Detailierte Künstler Informationen: Handsome

Handsome – The Forgotten Supergroup That Left Behind One Perfect AlbumHandsome were a short-lived but blindingly bright shooting star in the late-1990s post-hardcore sky. Formed in 1995 in New York City, the band existed for barely three years, released a single self-titled album in 1997 on Epic/Sony, and broke up in 1998—just as major commercial success seemed within reach. Yet that one album, Handsome, is still regarded today as one of the very best and most influential post-hardcore records of the decade and has achieved true cult status.The Lineup (a real East Coast supergroup of the 90s underground):Jeremy Chatelain – vocals (ex-Iceburn, later Jets to Brazil and live work with Helmet)
Peter Mengede – guitar (ex-Helmet during the Strap It On and Meantime era)
Tom Capone – guitar (ex-Quicksand, later Instruction and Bold)
Eddie Nappi – bass (ex-Mark Lanegan Band, later live with Karnivool)
Pete Hines – drums (ex-Murphy’s Law, Cro-Mags, later Shelter)

These five musicians brought everything a fan of noisy, melodic 90s post-hardcore could dream of: the groove and punch of Helmet, the melody and emotion of Quicksand, and the raw energy of the New York hardcore scene.The Short but Glorious StoryIn 1995, after leaving Helmet, Peter Mengede was determined to make music again that had “more feeling” than the clinical precision-metal of his old band. He met Jeremy Chatelain, who had just moved from Salt Lake City to New York with his jazz-influenced hardcore band Iceburn. The chemistry was instant. With Tom Capone (freshly out of Quicksand) and NYHC veterans Hines and Nappi, the lineup was complete within months.Handsome played their first shows in 1995–96 opening for Deftones, Korn, and Quicksand. Anyone who saw them still talks about the brutal live intensity: Chatelain screaming and bouncing around like a man possessed while Mengede and Capone wove a wall of low-tuned noise, melody, and groove that landed somewhere between Helmet, Fugazi, and Jawbox—only more emotional and catchier.In 1997 the self-titled debut arrived, produced by Terry Date (Deftones, Soundgarden, Pantera). Songs like “Needles,” “Ride Down,” “Eden Complex,” and “Left of Heaven” remain genre classics to this day: heavy, melodic, furious, yet armed with choruses that stick in your head for days. Critics loved it (Alternative Press gave it 5/5, Kerrang! 4/5), and for a debut it sold remarkably well.The Abrupt EndDespite the buzz and a planned 1998 headlining tour with Far and Cave In, the band suddenly fell apart. The reasons were the usual suspects: creative differences, label pressure (Epic wanted a more “radio-friendly” follow-up), money problems, and plain exhaustion. Jeremy Chatelain later said in an interview:
“We felt like we had said everything we wanted to say with Handsome. A second album would just have been a weaker copy of the first.”By 1998, Handsome were history.The LegacyAlthough they never became truly “big,” Handsome massively influenced the next generation: Thrice, Thursday, Glassjaw, Alexisonfire, and even later metalcore acts like Killswitch Engage all cite them as a key influence. The album was reissued in 2012 by 6131 Records (with bonus tracks and demos) and has enjoyed a genuine renaissance ever since.Jeremy Chatelain is still active (among others in Kubla Khan and solo projects), Peter Mengede lives a quiet life in Australia, Tom Capone later played with Bold and Instruction. A reunion is considered extremely unlikely—Chatelain in 2021:
“Handsome was a moment. Trying to recreate that moment would be disrespectful to it.”Verdict: Handsome were the band that only needed one album to become immortal. If you love 90s post-hardcore and don’t know them yet, you’ve missed one of the decade’s biggest hidden gems. Put on “Needles,” turn it up loud, and let yourself be transported back to 1997—when everything was still raw, honest, and damn loud.

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