The best way to go into a Black Light Burns album is to forget all preconceived notions you may have about frontman/guitarist/mastermind Wes Borland. Don’t think of this as Limp Bizkit Mach Two. It’s not even Bigdumbface 2.0. Black Light Burns has always been something else. If you think of the one-off song by The Damning Well from the first Underworld soundtrack as the catalyst then you’ll be heading down the right track except BLB has manifested into so much more since.
Four years ago, Black Light Burns released this brilliant little album that no one heard called Cruel Melody. It showcased a deeper side of the onstage LB maniac known as Wes Borland. It was dark, seductive, and utterly brilliant. I’d love to go on and on about it here but I’m afraid it’d take attention away from the equally (If not more!) brilliant sophomore album The Moment You Realize You’re Going To Fall.
The first thing to notice about TMYRYGTF is how much more immediate it is. Cruel Melody managed to be wholly epic while conveying a sense of melancholy throughout. The Moment You Realize… goes for the throat the moment “How To Look Naked” kicks the album off. The sonic journey continues through “I Want You” and then “We Light Up” begins and things take a turn for the punk-rock-headbanging-awesome.
Things keep getting better especially when you hit the middle and the macabre “Your Head Will Be Rotting On A Pike” and all its’ lo-fi goodness. Back to back experiments in time change exercises “Torch From The Sky” and “Because Of You” lead into the more standard heavy flair of “Splayed” and ultimately leads to the almighty “Scream Hallelujah” which is easily the gateway Black Light Burns song on this album (And fitting it was also the first taste).
From there, the album gets dark (er) and weird (er) as the immense “Bakelite” (With echoes of “New Hunger” off Cruel Melody) paves the way for the title track which fans may have already heard if they saw the first teaser for the album. And then it is over and fans will be left hoping that another four years don’t pass before album number three hits.
The Moment You Realize You’re Going To Fall is available August 14th through Rocket Science/THC: Music. You can pre-order your copy through the links on the Black Light Burns official website or go with my choice and the limited edition vinyl right here. Even better, go here to find out where BLB will be destroying eardrums live.
Grade: A