Editor’s note: The following review of the Foo Fighters’ album, “Medicine at Midnight,” was scheduled for last Wednesday. It was pulled in favor of a salute to the band’s drummer, Taylor Hawkins, after his untimely death.

Well, it’s finally time. I finally get to talk about one of my favorite bands of all time, the Foo Fighters. If you have been living under a rock since the ’90s, you may have never heard of the Foo Fighters. Fronted by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, the nicest guy in rock and roll, the group recently released both an album and a movie within the last two months. 

Yes, you read that right, a rock band just released a movie based on their experiences in recording their tenth album, “Medicine at Midnight.” The movie, titled “Studio 666,” is about a metal band named Dream Widow (played by members of the Foo Fighters) who are attempting to record an album in a haunted house. 

But I’m not here to write about the film. Even though I’m sure the movie is going to be pretty cheesy, you can be certain I will be seeing it. 

Today I want to review the album “Medicine at Midnight.” Originally released in February, the post grunge, alternative rock sound that has made the Foo Fighters famous is on full display. But what has set the Foo Fighters apart from most bands is their continued ability to evolve. 

This album features all six of the current band’s lineup: Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Rami Jaffee, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear as well 11 other additional musicians including Grohl’s daughter, Violet, throughout the album. These extra musicians include backup vocalists, cellists, percussionists, violists, violinists and even a harp player. 

Now, if you’re unfamiliar with the Foo Fighters, you might be thinking, “Why in the world do they need all that for a rock album?” You just don’t know Dave Grohl and longtime producer and engineer Mark “Spike” Stent. Both have a history of being able to make music that is just out of the ordinary but almost always extraordinary. 

If you need some convincing on Stent’s resume, he’s worked with a variety of groups including Oasis, Massive Attack, U2, Linkin Park, Depeche Mode, Frank Ocean, Madonna, Ed Sheeran, Green Day, Arcade Fire and on and on and on. He also helped produce seven Grammy Best award winning albums. He’s also been nominated for four Album of the Years but can’t seem to clinch it. Simply put, with him at the helm, it’s a good recipe for a good LP.

Debuting on the Billboard 200 at number three and number one on the US Top Rock Albums, the album has seen much initial success. It has fallen drastically off the Billboard 200 landing somewhere in 170s as of March 25 but still sits nicely at number two on the Top Rock chart. 

But for me, the album just doesn’t sit exactly right. There are times on the album where I feel the Foo Fighters are missing and others where I feel those background instruments could have had more play. I will say that the group hasn’t put out an album I absolutely loved since their seventh album, “Wasting Light,” which featured chart topping songs like “Rope” and “White Limo.” 

Those songs hit so hard and in my opinion were so popular because those background elements were perfectly paired and mixed in the formation of the songs. Those elements didn’t have as much play and when they did, it was paired perfectly. Since we’ve been talking about fusion artists so much recently, I will say that if any band can do genre mixups, it would be the Foo Fighters as they’ve done so successfully in the past. In fact, drummer Hawkins even said the album is more “pop-oriented” in a press interview to promote Studio 666. 

Overall, I’d say the album is good. Just not great. There are definitely bright spots that perfectly display the group’s ability to mashup those varying instruments they include. Songs like “Shame Shame” and the title track give up total control of the rhythm and let the background instruments take over instead of the guitar and it just works. Even beautiful at times. But other songs make me want more. Songs like “Love Dies Young” and “Holding Poison” drop those background elements and the song doesn’t feel complete.

I will continue to support the band. They are still a bucket list group to see live. I have marked many off my list but they seem to elude me. While they continue to put out albums that just don’t home for me, I am a die hard fan. If you are interested in hearing some music you probably wouldn’t ever hear if Grohl wasn’t making it, I do recommend “Medicine at Midnight.” But if you want to hear some quintessential Foo Fighters try “Wasting Light,” “In Your Honor,” their live album “Skin and Bones” or their “Greatest Hits” album.

Jack Jordan is a reporter with The Moultrie Observer.