Zine Review: Passion Means Struggle #2
A hardcore punk fanzine for those still fighting the good fight.
Passion Means Struggle is a hardcore punk fanzine from Plauen in eastern Germany. Alongside the zine, the author runs a label of the same name, releasing fresh bands from the surrounding area.
The second issue, published in April 2021, immediately caught my attention with the big, bold collegiate-style X next to the title. As you might have guessed, the publication centers on political hardcore punk and the editor’s love for the vegan straight edge scene.
The layout is standard and simple, but there’s plenty packed into these 72 pages. You’ll find essays on hardcore punk ideals, surviving COVID-19 depression, and self-care, alongside record and zine reviews full of fresh tunes and good reading material, mostly from Europe.
There’s also a tour report following German hardcore punk band Schwach through Mexico and the US. It’s in German, as are some of the reviews, but about 80% of the zine is in English. Even if you don’t speak German, there’s plenty of interesting content to get stuck into.
The in-depth interviews with political XVX bands CLEARxCUT from Germany and xRISALEx from Turkey are a highlight. The questions are well thought out, covering antiauthoritarian politics, feminism, straight edge, and hardcore music. There’s also an enlightening interview with Prague’s MAKExPEACE, who list their five all-time favorite records, hardcore lyricists, labels, classic Czech hardcore punk bands, places to hang out in Prague, and more.
What I like most about Passion Means Struggle is its focus on new and upcoming bands outside the US. The author is clearly influenced by the US hardcore scene of the ’90s, with the usual references to Chokehold, Unbroken, and others. This issue also includes a “hardcore history lesson” column on Another Breath, but the zine doesn’t rely on nostalgia or the hype around reviving the good old days.
Like political hardcore and zines that put informative content before fancy art shit? Need some fresh non-US straight edge bands to listen to and read about? Pick this up.
