Michael Anthony LePond III (born 1966), is an American musician from Newark, New Jersey. LePond has recorded over 40 albums with various bands and has appeared on over 20 other albums in a guest capacity. Best known as the current bassist of the progressive metal band Symphony X, LePond joined the band in 1999 and can be heard on all albums since the release of V: The New Mythology Suite in 2000. He has also worked with a number of bands within the European metal scene, and has released 4 solo albums with Mike LePond's Silent Assassins. Biography LePond was born in Newark, New Jersey. When he was 13 years old, he attended a Kiss concert, and was inspired by the performance, especially the band's bass guitarist Gene Simmons, to begin playing music. He bought some basic equipment, namely a Univox bass guitar and a 150 watt amplifier, and took lessons for a year. He started listening to other bass players like Geddy Lee of Rush, who influenced his style. In 1998, he met the Symphony X guitarist Michael Romeo through a mutual friend, and was invited to replace Thomas Miller, who had recently left the band. He has remained the band's bass guitarist ever since. In 2012, LePond formed a progressive metal supergroup named Affector with the drummer Collin Leijenaar, the vocalist Ted Leonard and the guitarist Daniel Fries. The band's first album, Harmagedon, was released on May 21, 2012. The album includes guest keyboard players Jordan Rudess, Derek Sherinian, Neal Morse and Alex Argento. Past health issues In 2006, LePond developed Crohn's disease, forcing Symphony X to cancel all of their European tours. He underwent surgery to control the effects of the disease, and on May 31, 2006, he announced his recovery on Symphony X's website. Solo album On August 21, 2014, it was announced that LePond would be releasing his first solo album, Silent Assassins. The album was released on September 26, 2014, and includes guests such as the guitarist Mike Chlasciak (Halford, Testament), his Symphony X bandmate Michael Romeo and the vocalist Alan Tecchio (Hades, Watchtower). LePond himself plays bass and rhythm guitars on the album. Equipment For the Paradise Lost album, he used a Caparison Dellinger bass guitar, Madison 8x10 cabinet and a Tech 21 RBI preamp. Live, he uses a Fender Precision bass guitar and a Hamer Cruise as back up, amplified by an