When someone says “post-hardcore” in 2012, they mean “bands who try to sound like Saosin”: Pierce The Veil, The Color Morale, etc. It’s a bit of a misnomer because nobody in those bands has ever had anything to do with hardcore. But back in the 90s things, were a bit different. Most post-hardcore was also derivative garbage back then (“bands who tried to sound like Quicksand”), but the people in the bands actually came from the hardcore scene. My favorite of the 90s post-hardcore bands was the short-lived, tragically underrated HANDSOME.
This was their “big single,” where that is defined as “got played on 120 Minutes once or twice”
I guess you could call them something of a 90s hardcore “supergroup,” with Jeremy from Iceburn singing, Peter from Helmet and Tom from Quicksand/Bold on guitar and Petey Hines from Cro-Mags/Murphy’s Law on drums. I’m not sure why, but they only lasted about two years before breaking up. During that period they put out an album and a 7″, both of which are pretty much the pinnacle of the 90s post-hardcore sound IMO. Many bands attempted this style, but nobody did it better than HANDSOME.
The drumming on this record is on fucking point; Petey Hines is an animal. DAT FILL AT 1:35 MY GOD SO GOOD.
In a nut shell, I’d describe their sound as Quicksand meets Helmet, but with a little more dissonant heaviness than either band. And while most of the 90s post-hardcore bands were hit-or-miss, mixing flashes of brilliance with boring/embarrassing filler, this album is solid as fuck from beginning to end– most likely a product of the major-label recording budget and 10+ years of experience that all these guys had playing in touring bands before Handsome. And speaking of budget, I think this album sounds fucking amazing. If you have a decent system in your whip or whatever, crank this shit; it’s fucking massive. The drum sound in particular is one of the best ever- the snare sound makes my boner throb every single time.
This might be the perfection of the 90s post-hardcore sound: heavy, with a clear foundation in hardcore mosh groove, but melodic and progressive at the same time. Probably my favorite Handsome song.
I’m pretty stoked that I actually got a chance to see Handsome live in the summer of 1997. It was one of the strangest lineups I can think of: they opened for Guttermouth and Descendents at like 4PM on an outdoor stage with a riverboat behind them (the same stage where the photos for Integrity “Humanity Is The Devil” were taken). I’ve been to a zillion hardcore and death metal shows and seen a ton of “brutal” bands, and I can say that without a doubt Handsome had the heaviest fucking live sound I have ever witnessed (Life of Agony being a close second). The guitar sound alone made me feel like my head was in a vice.
Do u remember HANDSOME??? Has anyone ever recorded a bigger guitar sound than this album?? Is Petey Hines the most underrated drummer of the 90s????? Will kids please start jocking this band instead of fucking Lifetime?
In all srsness its interesting yet bizzare that the “sound” of post-hardcore evolved from this to stuff like Saosin, Funeral for a friend etc. I mean they sound so different from what post hardcore is defined by today and personally I thought they sounded more like a mix between nu metal and hardcore.
I guess I’d have to dig deeper to find what the “missing link” was between the two scenes. For example, I think Norma Jean bridged the gap between 90s noisy metalcore (Botch/Deadguy) and current stuff. Not sure who what would be for this stuff?
Yeah its actually interesting to find out how the “core” scene back then like post and skramz evolve from a more metalic hardcore sound to a more ambient, bright, post-rockish style most people are familiar with today. Example being 90′s skramz like Saetia, Orchid, Circle takes the square that have that more chaotic, noise metalcore influence compared to newer screamo bands like Touche Amore, Pianos become the teeth, Envy where they take away the fast frantic aspect of the old screamo and put in lengthy melodic, instrumental bridges and bright post rock inspired riffs.
same problem i have with iceburn
great band terrible vocals
Justin from Stuck in the Past / Unrestrained posted about these guys on his facebook a while ago and I’ve been into it every since! Totally underrated
Oh and if you were talking about Handsome sounding Nu Metal, my theory on why 90s post-hardcore sounds kind of like Nu Metal to modern listeners is this: The Deftones. Their early stuff came from the post-hardcore scene and then they obviously helped develop nu-metal. So there is this weird connection between 2 genres that isn’t obvious…
the common thing between them and post-hardcore is 80s new romanticism; it’s all in the melodies. korn’s choruses are pretty much lifted straight from violator-era depeche mode
Andrew, I never thought about the Deftones connection but I think you’re totally correct. Nice work!
I’ve always seen a lot of post hardcore in deftones stuff, and they were defo very influential to a lot of other nu-metal bands
The Deftones did have Drive Like Jehu covers.
i’ve been listening to this album every couple of months since 1996. it’s in my car’s cd player as we speak. love this album, and the b-sides are gnarley too.
Can’t find links anywhere. :/
http://www.mediafire.com/?ykue5ltxowt
thx br0!
HOLY SHIT THIS IS WHY I FREQUENT THIS SITE!
Man, I’m usually not into the easycore that you’re into, which is cool and all, but when you really dig back and tell a newb like me what bands where actually good and worthy of my attention, by god do you hit the nail on the head every time.
Also, big ups on a positive post that compliments a band. Always great to bask in the glory of good music (sans the butthurts to ruin it all for us). All in all, was in a good mood and this just made my day better.
~Signed, oblivious 90′s kid who has no idea what hxc was like in that time era
Also, big ups on a positive post that compliments a band
Thanks, i just wish they got as much attention as the negative ones!
Maybe they do, but people just don’t post as much in the comments?
I also love the “bands you may have slept on” section.
MERAUDER FTW
^^^^ this ^^^ backed tard
ahahaha nautica stage tag
you know you’re in a real shithole when nautica’s the legit rich kid brand and not for upscale wiggers
Mission accepted: officially jocking this.
Would jock, yes homo.
Sounds like Alice in Chains to me.
never understood the post-hardcore tag on bands like saosin, chiodos and sksk. i do like them all but it still doesnt make sense to me
This band is awesome.
I saw them in 1997 in NYC at the Roseland Ballroom on that same tour with Descendents and Guttermouth — and Weston and Less Than Jake.
I had seen Handsome earlier in the summer in New Haven with Still I Rise (Jasta 14 with a female singer), so we made sure to get to the Descendents show early so we wouldn’t miss them. The bad part was that we then had to sit through Weston and Less Than Jake.
This all reminds me – on the East Coast in the 90s hardcore scene anybody who wasn’t straight edge (for instance, me) smoked cigarettes. I mean EVERYBODY smoked. Seems really strange looking back.
I remember this band went on tour with Silverchair, and this kid at my school wanted to go see them because, “That chick is hot.” He had them confused with Hanson, and thought the one kid in Hanson was a girl, and I guess a particularly attractive one.
LOL
Big fan here. This band seems pretty unknown even for those who were around back in the 90′s. There’s more info about Handsome on aversionline.com for those who care.
BEST FUCKING BAND! I still need to cop that 7″ on Sub Pop.
Also – http://xstuckinthepastx.blogspot.com/2011/08/handsome-waiting-7.html
Bought that full-length without hearing any songs in ’97 or something. I never really got into it. I remember them describing their sound as Bad Brains meets The Beatles. I liked Quicksand though. When Hatebreed started wasn’t it supposed to be a “taking back the scene” from post-hardcore?
I heard that Hatebreed’s original goal was to sound like a cross between Negative Approach and Obituary.
Such a cool idea haha.
I love this band. It’s rare to find people who know them.
Great post, Sarge. As a defender of 90s Post-Hardcore, I think you hit the nail on the head. Totally underrated. Also, defining pHxC as “bands who tried to sound like Quicksand”? Brilliant.
Also, +1 for a positive post.
DEFEND pHxC!
Pls respond
i thought “bands who tried to sound like Quicksand” was pretty obvious haha- although i don’t think i would’ve been able to say it so clearly at the time
Sounds solid, feel like they would’ve opened for like Smashing Pumpkins on a tour and done alright. Can dig any 90′s band repped with a recording budget, cause that “important” hardcore band that recorded with two mics in a basement is gonna sound shitty every time.
feel like they would’ve opened for like Smashing Pumpkins on a tour and done alright
tough but fair
Loved these guys along with Quicksand back in the day. Backed hard.
I mentioned Die 116 and I’ll mention them again because I’m pedantic. Hey did anyone like Pry?
This band is awesome for many reasons, but one of the main reasons is TC3 aka Tom Capone, dude is a major riffer and one of the best guitarists in hardcore/post hardcore whatever.
Dude was in Beyond! I know that NYHC is often mocked here, but listen to that disk, every project he’s in, Tom Capone added something cool.
http://www.bandtoband.com/artist/tom-capone
Tom Capone is definitely the man. Excellent call on Beyond, that lp is classic.
Sarge, did you see that Integrity set at that Warped Tour (the pic from HITD)
If so, did Dwid fight someone in the crowd? I have a video of that set and he jumps in the crowd but the video cuts out and when the video comes back in it seems like the set has been shut down and they’re all leaving.
This is legit awesome music and I’m thankful to you for pointing it out to me. This is catchy as fuck and DAT PRODUCTION. thxbro, this is sweet.
Good call,
love this band. But I am a typical fan of Ikeacore, so I’ll just shut up …. ;)
Sarge, you need to do an article on Quicksand.
That is all.
Yeah, Quicksand was an awesome band. And speaking of the Deftones, both bands toured together and the bass player of Quicksand has played in the Deftones on occasion.
rocked this album for about six months back in the day, nonstop. Bought because of the Helmet/Quicksand alums, but tired of it pretty quickly, as I found it too “mainstream” at the time. Pulled it back out a couple years ago and my wife asked me what I was listening to. I said “Hansome”, she replied “It sounds like the ’90s”. She was right.
LOVE this band. Saw them around 97 or 98 when they opened for Silverchair (don’t hate).
You referenced the show where the Integrity classic live shot from ‘Humanity Is The Devil’ was snapped – we must’ve been on the same brainwave cause I just posted about that show (Warped Tour 95 actually) complete with video of said Integrity mid-jump here:
http://cryogenichusk.com/2012/02/20/warped-tour-95/
Thanks for reminding me about Handsome, digging out their album NOW…!
I remember this band… they vanished as quick as they showed up.
Love this album – even blew Quicksand out of the water, and I love the first Quicksand 7″ and album. Saw them in Nottingham, UK and can concur, one of the heaviest bands I have seen live, never forget that show.