Bound for Combat

This one goes out to Crusty.

Bound For Glory. Where to begin? BFG is nothing less than legendary and nothing short of fucking prolific. With a discography spanning more than 30 years and a sound ranging just as far, their contribution to the RAC scene and underground music in general should not be underestimated. There are so many affiliated bands, offshoots, side-projects, record labels, etc. that are tied to or initiated by the BFG crew. Although they seem to have been pigeon holed as “thrash” I don’t think that really does them justice. You’ll see them tagged as Oi! and heavy metal as well. They’re both of those things too, but somehow more than the sum of the parts. To me the band’s sound and evolution has two phases, but they’ve put out so damn many records it’s tough to illustrate that without listening to them all. However, I will attempt to deliver some jams from both the early and late stylings of BFG with a choice sampling of succulent RAC delicacies. Bound For Glory!

Early Era: Their debut album shows BFG sounding their closest to Oi! Although it was apparent from the beginning that these boys had something a little bit different up their sleeves. During the Rock O Rama days, Bound For Glory was cranking out noise that sounded something like AC/DC meets YDL meets Vengeance meets Ultima Thule.

1990 // Warriors Glory // Rock O Rama Records
Favorite Tracks: In Pride We Stride, Too Much Honor, 100 Percent White

1991 // When the Hammer Falls // Rock O Rama Records
Favorite Tracks: Aryan Nations, When the Hammer Falls, A Call to Arms

1992 // Over the Top // Rock O Rama Records
Favorite Tracks: Over the Top, Nothing to Hide, Fall of the Tyrants

Cross Over Era: It’s up for debate whether BFG went full blown metal with The Fight Goes On or with Behold the Iron Cross. I consider the two records together as their cross over period. These are also the albums where they’re closest to thrash. These two can satisfy both the Oi! and metal crowds effectively.

1994 // The Fight Goes On // Resistance Records
Favorite Tracks: The Iron Eagle Flies Again, Our Voice is Stronger, The Hammer Falls Again

1996 // Behold the Iron Cross // BFG Productions
Favorite Tracks: To Untamed Lands We Sail, Teutonic Uprise, Behold the Iron Cross

Later Era: Jumping ahead a bit here because the all out metal phase of BFG is not exactly my bag. But I’ve picked a couple I can work with. I think it’s important to include them here because this sound might appeal to some youngbloods for whom it’s got an oldschool feel. This era, and up to the present, sees the band venture into both trad metal and nu metal turf. With the popularity of these metal subgenres at the very time these records were coming out, you have to wonder how many mainstream bands were secretly blasting BFG. But Bound For Glory never did a Bohse Onkelz and renounced their origins within and affiliation to the skinhead scene in an attempt to go mainstream and capitalize on current music trends. Although their sound has evolved over the course of their expansive career, BFG has remained true to the cause. In another universe, Ironborn is playing on the stereo at the gym, it’s on a military recruiting commercial, and old bikers are jamming it at the pool hall.

2011 // Feed the Machine // PC Records
Favorite Tracks: American Roulette, Fields of Elysium, We Are!

2017 // Ironborn // Das Zeughaus
Favortite Tracks: Ironborn, I Stood, Borovicka Blues

Now you motherfuckers give it a rest with the requests so I can work on the next edition!