Mike LePond's Silent Assassins

Mike LePond's Silent Assassins

New Jersey native best known as bassist for progressive metal giants Symphony X, Mike LePond now presents his first solo project ever: Mike LePond's Silent Assassins, an onslaught of raw and true HEAVY METAL in it's purest form. His second release, "Pawn and Prophecy", is a full hour of headbanging riffs, kick ass vocals and epic tales. It is an album that draws influences from the classic heavy bands of the 1980s, all the way to the viking/folk metal of today. It was made "for" metalheads, "by" metalheads. A celebration of the power and glory of that which we call........Heavy Metal.

MEMBERS:
Mike LePond (Symphony X) - Bass, rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Alan Tecchio (Watchtower, Hades) - Vocals
Lance Barnewold (Fates Breaks Dawn) - Guitar
Rod Rivera( DeadRisen, Rivera Bomma) - Guitar
Michael Romeo (Symphony X) - Lead guitar, Keyboards, drum programming

"Energetic, thundering, and powerful, Silent Assassins is filled with the sort of tracks that are meant to incite arenas full of metalheads to fist pumping heights of mania. With Silent Assassins Mike LePond manages to bring to bear the full might of the bass guitar. It’s thunder will rock you and it’s melody will charm you. Hail to the wielder of the four string axe for he is mighty indeed. Metal would not be the same without you." - 1340 Mag

"Mike LePond’s Silent Assassins is taking a route straight through power metal territory, without the progressive leanings of his main band, and definitely leaves its mark. Hard-hitting, heavy, yet melodic.The album, though, lives off its versatility,bordering on power/thrash with dynamic runs great melodies, mature structures and flawless musicianship. " - The Metal Observer

"When the album closes, the dust has settled and the neighbors have finished banging on the walls, what you’re left with is a great metal album." - Unsigned Melodies

"Silent Assassins fans will get a glimpse into the true brilliance of this artist' - Metal Exiles

At one point or another, every dedicated metal fanatic has experienced a studio album and was met with the realization, right from the first notes of the opening track, that you were listening to something that was overtly standout; in our case, it’s with Mike LePond’s Silent Assassins." - Music Enthusiast Magazine

"Fresh off a new Symphony X album and focusing on his new solo album "Mike Lepond's: Silent Assassins", Mike LePond is rising as one of the most influential bassists in music today. Mike LePond really understands the importance and roll of playing bass. LePond is dynamic, has amazing charisma and understands rhythm and most importantly space. Added to this he can generate many amazing different tones and nuances from his instrument. Mike is a bassist with personality! He adds his own character and moves around the stage like a possessed beast or lays down a solid rhythm with his head circling in a frenzy as his long hair flies in waves. To play the bass well you need to move in and out of the kick drum when necessary and accentuate the kick for major impact. Mike does all of this well. LePond may not want to be the center of attraction but when you see him live it's hard to take your eyes off him" -- Ron Turner RockandMtalNewz

"The album contains some first class Power Metal with strong US Metal influences and a few New Wave of British Heavy Metal elements, with a positive message, a stylistic orthodoxy and also unusual Folk colors, setting toward dark atmospheres, dramatic & a real epic spirit… Exalted and fascinating! So what is my overall verdict on this album: well, buy on sight!" - Metal Temple

"Even if you have reservations towards solo projects, you can throw these in the wind with Mike LePond’s Silent Assassins, this is a serious album that can kick your power metal ass halfway into next week." - The Metal Observer

"Really, there is everything a metal fan could as for in an album: there are heavy songs, fast songs, melodic passages, high-quality musicianship, great atmosphere and, above all else, passion (a rarity). LePond’s debut album makes a compelling case that hes not messing around or just trying to copycat his main band. Instead, it really is a great album and will please those who love the old days of straightforward heavy metal without broken tempos and excessive keyboards, and I even make a case that this is better than Symphony X on occasion. With a new album on the works, it becomes clear that LePond will not see this output as a mere side-project, but as serious as his agenda lets it be. The album deserves high praise, and this is why it gets the highest rating I gave so far on Metal Wani. I have this album in my collection since it came out in late 2014 and every time I hear it the experience gets more enjoyable. Highly Recommended."--Metal Wani

"Mike LePond, as I said, has accomplished a great deal, and I'd recommend this album to any fan of hard rock, metal, power metal, etc... It's great stuff, and I owe a tip of my hat to Mr. Ross The Boss Friedman for bringing Mike to my attention" - Rock Guitar Daily

"This is a bass-fronted album with quite wide choices of styles inside. It will be well enjoyed by many fans ranging from prog-head, power metaller, and general heavy fans." - Metal Harem

"In a nutshell, for all those who dreamed of an album that would bring back some good traditional heavy metal, Mike LePond’s solo album is a real treat. - MDR Network

"This album is a winner on every front. What I haven't touched n is LePond's outstanding job with the lyrical content of the album - every track is interesting, and the themes are uplifting even in their darkest moments. I'm guessing this guy is a reader - you can't write like this if you haven't read." -- Steve Goldby MetalTalk.net

"Even if Mike LePond doesn’t show off, we can hear all along the record the obsessing (not far from Mårten Hagström of Meshuggah) or galloping (akin to the iconic Steve Harris of Iron Maiden) rhythm of his bass, which adds even more tension to the metallic magma. The rhythm guitars played in the tremolo fashion, and galloping as well, were also performed by Mike, another way to show that he is the one who is the mastermind behind this tribute to traditional heavy metal." -- MetalDevastationRadio.com

"I really like the lyrical content. Go from being mythogical to being historical, the fact that the songs are written in a way of telling a story is amazing. I really love when there is a concept to the writing. You can hear so many great influences in this album; from Priest to Sabbath to Blind Guardian. So, at this point I tell you that this is a amazing record and I strongly suggest that you buy a copy of it and play it over and over again and again. " -- Total Metal Radio