Foo Fighters - Wasting Light

Legendary rockers Foo Fighters are back with their highly anticipated album, Wasting Light. The follow up to 2007's Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace finds the rock quartet still strictly adhering to their straightforward, clearcut brand of alternative rock that has garnered them so many fans over the years and has cemented their place as one of the top rock acts in music today and has also elevated Dave Grohl to the status as one of the preeminent frontmen in alternative rock today.

The disc kicks things off into high gear with "Bridge Burning" a loud, no holds barred track that takes off like a roller coaster with a barrage of hard edged guitar riffs and melodic undertones that keep the song going at a pretty good clip to the very end, with Dave's incredible vocals guiding the song along on a pretty smooth pattern. The disc's first single "Rope" is classic, vintage Foo with a strong melodic guitar pattern that blends in quite nicely with drummer Taylor Hawkins intricate drumming patterns that have become the Foo's trademark for so many years. My favorite track off the album is the classic era throwback track, "White Limo". The song has a distinct, 70's era classic rock tone to it that is so loud and gritty, you wonder where Dave's vocals got that immense power surge from. A track that takes no prisoners and one that shows off the Foo's immense talent and musicianship that they have worked so hard to cultivate through the years. "Arlandria" starts off with an intense, shooting guitar riff before teetering off into a mid-tempo, melodic groove that catches fire pretty quickly and shows off the depth and versatility of the band as well.

We get ready to start off the second half of the disc with "Back & Forth", a thumping, mid tempo arena rocker that sees Dave and the gang still adhering to their formula that sees them deliver a blistering rock tune that will be getting alot of plays on your stereo. The disc's latter half features some formidable tracks in the form of "Miss The Misery" a midtempo, melodic track that shows that the Foos can hit all angles in varying degrees of tempos, but yet still maintain that hard rock sensibility that makes them so unique and unlike all the other rock acts out there in the business today. "I Should Have Known" brings it down several notches with a mysterious, edgy tune that sees Dave's amazing vocals being presented in a different light and also shows the serious depth of their musical abilities which seems infinitely limitless at this point. "Walk" is the perfect track to close out the album with a melodic, reflective track that features Dave's pristine vocals and masterful guitar work once again working their magic on a track that brings everything together to create a dynamic and resourceful tune that brings together all the musical elements we've hard so far, and are mixed in together to present everything that the band can accomplish in one full swoop. When the Foo Fighters first came onto the scene in 1994, it was initially difficult for Dave to be taken seriously as a frontman as he was originally the drummer for Nirvana, and he also felt confined growing up in the shadows of legendary frontman Kurt Cobain and didn't even tell Kurt when he was still alive that he had written songs of his own that weren't going to be used for the band. After Kurt died, Dave felt that he was ready to prove to the music world that he was more than just a drummer, and was capable of crafting excellent arena ready alternative tracks that 15 years later, still stand the test of time and remains the Foo Fighters strongpoint that has made them one of the best alternative bands out there in the scene today.

Looking back, an excellent and well rounded effort from the Foo, who never cease to amaze their listening audience with a well constructed and dynamic effort that continues to build up the Foo's resume as one of the most consistent and successful rock bands of the last decade and a half. Highly recommended pick!

Album Score: 4/5

Track Listing:

1. Bridge Burning
2. Rope
3. Dear Rosemary
4. White Limo
5. Arlandria
6. These Days
7. Back & Forth
8. A Matter of Time
9. Miss the Misery
10. I Should Have Known
11. Walk