World War II brought airmen together, but amid its darkness they reported bizarre aerial lights they referred to as Foo Fighters. Amateur psychologists and military aviation enthusiasts provided explanations – none were satisfactory enough for the pilots themselves.

28 years after Nirvana’s demise, Dave Grohl leads Foo Fighters – with their signature blend of post-grunge and refined elegance now filling arenas and stadiums – on their 11th album But Here We Are they explore mortality and heartache with no loss in intensity.

They’re a rock band.

After Nirvana disbanded following Kurt Cobain’s suicide in 1994, drummer Dave Grohl took it upon himself to form Foo Fighters as a solo project. The name comes from UFO sightings reported by Allied aircraft pilots during World War II as reported phenomena.

Foo Fighters have achieved remarkable success over their 26 year existence. Since releasing 11 studio albums and winning 15 Grammy awards, their live shows have made an indelible mark on countless generations. As their music faded from cultural prominence over time, Foo Fighters remained relevant across generations.

As was true of rock icons that came before, The Cars weren’t afraid to show their vulnerable ballad “Aurora”, while still offering up a sound that can be both electric and heavy-footed. At their peak, they were one of few acts who could keep an audience spellbound for over two hours; even today, that hasn’t changed!

They’re a punk band.

Foo Fighters are an inextricable band to place. With their signature sound of whaling guitars and meteoric drums backed by Dave Grohl’s expressive vocals, the Foo Fighters have an ability to create music that shakes audiences to their core or can even bring tears to them.

Foo Fighters may not be popular among alternative coolsters, but they remain one of the last great arena rock bands around – creating large-scale rock music even when that type of thing wasn’t supposed to exist in modern music.

Foo Fighters first showed commercial ambition with their 1997 album, The Colour and the Shape, more so than one might expect given their grunge or emo roots might suggest. Their single “Everlong” has become an anthem that has endured through multiple releases while “Aurora,” an emotive ballad from Grohl’s songwriting, has also proven popular on radio playlists and Spotify playlists alike. Furthermore, Foo Fighters continue to develop with every release – and have featured guest vocalists such as Justin Timberlake or Paul McCartney among many others!

They’re a metal band.

Foo Fighters stand out as one of the few metal bands that have managed to remain relevant and keep metal alive today. Their riffs are loud and crushing while their vocals are powerful and emotive.

Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters is known for his love of heavy metal; both Probot and Studio 666 demonstrate this affinity. Recently, his fictional metal band Dream Widow released an early-thrash ripper song that invokes Venom, Slayer, and Celtic Frost influences.

Foo Fighters’ music is an intoxicating blend of hard rock, punk and grunge – the Foos are known for being post-grunge (following in the footsteps of Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains) yet incorporate elements from power pop and alternative rock into their sound as well. Their songs are loud and powerful while still having catchy melodies – this song from them perfectly sums up their style!

They’re a pop band.

After Nirvana drummer Kurt Cobain’s death in April 1994, Grohl recorded an album‘s worth of songs under the name Foo Fighters in his home studio and distributed cassette copies among friends; those songs eventually attracted record label interest.

Foo Fighters made their debut with 1995’s The Colour and the Shape, establishing them as an established hard rock band with punk and grunge influences. By their more polished follow-up release – 1997’s The Pretender – Foo Fighters had solidified a stable lineup which featured guitarist Pat Smear (formerly with Nirvana side project The Germs), Sunny Day Real Estate bassist Nate Mendel, and road-hardened drummer Taylor Hawkins as core members.

After touring behind their debut, One by One, Foo Fighters returned to the studio with Gil Norton for 2005’s double-disc In Your Honor which contained both acoustic and heavy tracks. It became their most commercially successful release to date as it highlighted Grohl’s songwriting abilities and primal scream power.