Mike Lepond

Features SYMPHONY X's, Mike LePond! For the first time in over 7 years, Rivera Bomma has released a KILLER NEW STUDIO release to you all here!!! Featuring a stunning collection of musicians, the band features Johnny Bomma (ex-Hades – Metal Blade Records) delivering vocal chops with grit, elegance, and swagger. Don't miss out on this opportunity as it just may smoke every other virtuoso release in your collection this year!

Reign of the Architect will release their debut album, Rise, via Pitch Black Records on April 16th (everywhere except the USA where it will be released on May 14th). The album features guest appearances from Jeff Scot Soto (Yngwie Malmsteen, Journey), Mike LePond (Symphony X) and Joost Van Den Broek (Ayreon, After Forever). The fifteen tracks, spread over three “acts” on this album make up what is part one of a two part concept, telling a tale of love, destruction and survival in the aftermath of this power struggle.”

On Call Upon The Wicked, songs range from classic Judas Priest to a touch of Rainbow. There’s even an epic song with female vocals, a new step in the Seven Witches chapter. Call Upon The Wicked includes experts such as James Rivera (Helstar) and Mike LePond (Symphony X). Jack Frost and the guys created a masterpiece with Joey Vera (Armored Saint, Fates Warning) handling the mixing.

AFFECTOR, the highly skilled new international progressive rock/metal band consisting of German guitar-player Daniel Fries, Dutch drummer Collin Leijenaar (Neal Morse/Dilemma) as well as the US based bass player Mike LePond (Symphony X) and vocalist Ted Leonard (Spock's Beard/Enchant/Thought Chamber), are releasing their debut album, "Harmagedon",The album also showcases four very special guests on keyboards: Alex Argento, Neal Morse (Transatlantic/Flying Colors), Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater) and Derek Sherinian (Planet X/Black Country communion). Also featured on the album is the Polish orchestra Sinfonietta Consonus.

Infinite & Divine, a collaboration between two Swedish musicians, guitarist/songwriter/producer Jan Åkesson and vocalist Tezzi (a/k/a Terese Persson), will release their sophomore album, "Ascendancy" on February 10, 2023. In the summer of 2019, Jan and Tezzi first encountered one another and shortly after that set to work on writing songs for what would ultimately become their debut album, ”Silver Lining”. Said album was a fantastic combination of Jan’s energetic heavy riffs, the influences of their varied taste in melodic hard rock and metal, and Tezzi’s melodic, yet powerful vocals. "Ascendancy" sees the two taking that songwriting formula and building upon it to craft an even more thrilling and energetic album, highlighting all their strengths.

Born in Porto Alegre, South of Brazil, I was exposed to a strong mixed culture of music from Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. I started to play guitar in my childhood, at the age 13 and under influence by Mark Knopfler, David Gilmour, Jimmy Page and Stevie Ray Vaughan. I took private lessons and few years later I started to teach in some music schools in Porto Alegre and by doing that I got involved in projects like guitar clinics, master classes and I also become a session player. Besides that, I was also studying music and I graduated in Music Performance and later on in Guitar & Technology, Music Pedagogy. I am also an orchestrator certified by Berklee USA.

Lalu is the brainchild of French composer and keyboardist Vivien Lalu and is a sort of supergroup consisting of familiar names from the progressive metal scene such as Mike LePond (Symphony X), Martin LeMar (Mekong Delta) and Simon Mularoni (DGM). “Atomic Ark” is the band’s second effort coming 8 years afters its predecessor “Oniric Metal.”The aforementioned Simone Mularoni is the star of this show on guitar, but vocalist Martin LeMar is no joke either. His dynamic vocals are always well placed and show a very wide range. Vivien Lalu is always in top form on keyboards as well. Musically, the band is about as solid as they come and “Atomic Ark” is a very solid album.

What we have here is the latest release from XYZ and Cage frontman Terry Ilous. This is basically a compilation of rare tracks, acoustic numbers and little-heard songs from both the XYZ and Terry Ilous solo years.