album release and for about the next year and a half, doing headline dates, music festivals, and opening for Sevendust. There were difficulties in shows being under promoted, but the band persisted. The touring in support for the album was documented professionally, and released on the bonus DVD to the band's then upcoming cover's album, Cover Your Heart and the Anvil Pants Odyssey.

The song "Lie" served as the first single from the album, going to radio on March 20. A music video was released soon after this. The tracks "4 Walls" and "Animal" are used in Season 2 of TV series Burn Notice . The track "Stop a Bullet" is used in the launch trailer for the videogame Ghost Recon: Future Soldier .

On July 13, 2007 Black Light Burns was featured on the late night talk show Last Call with Carson Daly where they performed "Lie." [3]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [4]

Allmusic writer Greg Prato wrote a positive review, stating: "For many, Borland was the only Limp Bizkit member who was taken seriously. As evidenced by Cruel Melody, he is now officially allowed to follow whichever musical path he so desires." [5]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Wes Borland.

No.TitleLength
1."Mesopotamia"4:27
2."Animal"4:08
3."Lie"4:19
4."Coward" (feat. Sonny Moore)4:36
5."Cruel Melody" (feat. Carina Round)5:00
6."The Mark"3:13
7."I Have a Need" (feat. Sam Rivers)4:24
8."4 Walls"3:51
9."Stop a Bullet"3:37
10."One of Yours"4:51
11."New Hunger"5:24
12."I Am Where It Takes Me" (feat. Johnette Napolitano)6:09
13."Iodine Sky"8:30
Total length:62:29
iTunes bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
14."Fall Below"4:16
Total length:66:45
European & Japanese edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
14."Kill the Queen"4:56
Total length:67:21
Limited edition bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
14."Kill the Queen"4:54
15."Fall Below"4:15
16."Mesopotamia" (Assyrian mix)5:45
17."Lie" (Seth Vogt mix)6:27
Total length:83:40
Best Buy edition downloadable bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
1."Kill the Queen"4:56
2."Lie" (Daniel from Idiot Pilot Remix)4:14
Total length:09:10
Limited edition bonus DVD
No.TitleLength
1."Mesopotamia" (Music video)4:29
2."Lie" (Music video)4:21
3."4 Walls" (Music video)3:54
Total length:12:44
Bonus tracks
European bonus tracks

Personnel

String section

String instruments on (11 and 12)

Charts

Chart (2002)Peak
position
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [6] 20
Australian Albums (ARIA) [7] 25
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [8] 17
UK Albums (OCC) [9] 71
US Billboard 200 [10] 133
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [11] 2
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [12] 12

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Limp Bizkit</span> American nu metal band

Limp Bizkit is an American nu metal band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers. The band's music is marked by Durst's angry vocal delivery and Borland's sonic experimentation. Borland's elaborate visual appearance, which includes face and body paint, masks, and uniforms, also plays a large role in Limp Bizkit's live shows. The band has been nominated for three Grammy Awards, sold 40 million records worldwide, and won several other awards.

<i>Results May Vary</i> 2003 studio album by Limp Bizkit

Results May Vary is the fourth studio album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit, released on September 23, 2003, through Flip and Interscope Records. It is the band's only release under the sole-leadership of vocalist Fred Durst after the temporary departure of guitarist Wes Borland, who left in 2001. Guitarist Mike Smith of Snot was brought in to replace Borland, although his time with the band was brief, and Durst along with a number of guests ended up handling the majority of the album's guitar work.

<i>Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water</i> 2000 studio album by Limp Bizkit

Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water is the third studio album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit. It was released on October 17, 2000, through Flip and Interscope Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wes Borland</span> American guitarist and vocalist

Wesley Louden Borland is an American rock musician. He is the guitarist and backing vocalist of the nu metal band Limp Bizkit, the lead vocalist and guitarist of the alternative and industrial rock band Black Light Burns, and the co-founder of the experimental metal band Big Dumb Face.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amotion</span> 2004 compilation album by A Perfect Circle

Amotion is a DVD–CD set released by American rock band A Perfect Circle on November 16, 2004, only two weeks after the debut of the band's third album, eMOTIVe. The DVD consists of music videos for singles such as "Judith", "3 Libras" and "Weak and Powerless" as well as previously unreleased videos for singles such as "Blue" and "Thinking of You". The CD is composed entirely of remixes of the singles from Mer de Noms and Thirteenth Step. The songs were retooled by Danny Lohner, Joshua Eustis, Massive Attack, and James Iha among others. The video album debuted at number four on the SoundScan Top Music Video chart and number ten on the Australian music DVD chart. aMOTION was certified Platinum by the RIAA on 17 December 2004.

<i>Significant Other</i> (album) 1999 studio album by Limp Bizkit

Significant Other is the second studio album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit. It was released on June 22, 1999, through Flip and Interscope Records. It saw the band expand their sound from that of their 1997 debut Three Dollar Bill, Y'all to incorporate further metal and hip hop influences, but with a more melodic and less hardcore punk-influenced sound.

<i>Three Dollar Bill, Yall</i> 1997 studio album by Limp Bizkit

Three Dollar Bill, Y'all is the debut studio album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit, released on July 1, 1997, through Flip and Interscope Records. It established the band's trademark sound with the singles "Counterfeit", which was influenced by hip hop and heavy metal, and "Faith", a cover of the 1987 song of the same name by George Michael. Limp Bizkit's rearrangement of the song incorporated scratching by DJ Lethal and heavier guitar playing by Wes Borland.

Daniel Patrick Lohner, frequently known as Renholdër, is an American musician and record producer best known for his work with Nine Inch Nails and A Perfect Circle. In 2020, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Nine Inch Nails.

The Damning Well was a rock supergroup comprising Wes Borland of Limp Bizkit on guitar, Danny Lohner formerly of Nine Inch Nails on bass, Richard Patrick of Filter on vocals, and Josh Freese of A Perfect Circle on drums. While rumors spread that an entire album had been recorded, Patrick has said on numerous occasions that this is false. Only two songs were recorded: "Awakening", which was released on Underworld movie soundtrack in 2003, and "Power", an unreleased track featuring Amy Lee of Evanescence on guest vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Rivers (musician)</span> American bassist

Samuel Robert Rivers is an American musician. He is the bassist and backing vocalist of the rock band Limp Bizkit and one of its founding members.

<i>WWF Forceable Entry</i> 2002 soundtrack album by WWE

WWF Forceable Entry is a soundtrack album by WWE. Released on March 26, 2002 by Columbia Records, it features entrance music of WWE wrestlers re-recorded by various hard rock and heavy metal artists and bands. It is also the last album released under the "WWF" name, as the company changed its name to "WWE" in May 2002 after a British court ruled in favor of the World Wide Fund for Nature for ownership of the "WWF" initialism and branding. The album was a commercial success, charting at number three on the US Billboard 200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Light Burns</span> American rock band

Black Light Burns was an American industrial rock band fronted by Wes Borland. Founded in 2005 after Borland departed Limp Bizkit, the band's lineup also includes Nick Annis, Dennis Sanders and Dylan Taylor. Their debut album, Cruel Melody, was released in June 2007 to critical acclaim. They released a covers and b-sides CD/DVD combo package in the summer of 2008 titled Cover Your Heart and the Anvil Pants Odyssey. After a temporary hiatus, the band regrouped in 2012 and released their second album, The Moment You Realize You're Going to Fall in August. The band released a concept album, Lotus Island, in January 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Way (Limp Bizkit song)</span> 2001 single by Limp Bizkit

"My Way" is a song by American band Limp Bizkit from their third studio album, Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000). It was the fourth single released from the album. It features a prominent sample from Eric B. and Rakim's "My Melody."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rollin' (Limp Bizkit song)</span> 2000 single by Limp Bizkit

"Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)" is a song by the American rap rock band Limp Bizkit from their album Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water. It was released as the second and third single simultaneously, along with "My Generation", on September 5, 2000. The song peaked at number 65 on the US Billboard Hot 100, giving the band their highest-charting single in the US, and remained on the chart for 17 weeks. Internationally, "Rollin'" topped the charts in Ireland and the United Kingdom and peaked within the top 10 of the charts in Austria, Finland, Germany, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weak and Powerless</span> 2003 single by A Perfect Circle

"Weak and Powerless" is the first single by the alternative rock band A Perfect Circle, from their second album, Thirteenth Step, and is also their highest charting single, reaching #1 on both the Mainstream Rock Tracks and Alternative Songs, the band's first number-one hit. This song was featured in the movie Underworld.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lie (Black Light Burns song)</span> 2007 single by Black Light Burns

"Lie" is the first single by American rock band Black Light Burns from their debut album Cruel Melody. It was released to radio on March 20, 2007.

<i>Anthems for the Damned</i> 2008 studio album by Filter

Anthems for the Damned is the fourth studio album by American rock band Filter. Started in 2003, the album saw many delays, as the band's sole member, frontman and founder Richard Patrick, took several breaks to pursue other musical interests, notably The Damning Well in 2003 and Army of Anyone from 2005 to 2007. Upon the breakup of Army of Anyone, Patrick decided to revisit the old material and finish it up for a final release. It was released to the public on May 13, 2008 through Pulse Records. It sold 13,000 copies its first week and debuted at number 42 on the Billboard 200.

<i>Gold Cobra</i> 2011 studio album by Limp Bizkit

Gold Cobra is the fifth studio album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit. Released in 2011 by Flip and Interscope Records, it is the band's first studio album since 2003's Results May Vary and its first with the full original lineup since 2000's Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water. Gold Cobra features an eclectic and diverse sound, but is also similar in style to the band's earlier albums. The album, which featured the single "Shotgun" and received mixed reviews, sold 27,000 copies during its first week in the United States and peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200. This was their last album for a decade, until the band released Still Sucks in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shotgun (Limp Bizkit song)</span> 2011 single by Limp Bizkit

"Shotgun" is a song by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit from their fifth studio album, Gold Cobra (2011). Notable for showcasing the guitar playing of Wes Borland and production by DJ Lethal. Written by Fred Durst, Borland, DJ Lethal, John Otto and Sam Rivers, the song describes sitting at home brandishing a shotgun.

<i>Still Sucks</i> 2021 studio album by Limp Bizkit

Still Sucks is the sixth studio album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit, released on October 31, 2021, through Suretone Records. Work on the album began in 2012, but the album lingered in development hell for the next nine years. The album's lead single "Dad Vibes" was premiered at the end of a performance at Lollapalooza on August 2, 2021, and officially released on September 30, 2021, marking their first brand-new material to be released for seven years.

References

  1. ↑ "Durst Attacks Wes Borland in Song, Blogs over Bizkit Talk". MTV . Archived from the original on September 4, 2012.
  2. ↑ "IndieHQ 2.0 » Independent Sales Chart 6-13-07". Indiehq.com. 2007-06-13. Archived from the original on 2008-07-14. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  3. ↑ "Black Light Burns on Last Call Video by Justin Bentley on Myspace". 14 July 2007.
  4. ↑ "Cruel Melody - Black Light Burns". Allmusic. Archived from the original on 2012-10-09. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  5. ↑ Prato, Greg. "Cruel Melody - Black Light Burns". Allmusic. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
  6. ↑ "Black Light Burns Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  7. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Black Light Burns – Cruel Melody". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  8. ↑ "Charts.nz – Black Light Burns – Cruel Melody". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  9. ↑ "Black Light Burns | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  10. ↑ "Black Light Burns Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  11. ↑ "Black Light Burns Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  12. ↑ "Black Light Burns Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.