03WASTING LIGHT FOO FIGHTERS

(2011)

With the aim of swerving the clinical sound of modern studio recordings, Foo Fighters’ seventh album served as a love letter to their alt-punk roots. Wastinglight was recorded in Dave Grohl’s garage, using only analogue equipment. Produced by Butch Vig, the record packed all the rock ’n’ roll rawness and melodic highs that had first catapulted the Foos onto the airwaves in the 1990s. As well as Grohl’s ballsy rhythms (which he performed using his Gibson Trini Lopez guitars) and Chris Shiflett’s hooky leads, Wastinglight ushered in the return of Pat Smear as an official band member. To give listeners a full earful of frequencies, Smear contributed lots of baritone guitar grit.