Having commemorated their tenth anniversary with a year-plus run commencing with a double studio album, 2005's In Your Honor, hailed by the New York Times as "an unexpected magnum opus," a sold out arena tour built on that first disc's rock foundation followed by an intimate theater trek that highlighted the softer side showcased on that record's second half (later documented on the live Skin + Bones set), and capped off by a headlining gig at London's Hyde Park for a crowd of 85,000, the question looms larger than any in the Foo Fighters' career to date: What do they do for an encore?!?
The answer, in the form of the band's sixth studio album Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, release September 2007, is a resounding "whatever the f&@# we want." Ably assisted by producer Gil Norton, who worked with the band on The Colour and The Shape (recently given 10th anniversary deluxe reissue treatment), Dave Grohl, drummer Taylor Hawkins, bassist Nate Mendel, and guitarist Chris Shiflett have crafted a 12-track milestone that showcases and reconciles the band's every strength and sensibility in the most complex and confident Foo Fighters album to date.
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace opens with two prime examples of the newest weapon in the formidable Foo Fighters arsenal: First single "The Pretender" and second track "Let It Die" both begin with sparse, ominous minor key single guitar and vocal intros and build gradually into frenetic, explosive anthems that stop in just enough time to leave the listener fully winded but wanting more. Longtime fans will be happy to know that Foo Fighters have not entirely eschewed their trademark hooks upon hooks writing style, as the undeniable sing-along refrain of "Long Road To Ruin," and the hyper-melodic centerpiece of the record "Cheer Up Boys (Your Make-Up Is Running)" have wasted no time becoming staples of the FF live set alongside "This Is A Call" from their 1995 self-titled debut, "Learn To Fly" and "Stacked Actors" from There Nothing Left To Lose, and "All My Life" and "Times Like These" from One By One.
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace has since cleared a path for success beyond its creators' wildest dreams: After setting the first-week sales record for iTunes UK, the record blazed into the top of the charts worldwide, clearing a path for a sold out arena tour including the band's first ever Madison Square Garden headline and two nights at the L.A. Forum. More recently, the band doubled the draw of their biggest ever show worldwide, drawing a record-breaking 165,000 fans to a two-night stand at Wembley Stadium. By the final refrain of "Best Of You" that closed the second night at Wembley, the 85,000 singing along knew the answer.
Foo Fighters are currently in the midst of their ever ongoing world tour, with an itinerary featuring two sold out nights at Colorado's famed Red Rocks as well as a headline stand at the Austin City Limits Festival. They plan to spend any downtime between or after gigs wondering how the f**k they're going to top 2007-2008.
