Foo Fighters released their eighth album, their first in three years, to accompany the band’s HBO series commemorating their twentieth anniversary on Oct. 10.
Since the band formed in 1994, they have been praised for being one of the most iconic in rock history. What could you expect when you have the drummer of Nirvana as the lead vocalist?
Dave Grohl wrote songs while the famous ‘90s band went on tour and kept them for himself. After the death of Kurt Cobain, Grohl returned to the studio to record his songs and play every instrument necessary for the recordings. The recordings were released under the name “Foo Fighters” and generated an incredible amount of buzz in the music industry. After recruiting some band members, the Foo Fighters were an official band and released their first album in 1997. Over the course of their extensive musical career, the band has been awarded four Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album and sold millions of copies of their albums.
Some of the negative reviews the band has received include comments noting the inability to distinguish one album from another. It’s true there are some songs that stick out, but overall the theme of the band has been consistent since they formed in the ‘90s, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The band spent the beginning of their career creating a name for themselves, which clearly has paid off as they have become a household name. Now, the attempt to rebrand themselves proves challenging. Remaining relevant after decades of creating music is difficult for any artist. That’s where the creation of the Sonic Highways HBO television series came into play. The series documents the making of the album, which may not sound incredibly interesting besides the fact that each song was recorded in a different city.
Good news for exhausted Foo Fighters fans – this album is different from its predecessors. The band’s current single, “Something from Nothing” – possibly the most notable song on the album – launches with a steady progress that builds up to the traditional Grohl style that makes the band what it is. The title of the song refers to Grohl as he chants, “I’m something from nothing.”
Following this are two songs that resort back to classic Foo Fighters style and don’t set themselves apart much. Then comes “What Did I Do?/God as My Witness,” which sticks out in a great way. “Outside” shows off the band’s bluesy side, which they don’t display too often. The album concludes on a rather ostentatious note with “I Am a River.” The album only contains eight songs, but when each song is recorded in a different city, you can’t expect an extensive album.
While the effort put into this album was immense, the actual sound isn’t nearly as powerful given the build-up to it. It is the band’s most adventurous album, but it’s still way too familiar to bring back their relevance in the way the television series has done. Sonic Highways has a great hard rock sound, and it’s clear the band put their all into it. There isn’t a bad song on the album, but there are very few notable tracks. Overall, the Foo Fighters can still make great music, just as long as you don’t mind it sounding incredibly similar to their previous work.
3/5