Artist: Foo Fighters
Album: In Your Honor

Label: Roswell/RCA
Tracks: 20 (2-discs)
Review By: Christopher Thomas!

Let's talk rock for a moment.  Not punk rock or indie rock, not hardcore, not metal, alternative, or pop.  Let's just shove all of those sub-classifications to the side and talk about good ol' rock and roll.  People have been proclaiming the death of rock for decades, and based on the radio playlists these days, I would tend to agree.  Rock and roll has become the store-window mannequin upon which are hung any number of passing fads, facades, and gimmicks. 

Enter the Foo Fighters.

From their start in the mid-90s the Foo Fighters have focused on making catchy, unpretentious rock and roll music.  No gimmicks, no new tricks to hook the kiddies.  They're not trying to save rock and roll or breath new life into it.  They just wanna rock out, and for nearly a decade they have done so with spectacular results.  In Your Honor continues the trend.

In Your Honor is the Foo Fighters' fifth full-length release as well as their most ambitious record.  This time around the Foos have released a two-disc album: one disc of straight up rock music, and one disc of more mellow tunes.  Both discs are nearly perfect -- from the to-the-fans opening track to the dual guitar lead that closes the acoustic disc -- with strong songwriting, top notch playing, and impeccable production.  Thankfully, the production on this record -- recorded in their newly-bulit and still-unfinished 606 West Studios -- was better than the that of their previous effort, One By One, which suffered from way too much low end (leading to some distortion at some points).  The vocals, as always, are flawless with Dave Grohl's patented combination of quiet whispers, strong singing, and raucous screams.  The most recent addition to the Foo roster, Chris Shiflett, makes his contribution to the band with interesting guitar lines that add textures to the songs, and bassist Nate Mendel plays tasteful but exciting bass lines as always.  In Your Honor marks the first of the band's records where drummer Taylor Hawkins has full control over the drumkit, and he provides solid drumming in the vein of 70s-era classic rock drummers.

The one area where this record falls somewhat short of the Foos' previous efforts is in the lyrics.  While much of the lyrics are well-written and introspective as on previous records, this time Grohl too often relies on wordplay and cliches (e.g. "this is the last song that I will dedicate to you," a sentiment that has seen more than its share of use in rock music).  But this drawback is minor and does little to bring down the overall quality. 

The acoustic disc is surprisingly good, although the Foo Fighters have certainly had their fair share of excellent mellow tunes in the past.  I was skeptical that they could fill an entire disc with enough strong songs to make it worthwhile, but they certainly made it happen.  The disc includes guest appearances from a few friends of the band as well as one song, "Cold Day in the Sun," with Hawkins on lead vocals. 

This record is what One By One should have been but wasn't.  It is all eras of the Foo Fighters' career combined seamlessly into one coherent, impressive whole.  If you put In Your Honor in your stereo and aren't hit immediately by its excellence, give it a little time.  This is the kind of record that doesn't show all its cards at once.