Wasting Light
by Foo Fighters
  • Record Label: RCA
  • Release Date: Apr 12, 2011
User Score
8.8

Universal acclaim- based on 237 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 222 out of 237
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 237
  3. Negative: 5 out of 237
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  1. Kernzzi
    Apr 21, 2011
    10
    rarely have i been so enthusiastic about an album as i have been for Wasting Light. easily the best record i have listened to in the last couple years. can't give it anything but a straight 10/10. well done boys you are well and truly back to your best. keeping rock alive since 1995!
  2. gruenjr
    Apr 17, 2011
    10
    This is a tremendous album (beyond that statement, I'm not sure a new Foo fan will understand my review). Within the history of Foo Fighters albums, "Wasting Light" holds a very complicated place. It pulls the band even further away from the post grunge aesthetic, a pull that began with "Echoes." But "All My Life" was a foreshadow for this record. And "White Limo" reminds me a lot ofThis is a tremendous album (beyond that statement, I'm not sure a new Foo fan will understand my review). Within the history of Foo Fighters albums, "Wasting Light" holds a very complicated place. It pulls the band even further away from the post grunge aesthetic, a pull that began with "Echoes." But "All My Life" was a foreshadow for this record. And "White Limo" reminds me a lot of "Wattershed." And Pat Smear is back in the band. "Wasting Light" dabbles much, much less with pop rock sensibilities. But not completely (see "Back and Forth"). Certainly it's the band's seventh album in its 16 year career, but "Walk," "Times Like These," and "These Days" make the album feel wiser and more serious than anything Foo Fighters has ever done. But not completely (seen the "White Limo" video?). For as much as there is on "Wasting Light" that makes it so different from earlier Foo albums, there's almost as much that proves it hasn't fallen far from the band's tree. Great songs that kick butt from a band that enjoys kicking your butt.… Expand
  3. TastyJamProject
    Apr 12, 2011
    10
    "Wasting Light" is an amazing album, and solidifies the Foo Fighters as rock gods. The full out, balls-to-the-wall scale of the album is at once ferocious and also open hearted; we can hear Dave sing his heart out on "I Should Have Known" and have our face pummelled by "White Limo" in the same listen. Although "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" is and always will be my favourite Foos"Wasting Light" is an amazing album, and solidifies the Foo Fighters as rock gods. The full out, balls-to-the-wall scale of the album is at once ferocious and also open hearted; we can hear Dave sing his heart out on "I Should Have Known" and have our face pummelled by "White Limo" in the same listen. Although "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" is and always will be my favourite Foos album, Wasting Light is a very, very close second, and with its focused sound blows the equally epic "Colour and the Shape" away. Overall, an amazing album from a maturing mammoth that deserves a listen. Oh, and the analog recording does make a difference. The music sounds ALIVE.… Expand
  4. Agroncio
    Apr 16, 2011
    10
    Best album of the year. Conseguiram trazer a energia de volta, a empolgação dos primeiros álbuns.
    Músicas que facilmente entram nas melhores já feita por eles
  5. nicrax96
    Jun 27, 2012
    9
    one of the best foo fighters albums in recent memory every single song is worth to hear and pretty much single material. also for the first time in foo's history it feels like a masterpiece
  6. ricco94
    Mar 9, 2013
    10
    That's for sure the best record by Foo Fighters. And it is also the best album of 2011, with R.E.M.'s Collapse Into Now. The sound is very good and I think Walk is one of their best song ever. Foo Fighters are most of the present of rock. Very well done!
  7. MightyQuinn3000
    Apr 12, 2011
    10
    After listening to this album, I can safely say that the Foo Fighters are back and better than ever! All the songs made me feel excited or angry or even sorrowful. And that to me makes a great album, so congrats on the return Foo's! And may your legend of a band continue to rock on!
  8. TheVirus
    Apr 16, 2011
    10
    The foo's are officially back on track with this brilliant album.
    Filled with raw rock intensity that their last few albums slightly lacked. Not bad for an album taped in a garage
  9. Mikijoy
    Apr 12, 2011
    10
    Cant stop listening to it. in my opinion it's their best album so far. they pretty much do the same as in their previous albums, but somehow i think they did all the song "right". especially "dear rosemary" and "arlandria". if you loveloved pearl jam, nirvana or any other 90's rock band then it's a "must-listen" album
  10. geedup
    Jul 1, 2012
    9
    There is a reason why Cobain said Dave Groel one of the most talented muscians he'd known and Foo Fighters is proof of that statement. This album is another quality release from the group in a genre of clutter and crap. I can easily listen to this entire CD from track 1 to the last track and like all of the songs. Favorites include "Rosemary", "Back and Forth" and "Burning Bridges." WouldThere is a reason why Cobain said Dave Groel one of the most talented muscians he'd known and Foo Fighters is proof of that statement. This album is another quality release from the group in a genre of clutter and crap. I can easily listen to this entire CD from track 1 to the last track and like all of the songs. Favorites include "Rosemary", "Back and Forth" and "Burning Bridges." Would love to see them in concert.… Expand
  11. Scraper
    Feb 12, 2012
    3
    Another in a long list of formally phenomenal rock bands that is lightyears past their expiration date. If you're rocking out to this album it's purely because you haven't heard that much music yet or you listen to music as background to your commute. I'd tell you what I think this album lacks, from the glossed-up production that Grohl said was going to be really raw but wasn't to theAnother in a long list of formally phenomenal rock bands that is lightyears past their expiration date. If you're rocking out to this album it's purely because you haven't heard that much music yet or you listen to music as background to your commute. I'd tell you what I think this album lacks, from the glossed-up production that Grohl said was going to be really raw but wasn't to the totally unoriginal everything but I won't get into that. I'll just let you know, from one fan to another fan, this is an album you're embarrassed you liked at one point five or six years down the road because you're not a teenager anymore and your horizons have been broadened.… Collapse
  12. TheGorilla
    May 14, 2011
    10
    I was so enjoying this album. i didn't skip any track cause, every single one is awesome. I'm a fan of Foo Fighters since their In Your Honor album, sadly, but i think that they're better than ever. A must buy album. If you're a huge fan of rock, than this is it.
  13. NKOAS
    Nov 17, 2012
    8
    The Foo Fighters churned out this gnarly LP in a garage, and with it claimed the title of the best rock band of 2011. Granted, being the best rock band in 2011 is like being the best athlete at a performing arts high school. It
  14. JohnnyMercyside
    Aug 19, 2011
    8
    "Wasting Light" is the Foo Fighters seventh album, following up Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace, released four years ago. The lead singer Dave Grohl, and Pat Smear, who plays lead and rhythm guitars are former members of grunge rock band Nirvana, and the bass player for Nirvana Krist Novoselic, also has a cameo in the track "I Should Have Known". Since Nirvana, the Foo Fighters have"Wasting Light" is the Foo Fighters seventh album, following up Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace, released four years ago. The lead singer Dave Grohl, and Pat Smear, who plays lead and rhythm guitars are former members of grunge rock band Nirvana, and the bass player for Nirvana Krist Novoselic, also has a cameo in the track "I Should Have Known". Since Nirvana, the Foo Fighters have grown by leaps and bounds as one of the biggest rock bands worldwide. In 2009, the band released a "Greatest Hits" album, and this is their first effort since then. The album clocks in at 47 minutes and 11 tracks, which is about average for a Foo Fighters album.
    We start with â    … Expand
  15. Hackskeptic
    Jun 20, 2011
    9
    There's a point during the Dave Grohl interview on the excellent documentary "Back & Forth" where he reflects on Foo Fighters position in contemporary music with brutal candour. Invited to play at an awards ceremony he said "with all the boy bands, girl bands, dance acts, rappers and solo pop artists here does anybody know who we are, or are we the only "rock" band they know?" Grohl fullyThere's a point during the Dave Grohl interview on the excellent documentary "Back & Forth" where he reflects on Foo Fighters position in contemporary music with brutal candour. Invited to play at an awards ceremony he said "with all the boy bands, girl bands, dance acts, rappers and solo pop artists here does anybody know who we are, or are we the only "rock" band they know?" Grohl fully understands that the dreaded decline of rock music in popular culture has meant that even mainstream acts struggle to maintain commercial impact, and his band is one of a handful that carry the flag for an art form that means nothing to a large proportion of the music buying public. If the daylight is fading for a once dominant genre, then the fighting spirit of the Foo's and their determination to fire an urgent rallying call instead of just "Wasting Light" has resulted in their best recording in years.

    Musically, the album has modest ambitions, trading on the big noise, hard and fast grunge/rock songs that built the foundations for their rise to prominence with the self titled debut and 1997's excellent "The Colour & The Shape". They play to their strengths, and this is aided by the re-introduction of guitarist Pat Smear who plays blasts of rhythm with un-compromising vigour. "Nevermind" producer Butch Vig keeps the arrangements simple, tempering the instrumental sound when Grohl needs to deliver more intense vocals and then increasing the layers to dynamic levels which burst through to some of the most potent choruses of the Foo's career.

    The outstanding opener "Bridge Burning" may carry the signature frenetic rhythms of old, but the chorus carries the flow of QOTSA's "Go With The Flow". "White Limo" may be the most anarchic punk/metal track the band have ever created, but the joy of Grohl's distorted screams and the band's instrumental velocity is that they actually sound half their age, and in turn take the listener with them. "Rope" begins as pretty much standard fayre but as the song develops to the instrumental bridge Taylor Hawkins delivers one of his most skilful performances to highlight the guitar solo that accompanies him. Bob Mould's welcome vocal/guitar return for the melodic rock of "Dear Rosemary" reminds everyone how much Husker Du and Sugar influenced Foo Fighters and many other bands from the era. Both "Arlandria" and "These Days" are perfect examples of how Grohl continues to find a memorable chorus to fit the tempo of the song. It's true to say that after many years he now finds it easier to talk about Kurt Cobain and Nirvana's legacy, and on listening to "I Should Have Known", the inclusion of Krist Novoselic's thudding bass and the reflective lyrics that seem unforgiving for a true talent wasted, there's still a sense of sorrow, guilt and misunderstanding. The closer, "Walk", is as stirring as any of the great stadium anthems the band have recorded, and begs single release.

    As the light begins to fade on the great era of rock music, and we finally succumb to processed rhythms, pro tools, samples, ass shaking and karaoke pop idols, at least Foo Fighters have delivered a late clarion call to remind us that all is not lost, and "Wasting Light" will be remembered as one of their greatest performances. http://hackskeptic.com    … Expand
  16. Sabiancym
    Apr 22, 2011
    10
    Finally rock is back in America. Many rock fans like myself were worried that maybe the Foo Fighters were starting to wear down, but man were we wrong. They're back better than ever with Wasting Light. It's the purest rock I've hard out of them since The Colour and the Shape.

    This album wasn't recorded digitally like all music is today. It was all old school and that attention to    Finally rock is back in America. Many rock fans like myself were worried that maybe the Foo Fighters were starting to wear down, but man were we wrong. They're back better than ever with Wasting Light. It's the purest rock I've hard out of them since The Colour and the Shape.

    This album wasn't recorded digitally like all music is today. It was all old school and that attention to detail shows with the album also being released on vinyl. If you call yourself a rock music fan. You have to buy this. There is no question. You don't need to think about it, you don't need to preview it, buy it. You'll shoot yourself in 30 years for not doing so.    … Expand
  17. brianjeremy
    May 1, 2011
    9
    Quite simply, this album really rocks from start to finish and if you are at all interested, you need to pick it up. There's not a bad track on it. Waisting Light is the first Foo Fighters album since the Color and the Shape that seems to hit all the right notes at the right time but without sounding like a sellout. Walk, Times Like These, Rope, White Limo and These Days are 5-starQuite simply, this album really rocks from start to finish and if you are at all interested, you need to pick it up. There's not a bad track on it. Waisting Light is the first Foo Fighters album since the Color and the Shape that seems to hit all the right notes at the right time but without sounding like a sellout. Walk, Times Like These, Rope, White Limo and These Days are 5-star great in my book.… Expand
  18. tlicence
    Apr 22, 2011
    10
    Best thing I have heard in the last couple of years. Also, their use of three distinctly different guitars is magic without feeling cluttered and messy.
  19. govi
    Apr 24, 2011
    9
    is alright. In my opinion Foo's first CD is their best. It is raw with great sequence in it..giving it a 9 because Grohl uses same and similar lyrics than other previous albums.
  20. lususgreene
    May 6, 2011
    8
    I am not that much of a FF fan, I generally find thier songs drag on. Clearly this band had peaked with "The color and shape" and would never live up to it's potential. Or would they? Wasting Light is the BEST FF album ever. No question. This band has found a voice, Grohl is writing better songs, I still think he could use to shorten them...but this is a good solid album. This album isI am not that much of a FF fan, I generally find thier songs drag on. Clearly this band had peaked with "The color and shape" and would never live up to it's potential. Or would they? Wasting Light is the BEST FF album ever. No question. This band has found a voice, Grohl is writing better songs, I still think he could use to shorten them...but this is a good solid album. This album is likely to rank as the happy surprise of the year for me. Here is hoping that this signals a new and better era of FF music.… Expand
  21. BobaFett666
    May 27, 2011
    8
    The best Foo Fighters album ever made. Bridge is Burning, Rope and Arlandria are the songs I enjoy the most. Arlandria gets me thinking about being the most famous bounty hunter in the galaxy and how I just want to like, you know, chill out sometimes and not be so badass all day.
  22. superichie
    Jun 11, 2011
    10
    This is the best Foo Fighters record since The Colour and the Shape. I love pretty much every song on the record and I haven't been able to say that about a Foo Fighters record since 1997.
  23. jakerthetaker
    Jun 22, 2011
    10
    One of those albums where every song on it is good. The album has its own general style, while at the same time each song is different. This is my favorite foo fighters album
  24. mattchumon
    Jun 23, 2011
    8
    Second best Foo Fighters album after Colour and the Shape. This album just made me feel all warm and nostalgic for old Foo. Even Pat Smear is back! No its not a game changer or innovative. Just solid rock and roll for the album's entirety. Something that hasn't been produced by Dave Grohl since well, the Colour and the Shape. Good work boys!
  25. sagacious3
    Jul 13, 2011
    10
    Brilliant album, maybe their best ever. Consistently excellent throughout. Finally, a real ROCK album to listen to.
  26. j30
    Sep 28, 2011
    7
    A nice addition to their already strong collection of songs. Disappointing in the fact that on the cover it says that it's recorded in Dave Grohl's garage. To me, that means the LP is going to have a raw feel like their self-titled debut. White Limo is the closest song to come to that promise. Butch Vig has a knack for over-polishing records (see Nevermind), but none the less a strongA nice addition to their already strong collection of songs. Disappointing in the fact that on the cover it says that it's recorded in Dave Grohl's garage. To me, that means the LP is going to have a raw feel like their self-titled debut. White Limo is the closest song to come to that promise. Butch Vig has a knack for over-polishing records (see Nevermind), but none the less a strong album. Don't get me wrong Nevermind would get a 10 if I were to rate it, but compared to the rest of Nirvana's records, that feels the most polished.… Expand
  27. JELLi
    Sep 30, 2011
    10
    This album is fantastic. Most bands who stick around for a while start to sap, but honestly, this Foo Fighters album is TOE to TOE with anything the band has ever released, if not the very best album they've ever recorded... I can say one thing, as an audio engineer, the recording quality of this album is by far their best. I love it LOVE IT!! It's so inspiring to see a band SUSTAINThis album is fantastic. Most bands who stick around for a while start to sap, but honestly, this Foo Fighters album is TOE to TOE with anything the band has ever released, if not the very best album they've ever recorded... I can say one thing, as an audio engineer, the recording quality of this album is by far their best. I love it LOVE IT!! It's so inspiring to see a band SUSTAIN an amazing flow of music, and not just have 1 or two amazing albums, with the rest of their releases just tapering off into the shadow of their prime... Wasting Light is certainly the rock album of the year, maybe even the decade!… Expand
  28. Ricko
    Dec 21, 2011
    7
    Not a bad album but a bit disappointing considering how much DG hyped it up. With Butch Vig on board expected more. A lot of it is heavy rock by numbers and lacks some of the classic tracks they've had on previous albums.
  29. RonaldOVOXO
    Mar 6, 2012
    9
    I regret doubting Foo fighters. This is there best work in a long time. There bringing back rock ever since hip hop took the food chain. Foo Fighters should of won Album of the Year @ the Grammy's but it didnt. You know i'll be listening to this album for years
  30. SammyMFHutch
    Feb 17, 2012
    9
    Really good album. My favorite songs are Dear Rosemary and Alandria. Only complaint is that These days and Walk sound similar.Still great though White Limo is really hard. Pretty sweet it was made in Dave's garage,which even makes it more badass
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Awards & Rankings

28
#28 Most Discussed Album of 2011
23
#23 Most Shared Album of 2011

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 37 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 37
  3. Negative: 0 out of 37
  1. Mojo
    May 16, 2011
    80
    Wasted Light finds Foo Fighters at their boldest, their most vivid. [May 2011, p.101]
  2. Q Magazine
    May 16, 2011
    80
    The defining album of his career, Wasting Light is the sound of Dave Grohl putting his whole life in context. [May 2011, p.110]
  3. Billboard.com
    Apr 29, 2011
    81
    Recorded in the garage of frontman Dave Grohl's home in Encino, Calif., the 11-song set is an explosive, high-octane burst of rock energy from a 16-year-old band that is tightly honed and righteously raw.
    Read full review
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