MAKING a concept album is a dangerous game.

Misjudge the theme and it can come across as a gimmick and put off regular fans or get the concept wrong and the whole project could collapse.

But if there was one man who could get it right it would be the prolific Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters.

Sonic Highways is the eighth album by the stadium rock band and has been described by Grohl as 'a love letter to the history of American music'.

The impressive project saw Foo Fighters record eight songs in eight US cities – Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Seattle, and Washington.

The quintet also worked with an artist from each of the cities they visited with the idea of embracing their culture and adapting their musical style into the Foo Fighters rock template.

It works remarkably well. Stomping single 'Something From Nothing', inspired by the Chicago scene, is one of the highlights building to a big rock number with slide guitar.

The punky The Feast and The Famine is a worthy nod to Washington scene that spawned Fugazi while the seven-minute atmospheric 'I Am A River' pays tribute to New York.

The only weak song is 'What Did I Do? / God As My Witness', recorded in Austin, which just meanders along and peters out.

A road trip in a record, Foo Fighters prove they can still reinvent themselves after 20 years on the scene.

DAVID MORGAN