The Birds of Satan - The Birds of Satan
28/05/2014
The life of a Foo Fighter must be a fantastic one: millions of adoring fans across the globe, millions of dollars coming in with every release, and millions of reasons as to why they are arguably one of the greatest rock bands to emerge on the scene in quite some time. However, much like lead singer Dave Grohl, drummer Taylor Hawkins is another member of the band that likes to keep himself busy in between Foo Fighters albums. After his previous side project, The Coattail Riders, dissolved, he spontaneously formed The Birds of Satan with him taking lead vocals and drums obviously, Mick Murphy wielding the guitar and Wiley Hodgden strumming the bass. Trust me, for an album that was conjured within a week, the contents of it are pretty darn good.
We’re immediately confronted with the off-putting and somewhat disturbing combination of a baby screaming and a clattering drum beat before leading into a killer, and very bombastic, riff with the 9-minute, mega opening track titled The Ballad of The Birds of Satan. It transcends many different genres, and in that sense is aptly titled if the band is aiming to showcase how skilled they actually are. Other notable standouts are Thanks for the Line, which uses basic pop structure and characteristics, but still possesses that hard rock edge that’s bound to unite rock snobs and pop followers alike, along with Pieces of the Puzzle which follows a guitar riff that is definitely rooted in ska, and is a song that’s guaranteed to make anyone feel good, certainly with the copious amount of Brian May-inspired guitar shreds they throw in there. The album then closes with Too Far Gone to See, which channels some serious Aerosmith vibes, and is a ballad straight out of the 70’s – acting as a tribute to the fallen rock star (Freddie Mercury, Jeff Buckley and Dave Grohl’s ex-band mate, Kurt Cobain, come to mind).
This album isn’t supposed to be looked into too much or analysed until you extract every last detail. It’s supposed to make you feel good, make you energised and make you really want to rock out. So, if that’s what Hawkins, who I am now realised is hilariously named given the band’s title, and the rest of the boys set out to achieve, they passed with flying colours.
Standouts: The Ballad of the Birds of Satan, Pieces of the Puzzle, Thanks for the Line, Too Far Gone to See
Score: 8/10