“Everything I love, replaced by everything I fear.“
Running out of the Northeast, Missing Link unleash a fierce brand of metallic hardcore, perfected through years of studio and stage experience. The band debut with the My Time on the Cross EP in 2020, followed by the No Saving Grace EP in 2022, with them signing with Triple B Records in the summer of 2023. Their full-length Watch Me Bleed was recorded with Andy Nelson at Bricktop Recording in Chicago, delivering eleven tracks of unrelenting bleakness and brutality. The lineup includes members from Internal Bleeding, Pain of Truth, Recon and Blood Runs Cold, among others.
Whirling guitars and rapid kicks open up the record on “PILLAR OF SALT“, Ryan‘s weighty vocals give a concrete force to Missing Link‘s sound from the outset. The addition of vocals from Bruce Lepage add to this, shaking Watch Me Bleed awake with a bursting momentum. Lead single “NY MINUTE” offers up one of the best lyrics with the wry delivery on “Who’s that peaking through my window?“. The beatdown continues as Watch Me Bleed moves through “SCRAPS FOR THE DOG” into “NUMBERS ON THE BOARD“, which sees a feature from Gridion, even early on these features giving a neat little twist to the sound of Missing Link.
There are more paced moments on “GLORY OR DEATH” and “ANOTHER CROSS“, with the former indulging into more introspective moments with lyrics “For the shame inside, for the weight I hide, I take in stride“. The brute force returns on “CRUSADE” and continues through onto “I WANT TO KILL YOU (PT. 2)“, the crushing riffs and crashing of symbols alongside Ryan‘s aforementioned vocals makes for a sheer gnarly listen.
A stretch of vocal feature closes out Watch Me Bleed, the first three of note being Dustin Lovell on “PILLORY” and Justice Tripp and Richie Krutch on “SEE YA LATER“. Both reaffirm the east coast sound that is presented in general on Watch Me Bleed, with earlier feature Gridion acting as part of this. The more interesting feature, that would have caught the eye from the moment the tracklist was announced is that of Eloise Chamber. As expected, it offers up a contrast to the beatdown hardcore sound of Missing Link, with the gothic and ethereal vocals of Chamber weaving themselves through the track. Akin to that of what was seen on Brutality Will Prevails “Breathless” with Toni Coe-Brooker and more recently on “Undertow” which saw Harms Way collaborating with King Woman.
While the tracklist does give away what’s coming, it’s still a well done moment on the album, and is the better for it. As Chamber hauntingly delivers their feature, it anchors in the darker and bleaker moments of Watch Me Bleed. The perhaps more unexpected part of “GENUFLECT”. Is that the record takes an extended cut to close our on absolute fury, barking vocals packed in the track with swing worthy riffs, the ear suspects there might even be a secret vocal feature in here.
There is a sheer punch and weight to Watch Me Bleed that like many in its genre will see it pummel the ear into memorability. The approach towards its features add to and enhance the record, while adding a variety through the path of brutality Missing Link deliver. For those whose boxes that ticks, they will need to look no further than Watch Me Bleed, which will be the latest solid record that many will find themselves throwing a fist to.
7/10
Watch Me Bleed is out June 7th via Triple B Records, and can be pre-ordered here.