UPDATE - 2/23@2:34PM: The studio version of the track has been posted online (thanks vikJBtor).

According to Alan Cross of ExploreMusic.com, the new Foo Fighters single Rope sounds a lot like old Rush:

I had a chance to hear the studio version of the still-as-yet-untitled Foo Fighters album. The track is "Rope" and will be delivered to radio stations at 7am ET on February 23rd.

So what does it sound like? In a word, Rush. The interplay between guitars, bass and drums could be an instrumental bit from A Farewell to Kings or bits of "La Villa Strangiato" from Hemispheres, complete with multi-park drum breaks and quick shifts in time signature. (YFI: Taylor Hawkins is a HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEE Rush fan. Dave is, too.)

It's certainly a very bold move for a first single. This is Dave's call, too. Sure, they could have gone with a "Learn to Fly"-style radio-friendly first single, but Dave overruled that, insisting that they go with "Rope" because it better captures the vibe of the recording sessions. (But don’t worry; there are plenty of radio-friendly quintessential Foos on the the CD.) ...

As Cross mentions, the single is due to hit radio stations on February 23rd. But you can get an idea of how the track sounds by checking out this bootleg live version of the song. Cross also remarks that the live version doesn't do the studio version justice.

As the author points out, both Taylor Hawkins and Dave Grohl are huge Rush fans. Hawkins appears in both the Rush documentary Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage and the Classic Albums 2112 Moving Pictures documentary. Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee even made a guest appearance at a Foo Fighters show in Toronto back in 2008.

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