Dave Grohl wasn’t always the famously famous ‘nicest man in rock’. Before he found superstardom via Nirvana and Foo Fighters, he was a lesser-known, hardcore punk with Scream and (previously) Dain Bramage. Fancy a taster, if not a replica, of this? With strong melodies and rock riffage? Listen in…
Back in his teeth-cutting years Grohl looked up to Corrosion Of Conformity drummer Reed Mullin, learning many chops at his gigs. Both guys remained friends but went their own musical ways. Not one to rest on the laurels of world domination – as the Foos continue to be one of the most heart-winning rock bands in the world – Grohl now harks back to this experience by joining Mullin’s punk/metal collective, Teenage Time Killers. In a relatively quiet week on the new rock release front, Greatest Hits Vol. 1 is anything but quiet.
An undeniable pulling point is the 30-strong guest list. Where else will you find stars of Slipknot, Clutch, Kyuss, Lamb Of God and Foo Fighters working together in perfect harmony? Or shouty, punky harmony at least. Grohl, Corey Taylor, Nick Oliveri, Neil Fallon, Matt Skiba, Jello Biafra… And yes, it does have its murky, stodgier moments, but the scale and spirit of camaraderie here are highly appealing in their own right. You want a supergroup? A supergroup this is.
So yes, 30 guest stars. And because there are 30 guest stars, Greatest Hits Vol. 1 is bloody massive. Spanning a hefty 20 tracks, it’s a shouty, punky thump-in-the-stomach likely to make your ears bleed – packing thrashy tempo changes and heavy fuzz. Not good for the fragile or hungover. Much better for others.
Recorded at Dave’s place for “virtually nothing”, the album features angry titles like Time To Die and Bleeding To Death. Highlights include Hung Out To Dry – a ferocious, groovy punk blast, voiced by Lamb Of God’s Randy Blythe – and riffy, metallic punk in Say Goodnight To The Acolyte. Skate-punk anarchy mixes with crunchy chords and metal oomph throughout. By the end we felt mad as hell and ready to smash things up. In a positive, fist-pumping sort of way.
