Bound For Glory Interview

Hello Ed, I hope I find you in nice condition of health and spirits. Seven years have passed, since I did an interview with you, back in November 2005 (the first interview I ever done). What has changed for you - both on personal level and with your music activity?

 I am just living the dream J After a long time of taking care of responsibilities for me as well as some of the other guys, we kind of got the bug again and have been writing and recording new music. You could say it is a new era for us, new attitude, and the love for what we do has gotten us to make music again.

Tell us a breif history of the skinhead scene in Minnesota or in your area and where the origins of BFG were born in the late 1980s?

We were young guys that would go to hardcore shows. We naturally gravitated to the shaved head/combat boot look which fit us and our attitude well. We were into the great hardcore bands of its era, plus you had skinhead hardcore bands like Cro-Mags, Agnostic Front, Negative Approach and etc. We met other guys that were like us and we hit it off very good with them. Then we got introduced to this band we had been hearing about, but none of us were able to get our hands on any music by them, then finally we got to hear it and found a place that carried this bands albums. That band being Skrewdriver. Of course that led to Brutal Attack and all these other bands that we had heard about. We had read in various magazines about how "evil" and "bad" these bands were, so of course we had to go and listen to them :) 

Around this time, many guys cropped up in St.Paul. There was a high school where many "immigrants" from Chicago were resettled to. These individuals from Chicago were gangsters, had their own gangs and they would single out schoolkids and beat them up or try to shake them down, they would deal drugs and etc. Enough was enough and a bunch of guys got together, shaved their heads and put on the boots and braces and put these gangsters in place. Pretty soon it became a phenomena with all of these guys with shaved heads and black boots. Needless to say, the liberals were not too happy with this, and of course the media started spouting their liquid hate in the papers.

We saw how bad the media was with their lies when they spoke of us. Yet, we were not the ones robbing people, dealing drugs, or blindly attacking anyone. We were working class guys that loved our families, our neighborhoods and our music. When we started seeing all of the gangster rap and the hatred being spewed forth by MTV. It was only natural for BFG to stand up and fight back with our music. We were a reaction to the action of the music industry and the media and to the criminals that had invaded our streets. 

Bound for Glory are back with a bang. What have motivated all you to re-activate the band, which have been silent for so many years?

 There are many parts to our motivation. For one, the people that love our music and look to us to keep making albums. The wonderful people we have gotten to know have been a big inspiration for us. Also the fact that it is in our blood. Like I said before, we have a much more different outlook these days, but what is most important to us is that we can feel the music. It would not exist if we did not feel it in our bones and hearts!!

BFG played in Hungary just few weeks ago. What are your impressions from atmosphere of the gig, and your trip to European soil in general?

Amazing!! I can’t speak highly enough of all the people we have encountered on our travels. The hospitality, the laughs, the cheers, it was all second to none!! My heart swells with pride at the amazing people I have gotten to meet!!! 

Which are the bands from Nationalist scene you wanted to play with, but you’ve never had a chance to?

Of course, the one band we would have loved to have shared the stage with is the one and only Skrewdriver. If I were to mention another band off the top of my head that is around today, I would say Estirpe Imperial.

  

Did you ever got in touch with some so called mainstream metal bands and hows their reaction about your lyrics which are straight and "politically incorrect"?

I personally know of big mainstream musicians that are big BFG fans, but they can’t voice that opinion loudly.  And these are guys from some very big bands. 

Ed, as you have stated before in interviews, many BFG fans were used to the oi!/Hardcore sound which BFG had in their earlier releases whilst your metal sounding albums are still brilliant. As Joel had mentioned at the gig in Hungary, BFG are here to stay and we will release another album". What could we be expecting if this does happen? I love both styles but is there a potential for an album similar to "Last Act Of Defiance" and the split you did with Mistreat?

I can really never predict what the next recording will sound like. It all depends on how my heart speaks to me at certain moments. One thing I can tell you for sure is that it must be genuine in order for it to be written. I always wonder what must have gone through Wagners' heart when he wrote "Ride of the Valkyries". The music conveys the title perfectly, you can really feel it. Or Vivaldis' 4-seasons, you truly feel the changing of the seasons. Or in more modern terms, As the Snow Fell by Ian, you can feel the anguish and the pain in the music, it matches perfectly. It is really hard to tell which direction we will go in. I do have to say that Last Act of Defiance is one of my favorite albums, just for the fact that it is very heartfelt and has the "feel good" atmosphere to it. That album was recorded at the same time as Hate Train Rollin. We recorded 2 albums at the same time with 2 complete different feels and sounds to them. I do already have a few songs written and I can tell you that they are definitely in different directions, no 2 songs sound alike. There are a couple more ballad type songs, and there is something that would have fit off of the last album, and there still is much to write. I guess all I can say is expect the unexpected!!!

The best thing is that if I talk to 10 different people, I will get different answers to what their favorite album is. If I asked 10 people what their favorite album is and 8,9 or even all 10 of them said the same album, then I would not be doing my job right !! But there is definitely something for everyone.

Your bands (BFG,  Before God…etc.) have always been highly influenced by metal music, which obviously is your favorite style. What is your objective professional opinion (as a musician) about Old school bands (Oi!/R.A.C.) and “New School” Hatecore trend?

It is all about what is in your heart. Your music needs to convey your lyrics. You can’t close your mind to different styles of music, I listen to so many various types of music that it influences me in many ways. As for Oi/RAC, my favorite part of that music is the albums/bands from the early years. The spirit and energy are amazing!! One of the most perfect albums for me is Mistreat “Flame of the North”.  Unfortunately, not much RAC/Oi captures me these days, there are a few good bands out there, but there seems to be too many things sounding the same from the music to the lyrics. It is so 4/4 time and I have a hard time really getting into it. Also with “hatecore”, honestly, I think when a band tries to fit a certain genre it ends up boxing itself in.

Apart from the slogan we all know by heart, what “14 words” means for you in real life? In what moral values you educate you children?

For me, safety, warmth and just teaching your children good values and morals and responsibility is important. When you children never go hungry or cold and always know that they have the support of their parents, that is what it is all about to me. The times these days have changed so much when it comes to parenting and what is available to children. You have to raise them very aware of everything out there.

  

Talking about historical memory, what is your comment about the latest actions of the German and Austrian authorities – destroying and removing the graves of Rudolf Hess and Hitler’s father – Alois? Do you think that history could be erased in order to be forgotten forever?

You can’t run and hide from the past. If you label your system as being a democracy, then you have to give fair play to everything. By doing such things, they create this “interest” from people that are curious about why history is being covered up. You can’t erase history, it is there for everyone to learn from.

Imagine that you have a possibility to meet Leon Degrelle (R.I.P) for just a day. How will you spend the time with him?

I would want to sit down and listen to his tales of glory. It would be such an inspiration and honor to speak to such a man that has seen and done so much in his lifetime.

Blitz questions…when was the last time:

-         Someone called you “old man” J

-         A few winters ago. He was eating those words when this “old man” took his young punk ass and threw him out the door, face first!!! J

-         You got in fight

About a year and a half ago, I had some big jackass kissing the floor. He made the mistake of trying to grab me by the throat. It’s a mistake I don’t think he will ever make again. J

-         You read a book (title, author, etc.)

-         I have about 4 books going on at the moment. A good book I can recommend is called “Enemy at the Gates”. I don’t recall the authors name at the moment, but the book is about the battles against the Ottoman Empire. It is a great and informative read.

-         You bought a record (CD or LP)

I actually just bought the new Accept album called “Stalingrad”. The song “Stalingrad” itself is amazing!!!

How would you describe our blog, if you need to recommend it to a friend?

I would recommend it as somewhat of an encyclopedia for someone that is looking into non-mainstream/true underground music.

 I know it’s hard to take more then just a few days-off in USA, but when we can expect to see you again in Europe?

I am not sure at the moment, but I definitely hope it will be soon!!

Ed, I was really glad to do an interview with you again, thanks a lot for your time. I hope to meet you in real life one day. Your final words and message to our readers?

Cheers to all!! Live life to its fullest and bow before none!!!