WES BORLAND- Crystal Machete
Wes Borland will never escape the shadow of Limp Bizkit. But on the basis of everything he’s chosen to do outside of being the guitarist of the biggest nu-metal band in the world, though, he’s not going to stop trying. Borland has explored oddball cartoon-core, stomping industrial, and even being part of Marilyn Manson’s band over the years, all with mixed results. ‘Crystal Machete’ might not promise much at first glance either- a sprawling soundtrack to an imaginary 80s movie- but this is easily one of the best things he’s done. ‘Main Titles’ moves from easy-going ambience to a dusty space rock vibe with a strong, electric bass and moderate pace, ‘Vltava’ might be as close to post-rock as it is jazz, and if ‘White Stallion’ is shrill dance music that just doesn’t work, the whole 11 minutes of ‘Svalbard’ is great, cheery road trip jams for a ride through another dimension. With 11 tracks unfurling over more than an hour, there’s a lot to explore, but it’s a trip worth taking over and over again.
