Faith No More: Rockers keeping the faith

Faith No More, 'still capable' of bringing it', is performing at Westfest this month. Photo / AP

San Francisco rockers Faith No More are finally back in the studio. By Paula Yeoman

Some bands will tell you there is not much point in making records these days - no one buys full-length albums. And yet, they still keep on churning them out regardless.

Faith No More, however, was one of the few exceptions. There was a break-up, a reformation, a tour and a hiatus, but no new record for 18 long years. Then last year, the rumour mill went into overdrive saying that the San Francisco rockers were back in the studio.

Now, with speculation confirmed and the new album just months away - and as the band gears up to play Westfest in Auckland - drummer Mike Bordin explains the change of heart. And why, funnily enough, the fact no one wants to spend hard earned cash on albums anymore was one of the catalysts for Sol Invictus.

"Back [in the early days] it was like, 'I'm going to sell billions of records and get my corner office, join the country club and buy a Porsche; have my drug habit, you know, whatever.'

"But that whole motivation for people is off the table now," Bordin says.

"I read something a couple of weeks ago and it was really on-point. I think it was Rob Zombie. He said, 'I don't give a shit that no one's buying records because I'm having more fun making music because nobody's hassling me. I'm making the music I want to make.' And he's totally right.

"Do you want to look at it in a bad way and whine and cry about it, or do you want to say, 'Shit that's great, now I get my turn.' That's what's super cool about this [new] album for me."

Bordin is not about to start telling people Sol Invictus is the best album Faith No More has ever made. But does he love it? "Absolutely. One hundred thousand percent. I'm super proud of it. I'm proud of the guys for the effort and creativity they've put in into it. It's a hell of a good effort and I'm thrilled," he says.

If the co-founding member of the band's excitement about this new Faith No More chapter is anything to go by, those with tickets to Westfest, which they're headlining with 90s grunge gods Soundgarden, are in for a real treat.

"A lot of the music in our sets is chosen because it has power, it has passion or drama.

"That's definitely a huge part of who we are, no question. But even more than that, we believe our kind of music - rock music in general - is not just about playing your instrument, it's a physical thing," says Bordin.

"Faith No More is a physical band and we're still capable of bringing it."

• Faith No More's new album, Sol Invictus, will be released on May 15. They play Westfest at Mt Smart Stadium on Tuesday.