Formed in 1985 by four disaffected thirteen year olds, BOLD began life as Crippled Youth. The band first caught the attention of the thriving mid-80’s hardcore scene with the release of their nine song e.p., “Join The Fight”, which along with brother band, Youth of Today helped define the look, message and sound of what would become known as Youth Crew hardcore. Shortly after the release of “Join The Fight”, the band changed its name and released the landmark NYHC L.P. “Speak Out” on Revelation Records. Non-stop live shows expanded the band’s reach and cemented them among the most influential groups of their time. In 1989 BOLD recruited guitarist Tom Capone for the release of what would become, at its time, their swan song - the eponymous 7”, which would later be re-released as Looking Back. This record marked a distinct sonic and lyrical progression; anticipating the more technical components of what would follow in hardcore of the 90’s, while at the same time, pre-figuring many hallmarks of what would soon inform post-hardcore.
