Foo Fighters 'Wasting Light'

Review Snapshot: Let me start with something that may be controversial for many  fans of the Foo Fighters: this might just be their best album since 'The Colour and The Shape'. I’m just saying. 

 

The Cluas Verdict: 9 out of /10

 

Full Review: What you see is what you get with the Foo Fighters, one of America's last standing (real) rock bands that haven’t changed their form since Dave Grohl kicked off with his post-Nirvana days with the Foo's debut.

 

This, their seventh album, drops twenty years after Grohl worked on ‘Nevermind’ with Kurt Cobain, but this is only noteworthy because Grohl has recruited both Butch Vig and Krist Novoselic to play a part in the album's production. Pat Smear, who hasn’t stepped in on a Foo’s album since 1997’s 'The Colour and The Shape', has also been re-recruited.

 

Another point that peaked my interest when I first heard about this record was how they went about it: shunning their state of the art studio 606, instead opting to make a huge rock record… in a garage. Not only that, it was completely recorded using analogue gear with Vig ditching his Pro Tools. The result is a solid sounding record that hasn’t gone through relentless studio cleansing.

 

This album breaks out with ‘Bridge Burning’, a track that is sure to be a staple part of their stadium diet. With it Grohl pulls you back into the Foo Fighters' definitive sound with “These are my famous last words”, a line that lets you know you’re back in your comfort zone with this record.

 

Clearly influenced by his days in Them Crooked Vultures, Probot and even Queens of the Stone Age, you don’t question Grohl when this album plays heavy, particularly if their video alongside Lemmy from Motorhead for ‘White Limo’ is anything to go by.

 

This record has its negatives but they’re hard to spot and few and far between, disregarding some of the lesser tracks this album is still one magnificent piece of music that will be heard ringing throughout stadiums late into their next three records.

 

Simply put, buy this record. If you love the Foo Fighters all the trimmings are there. If not, this is still a solid rock record with enough eclectic tracks to intrigue even the biggest music snob.