Strife

California has produced a steady stream of hardcore bands, with a fresh leader emerging every few years to spark the next wave. In the early to mid-1990s that role fell to Strife. The Los Angeles quartet—Rick Rodney on vocals, Andrew Kline on guitar, Chad Peterson on bass, and Aaron Rosi on drums—came together in 1991. After issuing their debut album, One Truth, on Caroline Records in 1994, the group moved to Victory, one of the era’s premier hardcore imprints. The year 1996 brought the seven-inch single “Grey” and the live home video One Truth Live, which captured the unvarnished reality of touring as a hardcore band during that decade. On their 1997 follow-up, In This Defiance, Strife expanded their sonic palette through contributions from members of Fear Factory, Sepultura, and the Deftones. Momentum halted when the band announced its breakup in early 1998. Occasional reunion shows continued, accompanied by the 1999 odds-and-ends collection Truth Through Defiance. Nearly two years after that release, Strife chose to regroup. They delivered their third studio album, Angermeans, in 2001 and supported it with their first extensive tour in almost four years.