Zine Review: The Coming Strife #3

The Coming Strife Records has been one of my favorite edge metal imprints for a while now. The London-based label launched in 2018 with a mission to revive the ’90s-influenced metallic hardcore scene in the UK, but since then they’ve also put out smashing releases from bands based in the US, Australia, and mainland Europe, including Rain of Salvation, Domain, Flames of Betrayal, Caged Existence, Embitter, A Knife In The Dark, xContentionx, and many more. Although they’ve been killing it in the vinyl and cassette game, it’s great to see the tradition of label owners starting their own fanzines. The Coming Strife have been doing it for three issues now, and what makes it even better is that they obviously love it. I couldn’t find the first two issues, but as soon as I had the chance to get the third one, I had to pick it up and check it out, and I’m so glad I did.

Published in the second half of 2021, this issue is a half-size, 44-page, full-color zine printed on glossy paper. The digital cut’n’paste style layout is also really great, making perfect use of negative space and a two-column content that’s a real pleasure to read from cover to cover. This issue features interviews with UKHC/metalcore bands Climate of Fear, Burn Alive, SplitKnuckle, early ’00s legends xCanaanx, and Virginia-based Heavens Die. You’ll also find a 2021 end-of-year list from Adam, frontman of Polish band Embitter, who writes about some amazing releases from the past year. There are also interviews with other up and coming labels like Nuclear Family Records from Wales and Medusa’s Lair from Spain because, you know, hardcore is cooperation not competition!

The real highlight of this issue is the xCanaanx interview, which is actually a very personal conversation with their vocalist Nathan Bean, who talks about much more than his time with xCanaanx. Over the years he has been involved with many other UKHC bands such as Touchdown, Decline, Rot In Hell, Up In Arms, ran the Hemlock 13 label and published the Harder They Fall zine. He is currently making Dungeons & Dragons modules for major metal bands like The Black Dahlia Murder, and publishing the really great Trapped Nerve zine. Some of these activities are covered in the interview.

In conclusion, The Coming Strife Fanzine is really worth getting if you want to learn more about the new generation of metal-influenced UKHC bands. The interviews feel more like casual conversations and I’m sure Oli Strife could easily make a great podcast in the future. I would like to see more questions about band politics and straight edge though. I’m always worried about label-produced zines being too promotional and biased towards their own roster, but in Oli’s case it’s all about the love of hardcore and metal rather than trying to sell more records (which is what DIY labels have to do to survive anyway).