 Foo Fighters earned mostly positive reviews upon release . Many critics compared the album to Grohl 's previous band , Nirvana . Reviewer David Browne of Entertainment Weekly considered that " [ Grohl 's ] songs pack the <unk> wallop of unpolished Nirvana demos , and his voice has Kurt Cobain 's lunging , over @-@ the @-@ top passion . " Writing for Spin , Terri Sutton stylistically compared the album to Nirvana 's second album , Nevermind , saying that " the album 's first half [ ... ] owes much to Nevermind , and it 's tempting to hear it in the way Nevermind taught us to hear . " Paul Rees of Kerrang ! admitted that " Foo Fighters cannot fail to evoke Kurt Cobain 's memory , whether if through Grohl 's ragged howl of a voice or the way a number of its songs go soft @-@ soft @-@ loud " , but ultimately considered the record " more than strong enough to stand or fall in its own merits " . Billboard complimented the " inspired songwriting and passionate performances " , adding the album could please grunge fans and " also remind fans of other rock and punk taste makers , from Green Day and The Offspring to Better than Ezra . " 
