Music Disc Reviews

The plugged and unplugged halves of the Foos are now fused into a powerful whole. ESP&G begins with "The Pretender," whose intro inescapably evokes "Stairway to Heaven" before hitting hyperdrive with an electric, drum-fueled assault and Dave Grohl's shredding vocals. There are many such dynamic contrasts on this album, which implicitly argues that melody and energy needn't be mutually exclusive. The pivotal, penultimate track, "But, Honestly," starts off sounding a bit like the strummy folk-pop of America (no lie!) - but then a Panzer brigade of electric guitars rolls into the frame, and a stunning, indelible riff leads the charge to a spine-tingling finale. If the Foo Fighters are the Last Great Rockers, they're marching into the setting sun with guitars, drumsticks, and heads held high.

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