It begins with a single guitar and whispering vocals, and then suddenly pulls you into a rollercoaster of musical genres and tempos. The latest album in the epic saga of musical success for the Foo Fighters, “Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace,” has arrived, presenting the world with just the kind of glorious music one would expect of them.

What started out as a one-man-band studio project created by former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl has grown to unimaginable heights.

The Foo Fighters as a band takes the difficult path between jarring punk and lighter rocker. The album delivers powerful guitar, strong bass, pounding drums and angry but not angsty vocals, which are contrasted with moments of mellow acoustic sound.

Sometimes Grohl croons for too long or warrants some skipping through the yellow of a chorus or two—perhaps on the otherwise good single “The Pretender.” The song does get a little old after a couple of listens, however. It follows the pattern of so many singles ruined by radio and television over-play.

Usually, however, the band’s signature mix of rough and smooth is a refreshing alternative to the comparatively monotonous sound of bands that stick too strictly to their genre.

The twang-filled guitar in “Summer’s End” fits perfectly with the song’s lyrics: “blood and lips and cherry wine/moonshine in hair hair/just keep staring at the sun/pray for summer’s end.” The song would almost sound a little bit too country if it weren’t for the sudden increase in drums that pops up every verse or so and the intense guitar solos near the end of the song.

The Foo Fighters’ astonishing ability to keep just the right amount of their familiar style in the songs and add in so many other things as well keeps them both fresh and classic. There is no reason to expect that the songs from this album won’t be on the radio for just as long as the rest of the band’s hits.