Foo Fighters Cover Minor Threat’s ‘I Don’t Want to Hear It’: Listen

Just after the 30th anniversary of the band’s 1995 self-titled debut album, Foo Fighters have unveiled a fierce cover of Minor Threat‘s hardcore classic “I Don’t Wanna Hear It” — with vocals recorded this year over an instrumental track that dates to ’95. The release appears to be part of a larger celebration of the debut, with the band promoting anniversary content under the hashtag #FF30 and revisiting their career history on a Substack.

The cover reflects Grohl’s deep connection to Washington D.C.’s hardcore punk scene. Before Nirvana, Grohl played drums for Scream, a hardcore band signed to Dischord Records, founded by Minor Threat’s Ian MacKaye. Grohl penned a fan letter to MacKaye when he was 14 years old, and the two were recently spotted together at a Devo concert.

The original song first appeared on Minor Threat’s 19821 debut self-titled EP. It’s unclear whether Grohl recorded the instrumental tracks as a one-man band, à la the Foo Fighters’ debut, or whether it was one of the first recordings to feature the original full-band lineup.

The release comes as Foo Fighters prepare for their live return following a period of relative quiet. The band recently fired drummer Josh Freese, who had filled the position for two years following the death of Taylor Hawkins. They haven’t yet announced a replacement, but they’ve set overseas concert dates for the fall in Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, and Mexico.