Pawn and Prophecy

complexity of the play. LePond’s
overture for the piece consists of a
rolling bass line, which emulates the
storm and subsequently offers a
prelude to the conjuring that opens
Act I, bursting into a riotous
anthemic Scottish tune, and
accentuated with the majestic
sounds of bagpipes.
LePond’s lyrics are resolute, and
they offer complex, modal tones, as
is evidenced by the amusing portion
of this song that includes the bluesy,
sardonic riddles promised by the
apparitions, which lead Macbeth into
thinking he is sacrosanct. The
disembodied head warning “Beware
Macduff; beware the Thane of Fife,”
the bloody child hinting that “For
none of woman born shall harm
Macbeth,” and the child holding the
branch, cautioning Macbeth that he
would only be vanquished when
“Great Birnam Wood to high
Dunsinane Hill shall come against
him” are all lyrically addressed by
LePond via Macbeth’s second visit
to the three witches. Furthermore,
the numerous vocalists appearing
on this track aid in creating a depth
in characterization, as the plotline is
further fostered by these vocal
“players.”
Old Lord Acton's assertion that
“Power tends to corrupt, and
absolute power corrupts absolutely.
(Great men are almost always bad
men),” certainly applies to the Thane
of Glamis, Thane of Cawdor, and
eventual king, after Macbeth is
motivated to commit regicide in his
desire to rule. While many thespians
only refer to this Shakespearean
work as “The Scottish Play” due to
the assertion that the play is cursed,
LePond’s musical rendition of this
tragedy a blessing of sheer genius,
right down to his rhymed couplets.
Reading Shakespeare’s text,
particularly the portion involving
Lady Macbeth’s descent into
insanity and her ensuing suicide,
evokes very little compassion from
most audiences due to her constant
prodding of Macbeth to seize his
foretold murderous kingship, and
mocking her husband as a coward.
However, the combination of
LePond’s marche funèbre and Alan
Tecchio’s intoxicatingly forceful
vocals implores listeners to feel
empathetic for the queen’s demise
and Macbeth’s heartbreaking loss.
The somber chords, subtle rhythm,
pained lyrics, and metric onsets
beautifully combine to accentuate
the themes of guilt, sadness, and
r e m o r s e , a n d l i s t e n e r s a r e
hopelessly drawn into Macbeth’s
suffering.
Ultimately, aside from writing lyrics
and music based upon epic literary
content, and aside from the talented
vocalists and musicians in this
group of Silent Assassins, LePond’s
production of this album is just as
monumental. The guitar tones on
this CD are on the mid to higher end
range, which allows the bass tracks
to step forward, consequently
presenting a richer, bold sound that
penetrates the entire album.
LePond has c r e a t e d a m e t a l
masterpiece that incorporates
blues, classical, and a bit of a
shuffle; there’s screaming hot male
vocals, and there’s soft, sensual
female vocals. There are tone
changes, tempo changes, and
vibrant swells. More than anything,
there is passion. Mike LePond has
taken his talent for playing bass, his
love for music, his experience in the
industry, his fondness for history
and literature, and his most
generous spirit to create and share
an extraordinary collection of music.
- Kara Roger