[4] Handsome was founded by Australian guitarist Peter Mengede, an original member of the New York City band Helmet.

[9] Drummer Pete Hines, formerly of Cro-Mags, stated in a 1997 interview that, "Because Sony has used our ex-bands as marketing, I think that a lot of people who were into those bands tend to think that we've sold out or something.

Touring for the album lasted up until late July 1997, and included runs of shows in America with Corrosion of Conformity and Silverchair/Local H.[11] Like Mengede, Silverchair also originated from Australia, and the members were fans of Helmet.

[12] In June 1997, Handsome played at the Hultsfred Festival in Sweden, which coincidentally featured Helmet, who were promoting their recent release Aftertaste.

Jenny Eliscu, in CMJ New Music Monthly, wrote that, "like the bands from which it is descended, Handsome's chief strategy is to combine dramatic vocal melodies, chugging, tandem guitar lines, and pounding rhythms into brief, catchy anthems.

"[18] She claimed, "the powerhouse rhythm section could jackhammer through the strongest bulwark, and any of these songs could turn a crowd of shoegazing ne'er do-wells into a writhing mass of moshers.

Riding the punk and hardcore influence is a real love of ambient dissonance, where space is earned through patience and repetition.

‘Left of Heaven’ exemplifies this, beginning with a beautifully skewed verse riff that builds atop thick, ascending chords, then concedes ground to a coarse anti-solo.

"[22] In 2021, Louder Sound included Handsome on their list of the "top 50 cult metal bands", and labelled their sole album as an "overlooked alt-metal gem.