Links Band Website DM--Metal Maiden Profile DM--MaxMetal Interview

May Spotlight - the missing:

You get a sense from the various media (pics, show reports, interviews) on their female lead, DM, that New York-based band the missing: is an extension of her personality--a complexity that I thought I could explain in a few sentences or a few choice words from the personality dictionary, but to do so would probably be a disservice to the band and her and that strikes me as somewhat superficial. As much as we try, you can't hang faces in a gallery with the words "Gregarious" or "Asshole" or "Touching" underneath each and get anything complete. You get a picture, but not a portrait.

So, as I see it.

More than just a female-led goth band, the missing: meshes elements of traditional power, industrial and goth into a dark ambiance of mood that eases you comfortably into solace until potent vocalist, DM--confident and sure as a cat, scratches the hell out of you, licks the bleeding wounds and sends you off to be battered some more. As opposed to the traditional metal chick delivery, her vocals are a great mix of smoothness and coarse confidence that alter when the lyrics or mood call for it and whether it be ease or irritation, she sounds really pro. Her look may be charismatic enough to scare away the smaller egos, but she'll light up a photo with megawatt power. She'll probably beat you at trivia, too.

"broken" starts the CD out and I'm quickly reminded of the progressive works of Tool with the prominent bass and rhythm section at the forefront. It pulls you in with tense thematics that put it a step above your average hook-leaden song. "scary kittie" is a cat-and-mouse game stalking across the fine line of S&M poetry and cheesiness. Feline sound effects would've been too much, but JJB's great guitar tone, reminiscent of Megadeth and the best thrash bands, gives this one enough heft to counter the more Euro-industrial keyboards. The plundering guitars and DM's ethereal vocals in "belief" transport you into a giant's dream. Her voice carries you away on an exotic trip high above the carnage as the rest of the band menaces the land below. "in two" may be the best song representative of the band with every element present--abrasion, softness, anger and madness. It's the half-loving/half-unhinged mate from Hell that is sweet one minute and screaming at you the next. Everything sounds very consistent until the final track "Scarecrow", which was originally done by Ministry. The guitars sound way more raw and dirty than the prior four numbers, but it's still a good song and a great trance-inducer.

the missing: is definitely a unique and talented band, and their CD bLEEd is both scathing and beautiful. With five great songs that are produced as well as an indy band can, I highly recommended it!

Also on this enhanced CD: