MIKE BORDIN | Rhythm Magazine #242 | June 2015

Mike Bordin stands alone on the cover of Rhythm Magazine issue 242, June 2015.



The last time Puffy adorned the cover of this publication was April 1995, 10 years ago! The cover feature in the 2015 issue however is an amazing 10 page spread with glorious full page live photography by Ross Halfin and Paul Louis Villani.

The main article is a homage to Mike and his history as a drummer with an in depth and detailed interview with Bordin in which he discusses: the recording process of 'Sol Invictus', his percussion equipment and technique, his influences and the learning of his instrument and Mike also reflects on the the past catalogue of FNM.

Here are some particularly poignant quotes from the article, it was very hard to choose these as there is so much great content.


On starting out

"We were sitting in his (Cliff Burton) bedroom listening to his record player and Cliff said, 'I'm going to start playing bass and I said, 'Okay, I'm going to start playing drums.' And I did, and he did, and that's really how it started. It was really instinctive, I guess. I was 13, that was 39 years ago, we both started and jammed together and played together and learned together."

On Sol Invictus

"The recording and the writing was different and it was great, I enjoyed the hell out of it. And [this time] it was informal Just me and Bill basically, so it was nice just f**king around with it just playing music like we had -1 guess in the past we just played together and stuff would come out."

 

"We all have to be [involved], we're all still a band together but it's a process - and the process a lot of the time starts with bass and drums, because you're building the cake and after that a lot of things happen to the cake but you've got to build the damn thing first."

"He (Bill) knew what we were talking about, he knew not only as the engineer - he had that hat on - but also as the guy in the band writing songs, he knew what we were trying to get to. God damn, its hard to say too much about the work and the role and the effort that he did, and if you knew you'd kind a feel sorry for him because he worked his ass off."

On past FNM albums

"The thing too that I'm proud of is that looking back at the last couple of Faith No More albums the balance was out, as far as the type of material that was on those records, especially the last record, and this one I really like the balance."

 

On drumming master CK Ladzekpo
 

"I did that for a year or two and it was nothing to do with the drumset, it was a dude from Ghana who was really cool, just this little guy - and man, every single limb, more than one rhythm could come out of each limb."

 

 

There is also a page in which Mike talks about his time with Ozzy Osbourne.

 

On War Pigs

"Black Sabbath was really important to me as a kid, growing up, I don't want to overstate it. But we sat and talked, and he said, 'You guys are so different, why did you do 'War Pigs'? Are you taking the p**s? And I said, 'No, Black Sabbath are super-important to my life and I owe a lot if not all of the path I've taken to that early influence - and he remembered that."

Also an interview with Bill Gould on recording Mike's drums and locking in as a rhythm section.

 

What have you learned about recording drums since you worked on Album Of The Year that you were able to apply to Sol Invictus!

"Mostly that, aside from the physical drums themselves, which can always present a challenge, the integrity of the arrangement, the sound of the room, and the technique of the player can all have a lot to do with how things fit together. A lot of good tone is in the hands."

 

Rhythm have reviewed 'Sol Invictus' giving the new album full marks, 5 out of 5.

'Superhero' with its heavy riffs and piano hooks, is a stand-out first single, while Mike Patton's acrobatic vocal facility runs the gamut on the likes of 'Sunny Side Up' and 'Rise Of The Fall' the latter with a nice bit of reggae cross-stick from Bordin, whose military snare cadences define 'Motherf**ker' and album closer 'From The Dead'. 'Matador' builds brilliantly, with Bordin's tribal-stylings and hard-hitting power driving the customary epic-ness. 'Cone Of Shame' is doomy but rich in rhythmic texture and colour; on 'Black Friday' Bordin frames Patton's ode to consumerist greed with a swinging syncopation. Sol Invictus is a nicely balanced FNM album that proves the band can still deliver with style, and still sound like no one else.

 

I can not stress how awesome this full article is get it today! Issue #242 is available to purchase at Music Radar, Newstand and your local news agent.