For The Metal VoiceKenny Kessel interviewed Mike LePond (Silent Assassins, Symphony X, Ross The Boss) on June 20 2020 who will be releasing a new MIKE LEPOND’S SILENT ASSASSINS album called, ‘Whore Of Babylon’, via Silver Lining Music on June 26th.
In the interviewed Lepond’s talks about his new album with Silent Assassins, performing with Ross the Boss, Symphony X plans and his opinion of Live Nations new way of doing things.
In the interview Mike LePond was asked what he thought of Live Nations plan to reduce payments and add more risk for cancellations to the artist. LePond responded, “Live Nation are a bunch of scumbags. When you buy a ticket from Live Nation they throw all these charges in and you are paying a fortune and they are putting it all in their pocket. And as far as the bands go the bands are getting killed by Spotify and others as it is. So our album sales are down and Live Nation wants to give us another punch in the face. So Live Nation can drop dead as far as I am concerned and I hope another company comes along, undercuts them and we can all get behind them.”
MIKE LEPOND’S SILENT ASSASSINS’ Whore Of Babylon will be released on CD, digital, and vinyl formats. Fans of Symphony X, Hades, Dio, Helloween, and Savatage pay heed.
DEATH DEALER have announced their long-awaited return with news of their third full-length, ‘Conquered Lands’. The album will be released in the fall of 2020 via Steel Cartel, and is comprised of twelve tracks in total.
The band is also announcing a major new addition to the band as bass legend MIKE LEPOND (SYMPHONY X, ROSS THE BOSS, SILENT ASSASSINS) is joining this already loaded line-up.
“We had a great time with Mike Davis and he will always be a brother,” says guitarist Ross the Boss about the bass switch. “Due to both of our upcoming schedules we mutually decided another guy might have to come in and handle what we had coming up. Mike Davis will be missed, but we are very excited about the addition of another bass superstar, Mike Lepond.”
“I have recorded the new album already and really dug the material,” explains the band’s newest member, Mike. “I went back and listened to their first 2 albums and there is a lot of high-powered stuff there too. I already have a great chemistry with Ross and Steve so I can’t wait to get on stage with Sean and Stu and play some of this material live.”
Joining Ross and Mike Lepond are Sean Peck (CAGE, THE THREE TREMORS, DENNER/SHERMANN) on vocals, Stu Marshall (NIGHT LEGION, DUNGEON) on guitar, and Steve Bolognese (ROSS THE BOSS BAND, INTO ETERNITY) on drums.
“I have been super-busy touring and recording with my solo band,” explains Ross. “And everywhere I go I am asked when is DEATH DEALER coming back, when will another album be out, etc. So the work we have done for five years, with the albums and touring, is really standing the test of time. I can see the impact that we made with our first two albums with the diehard metal fans. It is really great to see and now here we go again!”
“We had ‘Conquered Lands’ 80% done for the last 3 years,” admits Sean. “And we finally had the chance to spend some time and get it finished up. We have been spending a lot of quality time online with each other lately and the fires are really burning hot to get DD back out crushing it again.”
And according to Sean, the material on ‘Conquered Lands’ will please long-time fans. “The new album has a great variety of metal flavors but overall it is fairly speedy. There are tons of killer heavy metal hooks as usual and some really great performances by all the musicians. There is a ballad too which we did not have on the last record but it is one of my favorites on the record, so it will be interesting to see how the fans react to that one.”
As always, the album will be supported with live dates (in 2021), including a festival appearance in March in England, at the HARD ROCK HELL FEST. Understandably, the band is eager to perform the new material on stage, as Sean adds that the material on ‘Conquered Lands’ is “Definitely 100% pure DEATH DEALER.”
Jimmy Kay from Canada’s The Metal Voicespoke to the Ross The Boss Band, including, guitarist Ross Friedman, singer Marc Lopes (Let us Prey) and Bassist Mike Lepond (Symphony X) when they played Foufounes Electriques in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on January 27 2020.
Watch the interview below.
The band went into detail about the musical direction of the new album and lyrical themes, Ross the Boss spoke about the first 6 classic Manowar album that he played and wrote on, as well as the recording of the classic Manowar album ‘Hail to England‘ which the band is showcasing on this North American tour. Plus how Ross Friedman talks how he produced the demo that got Anthrax signed on Megaforce Records with Jon Zazula in the early 80’s.
When asked about the first six Manowar albums
“I was just glad to do those first six Manowar records it was an amazing time and an amazing collaboration with me and Manowar’s Bassist Joey DeMaio where we wrote 6 album in those 6 years together. I don’t think this magic will ever happen again. The songs just kept coming out of us and that is what it is all about in music, writing great songs.” -Ross The Boss
When asked about the making of Manowar’s Calssic Hail to England Album
“What I remember was we were in Canada in Toronto at Phase One studios with Canada’s greatest producer Jack Richardson. We had something like 8 days and we recorded two records in that time, Hail to England and most of Sign of the Hammer, we always recorded as much as we could. I did most of my guitar recording in one or two takes and we saved most of the time for Manowar’s singer Eric Adams one of the greatest singers.” -Ross The Boss
When asked how he helped Anthrax get signed to Megaforce Records
“As Jonny Zazula re-tells the story in his latest book ‘Heavy Tales’, Anthrax was bothering him and chasing him everywhere non stop to get him to sign the band on Megaforce but Jonny did not hear anything he liked at the time. Then someone mentioned that I should produce Anthrax’s demo. Anthrax already knew Manowar as they opened up for us on some shows. So I said ok and I produced the demo which had the song Soldiers of Metal with Neil Turbin on vocals. Jonny Z heard it and said I’m signing them.” -Ross The Boss
When asked about the new Ross The Boss Band album’s Born of Fire musical direction and lyric themes
“It’s a little bit of a change, it’s more upbeat, more energetic, it’s more high energy. I would say there is a more of a thrash element cause of our singer Marc Lopes influence. Two songs are thrash but the rest are just typical Ross the Boss. Bassist Mike Lepond also did an amazing job with the demos, with the songs and the arrangements. I never repeat myself stylistically on any of my records nor in my years with Manowar ” -Ross The Boss
“The new album Born of Fire is 10 times more heavier, I figured on this album let’s really get away from the old stuff. Ross has already written 6 of the greatest Manowar albums so for him to duplicate that did not seem like the right thing. It’s like Iron Maiden trying to make another The Number of the Beast. It has a very modern and European metal production” -Marc Lopes
Glory to the Slain– It’s like a Motorhead Style song with a slick Riff and I thought it would be cool to have a song in that vain. -Mike Lepond
Demon Holiday-“I think I was influenced by 80’s Judas Priest on that song, very Riff Heavy with a great hook.”- Ross The Boss
“That song is part 2 to Devils Day. the Devil got to have his holiday now the demons get to play.”-Marc Lopes
Maiden of Shadows– Ross was looking for some orchestration in the vain of Conan the Barbarian on that song and it has a Celtic Iron Maiden feel. Stu Marshall from Death Dealer wrote that song and Ross Modified the riffs. Michael Romeo of Symphony X also arranged the orchestration.” -Mike Lepond
“The title of that song actually comes from the Sabrina the good witch series (laughs), they called her the Maiden of Shadows, I thought that was a great title, then I went looking into Celtic legends and there is a legend called Morgana the Goddess of battlefield and that’s the song theme.”-Marc Lopes
Fight the Fight- “Me and Mike Lepond wrote that, Mike came up to me and he said I got this tune it sounds like Manowar’s Fighting the World meets Anthrax. As soon as he said Fighting the world, the word FIGHT was stuck in my head and I will fully admit this I stole the melody from the band Hatebreed and they know that.” Marc Lopes
I am the Sword– “That is a classic Ross the Boss riff. The meaning ended up being kind of like the old Testament story of the Exodus”-Marc Lopes
Waking the moon-“That is a Warwolf theme.”-Marc Lopes
Denied by the Cross– “This is my favorite song, it’s brutal, it’s about the first ten minutes of Brahn Stoker’s Dracula, when he denies the cross and his wife gets killed and the blood comes out I like that kind of stuff.”- Marc Lopes
Born of Fire-Me and my guitarist Jonathan from our band ‘Let Us Prey’ wrote that song. I love the verse super old school thrash and the chorus super melodic.”-Marc Lopes
Due on March 6 via AFM Records, “Born Of Fire” is the fourth album of Friedman and his band, their last album was “By Blood Sworn”.in 2018
Greek progressive metallers KARMA have released their brand new, third in a raw, album “Illusions” through Alcyone Records. The album is now available on all digital music stores worldwide. Physical copies (digipack) expected in the mid of January.
It’s their first album with this line-up and this sound. On this record, there are many guest appearances such as Mike LePond, from the legendary American masters SYMPHONY X, and Panagiotis Konstantinidis, from the Greek metal band CRUSH. You will also have the opportunity to listen to some great musicians like Simeon Karagiannis, Helen Stratigopoulou, Aggeliki Theophanous and the traditional polyphonic group “Ktismata Pogoniou” with Vaggelis Kotsou.
The band also choose to include a bonus track in their album which is a cover of “Master of Puppets” from Metallica, where Karma add their very talented personality on it. The result is impressive.
The production of the album took place on Groove House Studios, while the mastering completed on Finnvox Studios from Mika Jussila. The blame for the amazing artwork is completely upon Immensa Artis.
Listen to “The Valkyrie Calls” here:
The band manages to combine influences from progressive bands like Dream Theater and Opeth, along with the atmospheric female vocals that remind us of Nightwish and Epica. Besides, there are parts of the album that takes us to the good old days of Slipknot and System of a Down era. Classic rock elements from Deep Purple’s early years it’s undeniable in this album, and so it is the traditional Greek music. It’s an album that can excite, calm, travel and mesmerize the listener in many different ways. In two words: Just Brilliant
“Ross The Boss” Friedman, on lead guitar and co-founder of MANOWAR, launches “The Discipline of Steel” 2017 world tour with Mike LePond on bass (Symphony X); Kenny “Rhino” Earl on drums (ex-MANOWAR); and Marc Lopes on vocals (Let Us Prey). The tour begins in Mexico and Central America where the ROSS THE BOSS Band will headline 2 metal festivals, performing a classic MANOWAR set. Twenty-five dates in Europe are scheduled in March and April, including an iconic tour of England, where years ago, Ross Friedman began the metal onslaught. The earth will rumble and the momentum will continue through the summer and fall festival calendar.
Says Friedman, “I have assembled three incredible musicians, and together we will deliver an experience only to be described as, true classic metal. We are going to devastate every audience, every night, without mercy!”
“The Discipline of Steel” World Tour 2017 (Europe) dates:
03/03 Zlin, Czech Republic
03/05 Vienna, Austria
03/06 Mannheim, Germany
03/08 Hamburg, Germany
03/09 Stadskanaal, Netherlands
03/10 Essen, Germany
03/11 Andernach, Germany
03/12 Helmond, Netherlands
03/13 Utrecht, Netherlands
03/16 Barcelona, Spain
03/17 Zaragoza, Spain
03/18 Erandio, Spain
03/19 Madrid, Spain
03/20 Cangas do Morrazo, Spain
03/21 Lisbon, Portugal
03/24 Brescia, Italy
03/25 Torino, Italy
03/26 Prato, Italy
03/28 Diest, Belgium
03/30 London, UK
03/31 Evesham, UK
04/01 Swansea, UK
04/02 Dublin, Ireland
04/04 Glasgow, UK
04/05 Edinburgh, UK
04/06 Milton Keynes, UK
MIKE LEPOND from SYMPHONY X and SILENT ASSASSINS appeared on Neckbreaker Podcast this week for a full-length interview. Topics include:
– criticism for Kickstarter as an album medium
– why he decided to start a heavy metal side project
– the setlist selection process for the Symphony X / Overkill tour
– thoughts on Spotify and other streaming services in 2015
– best/worst show experiences and much more.
The free, full-length episode is available for download via iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher Radio, the Shining Wizards Network, The Blast Syndicate, or you can stream/download the episode right from the direct link at this location.
NECKBREAKER is a pro wrestling and heavy metal themed show. Hosts Brian Thompson, John Aubrey, and Chris Kessaris sit down with guests from both worlds, drink alcohol, and have casual, laid-back conversations.
