Handsome

When five musicians drawn from the fractured lineups of several pivotal hardcore bands of the 1990s converged, they launched Handsome and pushed the boundaries of songcraft, sonic layering, and invention within rock beyond anything previously conceived. Former Helmet guitarist Peter Mengede stood at the helm, shaping the project even though he received no formal songwriting credit; his unmistakable riffs and architectural choices nonetheless supplied the foundation for the group’s sound. Ex-Quicksand guitarist Tom Capone further defined the band’s precise yet otherworldly hardcore attack. The sole album, the self-titled 1997 release on Epic, featured drummer Pete Hines (Cro-Mags, Murphy’s Law), bassist Eddie Nappi, and Salt Lake City area vocalist Jeremy Chatelain. Issued in February 1997, the record encountered widespread bewilderment after Epic promoted the ensemble strictly through its punk pedigree. Although aggressive, the Terry Date–produced effort proved markedly more melodic and equilibrated than any prior Murphy’s Law or even Helmet outing. Its angular hardcore textures and incisive lyrics remained intact, yet these components, combined with progressive structures and near-pop melodies, were encased in Date’s thick yet luminous new-metal sheen that evoked his earlier collaborations with Deftones, Limp Bizkit, and White Zombie. In this manner Handsome forged an authentic strain of new metal grounded in classic punk and metal frameworks and distinguished by Chatelain’s singular voice. The band supported the album first alongside Silverchair and Local H, then with Less Than Jake and the Descendants, before heading to Europe to share stages with acts as varied as Voodoo Glow Skulls and Wu Tang Clan. Tom Capone exited before the final run concluded, prompting the addition of guitarist Donni Campion to complete the remaining dates. Shortly thereafter, Handsome formally dissolved in 1998. Capone later participated in multiple endeavors and established Adharma in 2000, while Chatelain became a member of Blake Schwarzenbach’s (of Jawbreaker) band Jets to Brazil. The 1990s witnessed mounting corporate sway over the music industry alongside sharply lower recording costs, which together produced an environment in which virtually anyone could release music. Record labels signed and discarded an overwhelming number of new acts, generating fierce commercial competition that often denied worthy groups more than a single opportunity to demonstrate their worth. This climate imposed heavy costs on both imprints and artists; insufficient backing and developmental resources for inventive ensembles such as Handsome likely curtailed their trajectories and, by extension, deprived listeners of further recordings that might have followed.