Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile: The Line Drawn

Today marks our second-to-last monthly feature post of the month at the SMS, and it's this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile! As always, this series looks at a band from out of town that just happens to feature at least one past/present Sault Ste. Marie-area resident in any of their lineups, and this month, we're looking at a fifth out of town project from one of the most prolific relocated metal musician Saultites of recent memory! Read on below for what you need to know, and if anything's missing or incorrect, tell me! (Updated on November 27th, 2014)
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The Line Drawn (Windsor, Ontario)

Lineup: (Saultites in RED)

Jay Buston (vocals)

Chris "Sugar" Wilkins (guitar)
Ash Richtig (bass)

Mike "Mihilo John" Kryworuchko (drums)

Official Facebook page: http://facebook.com/thelinedrawn

Official Reverbnation page: http://reverbnation.com/thelinedrawn

Official Twitter page: http://www.twitter.com/thelinedrawn
Official YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/thelinedrawn

Local Info:  Already well represented in past installments of this series, Sault Ontario native Ash Richtig is the current bassist in The Line Drawn, one of many current music projects of his in his current Windsor home! Likely otherwise best known as a drummer with The Heatseeking Moisture Missiles and NeanderTHRALL, he also plied his bass skills in the Line Drawn predecessor band Repetitions, and played all instruments in the late 2000s Windsor metal project Under Earth. He also continues to leave a mark as an administrator at regional music webzine The Windsor Zene, and even though his bands aren't common sights in the Soo, his links back home are still clear & present! 

Band Bio: Launched just weeks after Jay Buston & Ash Richtig's prior band Repetitions' July 2012 breakup, The Line Drawn saw them join forces with Ash's former NeanderTHRALL bandmate Chris Wilkins and ex-Gunsmith drummer Mihilo John, while playing a hardcore punk style close to that of Repetitions. After a few months of preparation, the band debuted in St. Thomas, Ontario on November 24th and in Windsor on December 1st. Since then, they've played and scheduled a number of metal & punk concerts in Southern Ontario (including opening sets for bands like Gypsy Chief Goliath & KEN Mode), and have also released original studio material, so be on the lookout for further news and notes from The Line Drawn! So far, there isn't a lot of live videos of The Line Drawn yet, but they are similar in many ways to Repetitions musically! Having Jay and Ash in the fold helps, and like earlier footage, the higher punk-tinged yelling vocals and hard hitting old school sound is familiar and very brutal!

I will say that Repetitions had a fuller sound than The Line Drawn (utilizing two guitarists helped in that regard), but they have fleshed out some of the messier rawness of earlier shows. The Line Drawn sound very exciting though, so keep an eye on them as they rise up the Windsor scene, and check out their first live video below!

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I hope you guys liked this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile! Next month, we'll keep with Sault Ontario projects, this time looking at Brynhildr, the new black metal project from Sault College alum & Winter of Silence mainman Ryan DeWinter (a.k.a. Geiravor Hrist Herfjotra), so watch out for that on or around March 26th! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news & weeekend concert previews soon, along with this month's review of Aftersight's only album! Thanks everyone!

Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile: Under Earth

It's time to look at our 38th band in our Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile series, and yes, my Anvil review's coming! These videos just take forever to upload. In our penultimate monthly feature post of July, we're taking a look at a recent project from a prolific Sault Ontario native that has some merits, if not an abundance of material, but it's another worthy chapter in our series of bands from out of town that have a local musician in their ranks! Read on below to learn more, and if you have any additions or corrections, please tell me! (Updated on November 26th, 2014)
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Under Earth (Windsor, Ontario)

Lineup: (Saultites in RED)

Delina Rees (vocals)
Ash Richtig (all instruments/backing vocals)

Official Facebook page: http://facebook.com/underearthmusic
Official Reverbnation page: http://reverbnation.com/underearth

Local Info: Under Earth is one of the many Windsor-area music projects headed up by Sault Ontario native & St. Mary's graduate Ashley Richtig, who you may best recognize from his drumming & bass work in bands like The Heatseeking Moisture Missiles and NeanderTHRALL! He's also made waves down south as bassist in The Line Drawn and the now-defunct Repetitions and as one the administrator at The Windsor Zene which covers the area's music community and shows. Though his bands aren't frequent sights back home, his local connections are strong, and his talents as a musician are always present!

Band Bio: Launched by Ash Richtig in July 2006 as a solo project, Under Earth didn't visibly gain an online presence until November 2011 when their online pages were created, with Ash adding partner & fellow Windsor Zene contributor Delina Rees as the project's new singer. Planned to be a metal project from varying influences, Under Earth was called a "polar opposite" from anything Ash had done before musically, and they were working on material towards a debut demo concept EP from last fall through at least early 2012. Following a posting of a 2006 demo track onto their Reverbnation page in January, visible online updates for Under Earth dried up, and they're likely considered inactive currently. Though there isn't a lot to say on Under Earth, their only available song "First Wave" does have some promise! I have a feeling they would be heavier than any of Ash's other bands, and the riffing is very heavy, but the guitar solo needs a lot of work, and as it's an early demo, the audio quality isn't high. I can't say how Del's singing would affect this material, but she'd likely add something interesting if there's any recordings with her on them, especially as Ash's singing on the demo is fairly monotone.

Under Earth have promise, and if Ash revisits the project, I'd like to see him branch out more and explore every area of metal if possible, as he has the talent, but if nothing else, his current bands should entertain most metal & punk fans! Check out "First Wave" below, and hopefully Under Earth pop up again down the road!


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I hope you guys liked this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile! Next month, we're taking a trip back to the early 2000s for the Montreal/Windsor metal band Mister Bones, as they briefly featured late Woods of Ypres frontman David Gold as their drummer! That should be an interesting post, and somewhat of a challenge, so look out for it on or around August 26th! That's all for now, but stay tuned for our Anvil concert review either tonight or tomorrow morning! Thanks everyone!

Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile: Repetitions

Let's celebrate Boxing Day with our last Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile of the year, and if you're a hardcore punk fan, you should dig this one! After a month's change of focus to update past profiles, we're back to the status quo tonight to profile a band that's not based out of the area, but features a Sault Ste. Marie native or former resident in their lineup, and hopefully you guys like this month's featured band and profile! Without any further adieu, here's what you need to know! (Updated on November 26th, 2014)

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Repetitions (Windsor, Ontario)

Lineup: (Saultites in RED; ex-members in italics)

Jay Buston (vocals)
Stef Paulton (guitar)

Jill Bishop (guitar)

Ash Richtig (bass)
Sean Boone (drums)

John Bellon (guitar)

Official Facebook page: http://facebook.com/repetitionsband

Official Reverbnation page: http://reverbnation.com/repetitions

Official Ustream page: http://www.ustream.tv/user/repetitions

Official Bustoncode page: http://repetitions.bustoncode.com

Official Twitter page: http://www.twitter.com/repetitionsband

Official YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/repetitionswindsor

Local Info: Though best known for his drumming talents, Sault Ontario native Ashley Richtig has expanded beyond his usual instrument to rock the bass in Repetitions, one of his three active bands in the Windsor area! Though I personally don't know a lot about Ash's local background, he's became a fixture in the Windsor music scene from his work in metal-influenced bands like The Heatseeking Moisture Missiles & NeanderTHRALL, along with recent work as an administrator and contributor with the monthly webzine The Windsor Zene. Ever the busy and prolific artist, keep an eye out for much more from Ash's various projects!

Band Bio: A supergroup of sorts in the Windsor area, members of bands like The Posers, NeanderTHRALL, and PFOD joined forces to form the hardcore punk band Repetitions in January 2011. After obtaining singer Jay Buston, the band debuted as openers for The Heatseeking Moisture Missiles on April 2nd, and quickly rose through the Windsor scene to open for bands like Napalm Death, The Swabs, and Jucifer during a healthy run of high profile concerts in Southern Ontario through the summer of 2012. Aside from their second guitar slot, Repetitions' lineup remained stable since forming. Though mostly sticking to concerts in 2011, Repetitions hit the studio last month to begin sessions towards recording a debut CD, releasing it in the spring of 2012. After a successful but short run, Repetitions surprisingly broke up in July 2012 following a well publicized farewell concert, with Jay Buston & Ash Richtig soon regrouping in the similar Windsor band The Line Drawn.

Of the live videos I've seen and the tracks I've heard, I'm getting a good vibe of hardcore fury from them! Their short but furious originals and their live covers seem to be prime candidates for moshing and mayhem, and of all of Ash's active Windsor bands, they're easily one of the most aggressive! Jay Buston's singing is brutal and relentless but with a hint of punk attitude, the guitar riffs match up well, and Ash proves to be as talented of a bassist with Repetitions as he is a drummer, though I'd like to see some higher quality live videos. They seem to have good energy too, especially on Jay's part, and they remind me of some notable higher profile hardcore bands from their style, which isn't a bad criticism. It's disappointing to see such a prominent whirlwind run end so soon after their formation, but follow The Line Drawn and the members' other bands to whet your Repetitions whistle, and maybe they'll pop up again in the future!

For media of Repetitions' material, your best bets are to check out their pages on Ustream, Bustoncode, and YouTube, which feature jam session videos, audio demos, and numerous live concert clips respectively, so click on the above links to check everything out until their album is released! On YouTube, there's videos from three Repetitions concerts to check out, and to show here, I'll go with one from their debut concert featuring a number of songs from their set, so check it out below, and much more above!

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I hope you guys liked our last Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile of 2011! That's all for now, but stay tuned for more news and notes, including new As It Stands updates and the latest David Gold developments very soon! Thanks everyone!

Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile: NeanderTHRALL

It's time once again for this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile, our first of two special feature posts this week! This month, we're looking at another band from a prolific Saultite who's carving his name in the Windsor music scene in numerous bands, and they definitely deserve some local attention! Remember, this series details bands and projects featuring at least one Sault Ste. Marie-area native, though the band itself isn't from here. So I hope you guys enjoy this month's profile in this series, but of course, if I have any mistakes or omissions you'd like to see addressed, please tell me! (Updated on November 26th, 2014)
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NeanderTHRALL (Windsor, Ontario)

Lineup: (Saultites in RED; ex-members in italics) 

Kris Kerr (vocals/guitar)
Paul Maricic (lead guitar)
Ash Richtig (bass/formerly drums)
Mike "Mihilo John" Kryworuchko (drums)

Alex Petrovich (vocals/rhythm guitar)
Chris Wilkins (vocals/rhythm guitar)
Kyle Paulton (bass) 

Official MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/neanderthrall
Official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/neanderthrall
Official Reverbnation page: http://reverbnation.com/neanderthrall
Official YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/neanderthrallwindsor
Official Twitter page: http://www.twitter.com/neanderthrall

Local Info: The only Saultite in NeanderTHRALL is drummer Ashley Richtig, a Sault Ontario native who's become a frequently seen sight in the Windsor music scene for his drumming and bass talents! I don't know much about Ash's local music background, but he's definitely from here, and his local roots are evident on his online pages! Now in Windsor, he's best known as drummer for the punk influenced metal band The Heatseeking Moisture Missiles, but can also be seen on bass & drums in bands like Repetitions, The Line Drawn, and of course, as in NeanderTHRALL!

Band Bio: Formed in October 2010, NeanderTHRALL is a side project from 3/4ths of The Heatseeking Moisture Missiles that allows them to try some different genres in their spare time, namely sludge and stoner metal, as influenced by bands like Black Sabbath, The Melvins, and Kyuss. The band enlisted Gypsy Chief Goliath frontman Alex "The Yeti" Petrovich the next month to round out their lineup, and have mostly focused on jamming and recording original material since. Seven original songs, all with "thrall" (a term for slaves in the Viking age) in the title, have been posted on their internet pages, although only one currently features vocals. NeanderTHRALL finally debuted at The Coach & Horses in Windsor on August 4th as the opening band for Gypsy Chief Goliath's headlining concert that night, though just two months later, Alex was replaced by Davis Block frontman Chris Wilkins, who debuted with the band on October 30th, but departed the following year. After a quiet 2012, NeanderTHRALL returned in 2013 with a new Isis-inspired sound and new songwriting plans, so stay tuned for updates!

If you like stoner and sludge metal, you'll enjoy NeanderTHRALL! The posted songs all have that raw unpolished sound coupled with some heavy grooves and catchy rhythms, giving us a sound we don't hear enough of! Alex Petrovich's vocals perfectly suited the songs we heard from their original lineup with many low tones and punk-tinged sections, though Chris' more punk-inspired singing added a nice layer as well! The rest of the band show their appreciation for stoner metal on the posted songs, and though Ash's drumming & Paul's riffing aren't as rapid fire as we've seen before, NeanderTHRALL's material stands on it's own with it's unique style that is well worth checking out, like on the droning epic "Thrall From Grace" and the heavier and more melodic "Thrill Of It Thrall"! I probably would lean more towards THSMM if I had to pick a preference of these two Ash Richtig-featured two bands, but NeanderTHRALL are a very promising band that can make some real waves in the Windsor scene if they keep up with what they're doing, as you don't hear this kind of stuff every day!

NeanderTHRALL's Reverbnation and MySpace pages linked above will lead you to their original demos, but as for videos, the band's official YouTube channel is loaded with demos and videos from shows with both of their first frontmen! Decent quality overall, and a good preview of their future material and live shows, so definitely give them a look! Here's the first chunk of Chris Wilkins' debut with NeanderTHRALL, but check out their other material at the above links!


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There we go, hopefully you guys liked this month's Out Of Town Profile! Next month, we'll take a well-deserved look at Munising, Michigan metal quartet Infathom (as seen at LemmaFest), featuring Sault High graduate Dillion Semasky on vocals! Look for that between August 23rd and 29th, though likely on the 26th. That's all for today, but stay tuned for a new post featuring a LOCAL CONCERT ALERT early tomorrow, and yes, our review of Gates of Winter's "Lux Aeterna" on Thursday! Thanks everyone!

Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile: The Heatseeking Moisture Missiles

Hey guys, it's time for our latest Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile! Apologies for it's lateness, we've been busy earlier today, and my computer's been acting up again. This month, we'll take a look at a unique hard rock outfit from Southern Ontario that features a local musician, and hopefully you guys like this one! Remember, this series is devoted to bands that, though not locally based, feature at least one local member, so you guys can learn about them and check them out, and the local artist in this band is long overdue for us to look at! So let's begin this month's profile, and if you have any edits, corrections, or additions, please tell me! (UPDATED: November 26th, 2014)
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The Heatseeking Moisture Missiles (Windsor, Ontario)

Lineup: (Saultites in RED; ex-members in italics)

Lance Malone (vocals/rhythm guitar)
Paul Maricic (lead guitar/vocals)
Nolan Silvaggi (bass)
Ash Richtig (drums/vocals)
Kyle Paulton (bass)

Official MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/thsmm
Official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/thsmm
Official Twitter page: http://www.twitter.com/thsmm
Official Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/141713595170/
Official Reverbnation page: http://reverbnation.com/theheatseekingmoisturemissiles
Official CBC Radio 3 page: http://radio3.cbc.ca/bands/the-heatseeking-moisture-missiles

Local Info: As far as I can tell, the only Saultite in The Heatseeking Moisture Missiles is drummer Ashley Richtig, who has since became a fixture in the Windsor music scene! I don't know a ton about Ash's local background in terms of bands and such, but he is a Sault Ontario native (his personal web pages will back that up.) At some point, he moved to Windsor, where he's carved a name for himself in numerous past & present bands on bass & drums in the Windsor area, including the hardcore bands The Line Drawn & Repetitions, the doom metal band NeanderTHRALL, and most notably, for his work in The Heatseeking Moisture Missiles!

Band Bio: The Heatseeking Moisture Missiles formed around March of 2009, and launched their various internet pages in the following months. Since then, the band has played numerous live concerts in Southern Ontario, frequently at The Coach & Horses in Windsor, and have opened for bands like The Dayglo Abortions, EVL, and Destroy Thy Will. Originally a trio with Paul Maricic handling bass, the band added Nolan Silvaggi in December 2010 to become a quartet full time. With a sound described as everything from metal to psychedelic, the band have attracted notices for many improvised jams in their live concerts, helping them stand out from other area bands. THSMM have recorded two EPs, releasing the first at a CD release party in Windsor last May. The band recently completed a second six song EP, and you can stream the full album on their Reverbnation page or pick it up at this location! Recent activity has seen the band play a few notable concerts through early 2014, but have largely been on a break since.

From what I've heard of The Heatseeking Moisture Missles, I am digging their mix of metal and punk! Their improv nature doesn't really come through in their studio material, but the songs have nice structures around their hard rocking songs, with a punk edge! That's a sound you see a lot of from local musicians, and they pull it off well here! Lance's vocals remind me a bit of Phil Rind from Sacred Reich if he sang more punk, and that's certainly a compliment! Overall, their songs are fairly straightforward, but they have the requisite attitude and energy that a band of their style requires! Lance & Paul can pull off some great riffs and solos when the time calls for it (especially on "Enough Skin To Feed The World"), and Ash is definitely a talented drummer too, I can see why he's in so many bands! If you're looking for "different" sounds, their style on it's own is different enough from other metal/punk hybrids to stand apart, so give them a look on that basis! Not a lot of individual risks taken, and I find their newest material is much stronger and well produced than their first originals, which often dragged without anything really "happening", but overall, I like what I've heard! Give them a spin at the above links!

The links above will take you to numerous videos and audio tracks from The Heatseeking Moisture Missles, and though I can't find sites that sell their full albums, definitely support them where possible! The best spot for videos is Ash Richtig's YouTube channel, where's he uploaded dozens videos primarily of THSMM concerts! Most are from their era as a trio, but there's lots of good quality videos of the band playing covers, originals, and improv jams to check out. Here's a good recent one, of the band playing their original "Hiding In The Bushes" in early 2010 at The Coach & Horses in Windsor!


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I hope you guys enjoyed this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile! I definitely plan to profile Ash's other bands in this series in the future (likely Neanderthrall next in the summer), but what's being profiled next month? I have decided on Gravity Crash, the Lethbridge, Alberta metal band featuring Sault Ontario native Paul Melanson, known from bands like Daemon Rage, Gutwrench, Under The Gun, and Caveman Morrison offshoot Igniter! Look out for that between May 8th and 14th! That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news later today, including a surprising return, LOCAL CONCERT ALERTS, Cinderella fallout, SMS March Mayhem updates, and more very soon! Thanks everyone!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more local metal news and notes very soon, including weekend concert previews! Thanks everyone!