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Wes BorlandMusician, best known as the guitarist of the band Limp Bizkit
Date of Birth: 07.02.1975
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Biography of Wes Borland
- Joining Limp Bizkit
- Work with Limp Bizkit
- Black Light Burns and Solo Projects
- Later Projects
Biography of Wes Borland
The Early YearsWesley Louden Borland was born on February 7, 1975, in Richmond, Virginia, USA. His family moved from Michigan to Jacksonville, Florida, where his father became a pastor in a Presbyterian church. Borland spent a whole summer at a Presbyterian church institution in Montreat, Florida. In Florida, Borland met bassist Sam Rivers, but due to competition between local bands, they were unable to work together for long.
Joining Limp Bizkit
When the band "Limp Bizkit" began looking for a new guitarist, John Otto, a member of the band, suggested Wes as a candidate, stating that he was more of an artist than a guitarist. However, the band considered Borland a worthy candidate. Fred Durst, the founder of "Limp Bizkit," left Philadelphia to talk to Wes. After just 30 minutes of conversation, Wes and Fred were performing on stage. Wes, dressed as a girl in tight-fitting pink clothes and hair styled in pigtails, was initially mistaken by some audience members for an attractive woman, but when they realized he was actually a man, they were simply confused. Borland's cross-dressing behavior often annoyed the lead vocalist of "Limp Bizkit," Fred Durst.
Work with Limp Bizkit
For the album "Significant Other," guitarist Borland changed his playing style, making it slower but still emphasizing depth and heaviness. The structure of the songs became more traditional, differing from the progression and strange noises, sounds, and other interesting experiments in their 1997 album "Three Dollar Bill, Yall$." On their third album, "Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water" (2000), Borland's playing became more eclectic, combining the previously tried heaviness and complex guitar chords, which were considered unusual for metal music at the time. On October 12, 2001, Borland left "Limp Bizkit," claiming that the group did not allow him to express himself fully.
Black Light Burns and Solo Projects
The industrial rock band "Black Light Burns" showcases Borland's most eclectic guitar playing. Metal, electronics, jazz, indie rock, and other progressive influences are present in his work. In an interview with "Total Guitar" magazine, Wes stated that he never considered himself a leading guitarist and was never a member of shredder or fusion bands. He said his two-handed tapping technique was inspired by Les Claypool's playing in the band "Primus." Wes and his brother Scott started their own band called "Eat The Day." They initially both wanted to be vocalists but felt that their guitar skills were suffering. Through the label "Interscope Records," Scott and Wes tried to find a vocalist for their band, posting several vocal-less mp3 compositions on the band's website. Not finding a suitable vocalist, the brothers temporarily put their project on hold.
Wes began working on a solo album with his friend and producer Danny Lohner from the rock band "Nine Inch Nails." He also contributed two tracks, a remix of "Weak and Powerless" by "A Perfect Circle," and the song "The Awakening" with the supergroup "The Damning Well" for the movie "Underworld." At the time, Borland declined an offer to become a member of the alternative rock band "A Perfect Circle."
Later Projects
In August 2004, after resolving their differences, Borland accepted an invitation to rejoin "Limp Bizkit." During their reunion, in 2005, the album "The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1)" became the most aggressive work for the guitarist. Utilizing distortion, metal tremolo, and other guitar playing techniques, Borland achieved the desired effect. However, tensions between him and other band members soon resurfaced, and he once again left the group. Borland and Danny Lohner contributed guitar and instrumental parts to the album "Educated Horses" by the band "Rob Zombie."
In 2006, Borland recorded the album "Heroine" with the band "From First to Last." After the projects "Big Dumb Face" and "Eat the Day," Borland and his band "Black Light Burns" released the album "Cruel Melody" in 2007.
In 2008, Borland collaborated with the industrial rock band "Fear and the Nervous System." Although not a member of the band, his contribution can be heard on two tracks and seen in the album's design.
On March 29 and 30, 2008, Borland worked as a guest guitarist with the Japanese band "X Japan."
Throughout his career, Borland has not only gained fame for his extravagant stage costumes. He has also worked on album artwork for "Limp Bizkit," attempted to open an art gallery featuring his paintings, and sought assistance from Marilyn Manson's art gallery. Borland admitted that he would have stayed with "Limp Bizkit" if he didn't care about everything else. If he were only interested in money, he would have tolerated the growing boredom of working in the group. But his passion for music led him to start his own musical path.
