The Birds of Satan - The Birds of Satan (2014)

2014 release, the debut album from the Alt-Rock band formed by the Foo Fighters' Taylor Hawkins alongside Wiley Hodgden (bass, background vocals), and Mick Murphy (guitar). for anyone asking who/what/why are the Birds of the Satan... The question is answered in short order by the album's opening manifesto, the near-10-minute 'The Ballad of The Birds of Satan,' which progresses from a typically frenetic Hawkins drum salvo into an outright heavy-prog epic concluding with an undeniable boogie groove. Elsewhere, sublime ballads 'Raspberries' and the somber finale' 'Too Far Gone to See' showcase additional emotional dimensions of The Birds of Satan sound-and if that gets too heavy, the listener can always skip back to 'Wait Til Tomorrow' for the first documented recorded Van Halen style guitar solo of this decade. Guest musicians on the eponymous album include Dave Grohl (guitar), Pat Smear (guitar), Drew Hester (percussion), and Rami Jaffee (keyboards), among others. The Birds of Satan was produced and engineered by John Lousteau and mixed by Drew Hester.