Handsome
Handsome

THE REVIEW

Attention: Hardcore Non-Practitioners Refrain, for this brief (I assume) page dedicated to Handsome (beware of the similarities, these are not the American siblings who years ago incited infanticide with their insipid melodies, remember?).

But let’s get to the point. While randomly wandering the web, I stumbled upon the dense and thorny shrubs made of names, numbers, and notions of a well-known musical omniscient critic whose surname I won’t mention: under Handsome - Handsome, my irritation is great in seeing a 5/10 that seems to place in the most mediocre of limbos one of the albums that most fueled my youthful carefree days. My pride rises, and here I am to tell my story within these delightful walls.

Are you familiar with Brazil’s attacking foursome? Or Marvel's Fantastic Four? Well, the Handsome project is of that sort (no one is less objective than a hardcore fan in a fit of excitement). But perhaps I am not exaggerating, if it’s true that the two guitars belong to Peter Mengede and Tom Capone, who had previously ground out the most sublime riffs in Helmet and Quicksand, respectively (ahem, if you catch my drift). The rhythm section includes bassist Eddie Nappi and the extremely unrefined Pete Hines, former drummer of the glorious Cro-Mags. Jeremy Chatelain, bassist for Jets to Brazil, surprisingly decides to sing here, providing ammunition for some of the album’s detractors, but not for me (the more astute will have noticed that there are 4+1 members, which ruins my already bold comparison with the aforementioned quartets, but I had intended to avoid references to the critic's 5, so there it is).

Far from being Helmet, and even less Quicksand, these 12 tracks go down like a charm. The illustrious guitars move in their own esteemed ways, and the fusion of the two bands’ walls of sound is at times intoxicating; oh yes, the guitars are the true attractions (I emphasize, only for connoisseurs), the lack of refinement from the accompanying players does not undermine the quality of the project; rather, the bass is well suited to the work and the drumming hits persistently, with no excessive demands, but if someone can stay still while listening, I’ll buy them drinks ad libitum. Chatelain's venture at the microphone is a pleasant surprise, lending an emo tone that feels almost exotic when applied to the prodigious "walls of sound" exercises by the demigods Capone & Mengede, who in their time enjoyed much more apocalyptic vocalizations.

No one can tell me that tracks like "Needles" or "Going to Panic" are not a post-hardcore gem, no one can deny that Handsome goes down pretty damn enjoyably, like beer when you’re in the mood, and they remain a true gem for those who chew through the material. To them, I suggest: 1) Listen. 2) Listen again. 3) Be ignorant, don’t strain yourself searching for echoes of Helmet or ashes of Quicksand, leading to erudite disparagements.

I resolve the 4/5 dilemma by discarding the latter to avoid rejections.