The Handsome

Handsome's eponymous debut puts a melodic spin on the hardcore sound that its members helped to invent during their tenures in bands including Helmet, Murphy's Law, the Cro-Mags and Quicksand. Churning, almost surgical guitar riffs, shifting time signatures and a rock-steady rhythm section help to make this collection of songs stand out. Driven by a tightly reined energy and further unified by Jeremy Chatelain's singing, Handsome delivers a distinctive hybrid that is complex and interesting, particularly when, as in "Eden Complex," the band shifts effortlessly from one hook filled section to the next. Should satisfy people who are looking for an intelligible yet hard(core) alternative.