Despite being criticised by some for its supposedly more commercial sound, in terms of alt-rock songwriting, this was Courtney Love's band at their very best. It would be the last Hole album for 12 years, and brought the group's golden period to an end on a high. "It's better to rise than fade away" states the superb 'Reasons To Be Beautiful'.
It features three terrific singles: the brilliantly in-your-face title track that sticks two fingers up to the plastic glamour of Hollywood, the infectious 'Awful' and the joyously melodic 'Malibu'. The majority of the album tracks are also a fine listen, such as the Billy Corgan-assisted 'Dying', the heavy 'Use Once And Destroy', and the excellent acoustic moodiness of 'Northern Star'. After the group's split in 2002 and partial reformation in 2010, Love brought Hole to an end once more in 2013.
