Few would disagree that The Prodigy's legacy as a hardcore, underground punk/industrial band is nothing short of legendary. After the phone was passed through to Keith Flint, the front man of the epic British band, I'll admit I wasn't sure what to expect from a dude who fronts such a dark, gritty and utterly hypnotic sound. So, albeit my nervousness via proximity to an icon; for a few minutes we rapped about their new album, tour and what The Prodigy is really all about.

So, what triggered your decision to make another Prodigy album – how did you end up getting back together after doing your own thing for a while?
Keith Flint: Ah, I think after doing the Greatest Hits album [Their Law] we sort of thought that it was time, it was great to have that [album]…it took us back to where we’d been and what we’d been doing but what was really important was to do another Prodigy album, so that was the trigger really.

What would you say is different with this tour, how have you changed as individuals and as a band?
KF: I don’t think we’ve changed at all really. As a band, we run on a certain set of ethics...to be quite honest, I think we’re more up for it at the moment, more ready to fuck it all up as we go along – we’re more relaxed and just hungry to get the album out and just take it to people and get it heard and I think as a band we’re better than we’ve ever been.

Rad, with that said, what can people expect at the show – I know you’re coming to The Warfield next week and we’re based out of San Francisco - it’s actually a pretty small venue and I'm guessing it's more intimate than what you’re used to playing overseas.
KF: We started this round of touring in equal-sized venues in England and Europe and that’s how we like to do it – you know, take it to a smaller audience first and then build it up from there. We’re buzzing to be coming there, we love the states, we love performing here and love bringing the music here.

As far as what people can expect is certainly the new album – we’ll be doing about six tracks off the album and we’ve got two more fresh jams we’ve been doing – there’s a lot of new material and the band is at 110% at the moment. There’s a lot of energy up there, and anyone who knows the band… well, it’s not like a Britney Spears or a Madonna racket where you pick a theme for the whole show and have side shows. You just have a real band that goes up there and drops beats and bombs. That’s what we do.

How do you think grime and dubstep have influenced your new album Invaders Must Die?
KF: Certainly – we all, more Liam – kind of keep our ears to the ground, we’re all very aware of dubstep… We kind of suck up influences as we go along but we never try and become a dubstep outfit or a drum and bass outfit but that’s the beauty of being sort of a dancing outfit. You go to a dance party there’s all sorts of music being played so we suck off of that and other influences. You know we love it, there’s a couple of really bangin’ tunes out there at the moment.

How have you guys curbed your party habits on tour, or I guess a better question is have you curbed your party habits on tour?
KF: You know Liam is pretty much out there and the other guys like to get out there and have a party but I don’t so much. I kind of blew all of my party tokens doing the album and I’m just having a bit of a break from it all at the moment just to make sure I’m able to give 110% to the shows because that’s what’s most important to me. I’ve gotten quite pickled with it all and I probably over did it, but you know - a little bit of a holiday from it all for me at the moment. The shows are my drug and performing this new album is my drug and I get totally fueled by it. I don’t have any trouble letting myself go and setting myself free. It’s probably good for me, but the other boys are still out there, still going at it.

Sounds like you guys are creeping up the UK charts – do you think you’re going to be at the top of the dance scene again or where do you think this album is going to take you?
KF: I must admit we don’t really look at the stats and think about where it’s going to take us. What we do know is having a good album out there gives you the ability to take your music to the top cities and you can spread yourselves about and get your music out there. For us it’s having a great album out that you can take yourself live with and take yourself to as many places as you want and it’s about performing it live for us.

We kind of felt like we didn’t need to look at the figures to know that we’d done a great album. We could feel it in the studio because it had come together really naturally and it felt really true and really real to the band and that’s what it’s all about as long as we’re happy with it and happy to take it live. Certainly the tracks drop alongside all of the, what you might describe as being the bangers from the other albums, when you drop Omen alongside Breathe, for instance and it stands up you know that you've done something real, that’s what we’re all about – that’s our main concern.

Is there anything else we should know about? Any after parties?
KF: You know it’s all about living it and the thing about being in a band is all about not being at work, you’ve got to be professional but we all decided that we’re not going to work in banks, you know?…We’re just doing our own thing and it’s all one big party for us...I mean listen, man, we’re not going to let anyone down it’s going to be absolutely banging, you know the sound is ferocious and that’s what it’s all about.