Peter Mengede is a musician best known as the former guitarist for Helmet

Helmet (band)

Helmet is an alternative metal band from New York City formed in 1989. Founded by vocalist and lead guitarist Page Hamilton, Helmet has had numerous lineup changes, and Hamilton has been the only constant member....

. He formed his own group, Handsome

Handsome (band)

Handsome was an American rock supergroup formed in 1996. The group's lineup was singer Jeremy Chatelain, guitarists Peter Mengede , Tom Capone , bassist Eddie Nappi, and drummer Pete Hines . Capone would leave the group in 1997, replaced by Donni Campion...

, in 1996 with former members of Quicksand

Quicksand (band)

Quicksand was an American post-hardcore band from New York City founded in 1990 by singer/songwriter Walter Schreifels. Their debut self-titled EP was followed by two major label albums, Slip and Manic Compression...

, Cro-Mags

Cro-Mags

Cro-Mags are a hardcore punk turned crossover thrash band from New York City. The band, which had a strong cult following, released many records, their first two considered the most influential...

 and Murphy's Law

Murphy's Law (band)

Murphy's Law is an American hardcore band from New York City, New York, formed in 1982. While vocalist Jimmy Gestapo remains the only founding member of the band, the line-up has consisted of former members of bands such as Skinnerbox, Danzig, The Bouncing Souls, Mucky Pup, Dog Eat Dog, Hanoi...

. They released one album before disbanding in 1998

Helmet (1989–1993)

Helmet was formed in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 1989 by Page Hamilton

Page Hamilton

Page Hamilton is a guitarist, singer and record producer, mostly noted for his work with alternative metal band Helmet...

 with the group's lineup being Mengede, bassist Henry Bogdan

Henry Bogdan

Henry Bogdan , is an American musician. He is perhaps best known as the original bass guitarist and a founding member of the alternative metal band, Helmet...

 and drummer John Stanier

John Stanier (drummer)

John Stanier first came into the spotlight in 1989 as the drummer for the band Helmet. He is known for his speed, endurance, and precision as a performer....

. They released their debut album, Strap It On

Strap It On (album)

Strap It On is the first album by Helmet. Originally released in 1990 through Amphetamine Reptile Records, it was subsequently rereleased by Interscope in November 1991....

, in 1990 After singing with Interscope Records

Interscope Records

Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...

, the group released the their second album, Meantime, in 1992 to chart success. The album peaked at number one on the Billboard

Billboard charts

The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...

 Heetseekers Chart

Top Heatseekers

Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...

 while it also peaked at number 68 on the Billboard 200

Billboard 200

The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

. The single "Unsung

Unsung (song)

"Unsung" is a single by alternative metal band Helmet from their 1992 album, Meantime. It is the album's fourth track and easily the band's most well known song. A music video was produced for "Unsung" and found significant airplay on MTV in the early 1990s."Unsung" is recorded in Dropped D tuning...

" also peaked at number 32 and 29 on the Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock Charts respectively. In 1993, Mengede left the group.

Handsome (1996–1999)

Formed three years after departing Helmet, Mengede in 1996, Handsome's lineup included former Quicksand

Quicksand (band)

Quicksand was an American post-hardcore band from New York City founded in 1990 by singer/songwriter Walter Schreifels. Their debut self-titled EP was followed by two major label albums, Slip and Manic Compression...

 guitarist Tom Capone and former Cro-Mags

Cro-Mags

Cro-Mags are a hardcore punk turned crossover thrash band from New York City. The band, which had a strong cult following, released many records, their first two considered the most influential...

 and Murphy's Law

Murphy's Law (band)

Murphy's Law is an American hardcore band from New York City, New York, formed in 1982. While vocalist Jimmy Gestapo remains the only founding member of the band, the line-up has consisted of former members of bands such as Skinnerbox, Danzig, The Bouncing Souls, Mucky Pup, Dog Eat Dog, Hanoi...

 drummer Pete Hines as well as bassist Eddie Nappi and Salt Lake City native Jeremy Chatelain

Jeremy Chatelain (bassist)

Jeremy Chatelain is a musician originally from Utah. He has performed with Utah-based Insight and Iceburn, and went on to join Jets to Brazil and Helmet. Since 2000 he has performed with Cub Country....

. Their debut album, titled Handsome

Handsome (album)

Handsome is the only studio album by Handsome and was produced by Terry Date.-Track listing:# "Needles" - 3:12# "Ride Down" - 3:20# "Going to Panic" - 3:13# "Left of Heaven" - 3:07# "Thrown Away" - 3:37# "Dim the Lights" - 2:54...

, was released on February 4, 1997 through Epic

Epic Records

Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...

/Sony

Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....

.

In support of the album, the group toured with Silverchair

Silverchair

Silverchair were an Australian rock band, which formed in 1992 as Innocent Criminals in Merewether, Newcastle with the line-up of Ben Gillies on drums, Chris Joannou on bass guitar and Daniel Johns on vocals and guitars. The group got their big break in mid-1994 when they won a national demo...

, Local H

Local H

Local H is an American rock duo, formed by Joe Daniels and Scott Lucas in Zion, Illinois in 1987. Local H's 1996 album, As Good as Dead, includes the top 10 hit "Bound for the Floor" Author, rock critic and Rolling Stone contributor Greg Kot and the Chicago Tribune named the band its 2008 Chicago...

 and Less Than Jake

Less Than Jake

Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida. Originally formed in 1992 as a power pop trio, the band evolved into a hybrid of ska punk. Less Than Jake have also been cited as showing influences from a wide variety of genres including post-grunge, heavy metal, alternative...

 in the US, while they supported Wu-Tang Clan

Wu-Tang Clan

The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...

 and Voodoo Glow Skulls

Voodoo Glow Skulls

Voodoo Glow Skulls are an American ska punk band formed in 1988 in Riverside, California by brothers Frank, Eddie and Jorge Casillas and their longtime friend Jerry O'Neill...

 in Europe. Following the completion of their tour, Handsome disbanded in 1998.

Recent years

After living in New York City for fifteen years, he moved back to Brisbane in late 2001 where he plays in his new band Kunst. Guitarnerd recently published an article on the Les Paul he used to record with Helmet and Handsome. On June 23, 2011, Peter joined Helmet on stage for the first time in nearly 17 years and played a number of classics from Strap It On and Meantime.

Discography

with Helmet

• Strap It On
  Strap It On (album)
  Strap It On is the first album by Helmet. Originally released in 1990 through Amphetamine Reptile Records, it was subsequently rereleased by Interscope in November 1991....
  
  (1990)
• Meantime (1992)

with Handsome

• Handsome
  Handsome (album)
  Handsome is the only studio album by Handsome and was produced by Terry Date.-Track listing:# "Needles" - 3:12# "Ride Down" - 3:20# "Going to Panic" - 3:13# "Left of Heaven" - 3:07# "Thrown Away" - 3:37# "Dim the Lights" - 2:54...
  
  (1997)