Years from now, Wasting Light will be looked back on as one of the premier classic rock albums of the new millennium. The Foo Fighters seventh studio effort is chock-full of everything that defines a masterful, gritty rock CD: Pulsating power chords, arena-ready riffs, a pounding rhythm section and the first guitar and drum solos in recent Foo Fighters memory.
The record has but one blemish (""White Limo""), although even this is a nod to classic rock's Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead. Recorded entirely in a cramped garage, the album still has the arena rock sound that has made the band famous. At the same time however, emotional lyrics keep the listener connected, ensuring the band's place on the musical plateau currently held by the likes of the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and The Who.
After a few years absence, Wasting Light is not only a return to form for the Foo Fighters, but also a culmination of the band's history to this point. Lead vocalist Dave Grohl sings—sometimes screams—with just as much passion as he did on One by One, and the dramatic dynamic shifts are just as apparent as on There Is Nothing Left to Lose. The harmonies sung by drummer Taylor Hawkins (and extra layers of Grohl's voice) are as poignantly placed as they were on In Your Honor. The band goes even further back in its history bringing back original Foo Fighters guitarist (and Nirvana session guitarist) Pat Smear. The album even reunites Grohl with former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic on ""I Should've Known"" and producer Butch Vig.
However, the album is the group's best work because it threw some extra ""monkey wrenches"" into the tried and true formula. The backing vocals throughout the CD are increasingly present and add depth to Grohl's already solid leads. Instruments also take center stage on several songs, giving the tracks a more intense feel. The biggest success of the album is its fusion of arena rock and almost broad, folksy appeal. Both of these attributes can also be used to describe previous Foo Fighters' efforts—One By One is arena rock at its finest, and the second disc of In Your Honor beautifully exhibits the band's softer side—but never before have they been both of these things at once. Wasting Light keeps listeners banging their heads while feeling the deeper impact of the lyricism and sweeping bluesy backbone.
""Bridge Burning"" makes the greatest opening track to any Foo Fighters album to date. The harsh guitar sound sets the tone for the entire album musically as the rhythm guitar mimics the percussion—another FF staple. Lyrically, the cut again sets the tone for the rest of the album as Grohl roars ""Your bridges are burning / They're all coming down."" This starts a string of lyrics describing people who have done Grohl wrong that continues throughout the album.
""I Should've Known,"" easily the blusiest track on the album, continues this theme. This time Grohl seems to fault himself in part, lamenting, ""I should've known there was that side of you."" Musically, the song is less produced than its peers, giving it an extremely gritty, soulful sound. It seems a bit non sequitur after all of the straight-laced rock songs before it, but the track is one of Wasting Light's finest.
The album's finale may be the song that really cements its place in the annals of rock ‘n' roll history. The charged chord progressions are reminiscent of countless rock hits while Grohl's vocals channel a young Bruce Springsteen. Like all good tales, Grohl ends the album with a story of redemption as he bellows, ""I'm learning to walk again, can't you see I've waited long enough?"" Chances are we'll listen longer still before another album as good as Wasting Light reverberates in listeners' eardrums.
