Michael Lepond
Encyclopedia
Michael Anthony LePond III (born February 17, 1966 in Newark, New Jersey
) is the bass guitar player of the North American progressive metal
band Symphony X
, and also is the bassist for Dead on Arrival, a heavy metal
band from New York. The group issued an album - Alive and Kickin’ - on the independent Polo label in 1996. He can be heard on all Symphony X releases since and including V: The New Mythology Suite. He also used to play in a New Jersey band called Rattlebone, which opened for many national acts and released a six-song album themselves in 1997.
in concert and was heavily influenced by the band and - specifically - bassist Gene Simmons
. He bought some basic equipment (a Univox
bass and a 150 watt amplifier) and took lessons for a year. He started listening to other bass players like Geddy Lee
(Rush
) that influenced his style.
In 1998 he met Symphony X
guitarist Michael Romeo
through a mutual friend and was invited to audition since original bassist Thomas Miller had left the band. He got the spot and has remained with the band ever since.
to control the effects of the disease and by May 31, 2006 he announced on the website that he would be fully recovered in 6 weeks.
album, he used a Caparison Dellinger bass, Madison 8x10 cabinet and a Tech 21 RBI preamp.
Live, he uses a Fender Precision bass and a Hamer Cruise as backup, amplified by an Ampeg 4x10 Classic cabinet and an Ampeg B2-R head. In the past he has been known to use Hamer Scarab and Musicman Sterling basses.
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
) is the bass guitar player of the North American progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band Symphony X
Symphony X
Symphony X is an American progressive metal band from Middletown, New Jersey.Founded in 1994 by guitarist Michael Romeo, their albums The Divine Wings of Tragedy and V: The New Mythology Suite have given the band considerable attention within the progressive metal community...
, and also is the bassist for Dead on Arrival, a heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band from New York. The group issued an album - Alive and Kickin’ - on the independent Polo label in 1996. He can be heard on all Symphony X releases since and including V: The New Mythology Suite. He also used to play in a New Jersey band called Rattlebone, which opened for many national acts and released a six-song album themselves in 1997.
Biography
Michael LePond was born in Newark, New Jersey. When he was 13 years old, he went to see KissKISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
in concert and was heavily influenced by the band and - specifically - bassist Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons
Gene Simmons is an Israeli-American entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, actor, and rock bassist. Known as "The Demon", he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, a hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.-Early life:...
. He bought some basic equipment (a Univox
Univox
For Univox portable keyboards, see Vox In the early 1960s the Unicord Corporation, a manufacturer of electronic transformers purchased the Amplifier Corporation of America of Westbury, New York. They began marketing a line of amplifiers under the name of Univox. The company was purchased by Gulf +...
bass and a 150 watt amplifier) and took lessons for a year. He started listening to other bass players like Geddy Lee
Geddy Lee
Gary Lee Weinrib, OC, better known as Geddy Lee , is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush...
(Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
) that influenced his style.
In 1998 he met Symphony X
Symphony X
Symphony X is an American progressive metal band from Middletown, New Jersey.Founded in 1994 by guitarist Michael Romeo, their albums The Divine Wings of Tragedy and V: The New Mythology Suite have given the band considerable attention within the progressive metal community...
guitarist Michael Romeo
Michael Romeo
Since 2005, Romeo has taken advantage of a new custom model, Caparison Dellinger II - Michael Romeo Custom, which he used to record the Symphony X album Paradise Lost...
through a mutual friend and was invited to audition since original bassist Thomas Miller had left the band. He got the spot and has remained with the band ever since.
Past health issues
In 2006, Michael LePond developed Crohns Disease, forcing Symphony X to cancel all of their European shows. He went through surgerySurgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
to control the effects of the disease and by May 31, 2006 he announced on the website that he would be fully recovered in 6 weeks.
Influences
LePond has mentioned several bass players as his main influences. Among those he mentions in the Symphony X website are:Equipment
For the Paradise LostParadise Lost (Symphony X album)
-Personnel:Symphony X*Russell Allen – vocals*Michael Romeo – guitars, orchestral keyboards and programming*Michael Pinnella – piano, keyboards*Michael Lepond – bass*Jason Rullo – drumsProduction*Produced, recorded, and engineered by Michael Romeo...
album, he used a Caparison Dellinger bass, Madison 8x10 cabinet and a Tech 21 RBI preamp.
Live, he uses a Fender Precision bass and a Hamer Cruise as backup, amplified by an Ampeg 4x10 Classic cabinet and an Ampeg B2-R head. In the past he has been known to use Hamer Scarab and Musicman Sterling basses.