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Dope (band)
Encyclopedia
Dope is an American
rock
band from Villa Park
, Illinois
, formed in 1997 in Chicago
, Illinois
.
To date, the band has released five full-length studio albums, their most recent being No Regrets which was released on March 10, 2009.
in 1997. As a child Edsel and his brother, Simon Dope, were separated when their parents divorced. When the two were adults, they reunited and Simon joined Edsel's band, playing keyboard
s. The pair then recruited Tripp Eisen
as guitarist, Preston Nash
as drummer, and Acey Slade
as bassist.
Unlike many of the popular bands from the 1990s, Dope derived their sound from influences taken from hard rock
bands and fused that with the sound of industrial rock
acts which had made waves earlier in the decade, such as Ministry
, as well as industrial music
act Skinny Puppy
.
In their earliest days, the band sold drugs to survive and purchase instruments. Furthermore, the name "Dope" refers to drugs and drug culture, as shown by their early T-shirt designs which prominently displayed hypodermic needles.
The band also had some early connections with fellow rockers Marilyn Manson
; ex drummer Ginger Fish
shared an apartment with Edsel Dope in Las Vegas
during the earlier 1990s, before either of them were in their respective bands. Also guitarist Zim Zum
allowed the band to claim that they were "currently being produced by Zim Zum" on the cover of their promotional discs to help them gain a record deal. It was originally planned that Zum would produce their debut, however he was busy recording the album Mechanical Animals
at the time. Lead singer, Edsel, has maintained a good friendship with ex-Manson guitarist Daisy Berkowitz.
was created after performing on the New York City
club circuit, and releasing several promotional cassettes the band was signed by Epic Records
. For the album's recording Sloane Jentry had left the band and Tripp Eisen moved to guitar, Acey Slade
was brought in on bass. The album featured fourteen tracks including two covers, which were; "Fuck tha Police
" by N.W.A.
and "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)
" by English new wave
band Dead or Alive
, which featured in the movie American Psycho
. "Debonaire" was also featured on the Scream 3
movie soundtrack and the first The Fast and the Furious
movie during the raid on Johnny Tran's house scene.
Dope toured extensively, taking part in several national tours with various acts ranging from Alice Cooper
to Kid Rock
. This helped Felons and Revolutionaries SoundScan more than 250,000 units in total.
A live video for the song "Sick" was recorded to capture the energy of the group's live show. The first single and non-live promotional video
released by the band from the album was "Everything Sucks", which failed to chart. The second single—a cover of "You Spin Me Round" -- saw the band gaining more attention; it received radio play and reached #37 on the US Mainstream Rock charts.
. Several band changes had taken place once more; Tripp Eisen
was fired from the group and joined Alternative metal
band Static-X
, so Virus
, a guitarist/producer from New York City who was originally hired for bass, replaced him on guitar in 2000. Acey Slade was moved up to the position of guitar, while Sloane Jentry (who had remained friends with the band) rejoined this time on bass. On drums Preston Nash was also replaced by Racci "Sketchy" Shay
.
The two singles from Life; "Now or Never" and "Slipping Away" reached #28 and #29 on the Mainstream Rock charts respectively. The album itself reached #180 on the Billboard charts
and #6 on the Top Heatseekers
, which up until that point was the band's highest charting. After the album's release, Simon Dope left the group to pursue a career as a video game producer.
"Debonaire" from the first album was used in the movie The Fast and the Furious
. More soundtrack work was done by Dope in 2002, as the band recorded WWE
chairman Vince McMahon
's theme song "No Chance (In Hell)" for the WWE Forceable Entry audio release. Previously Dope's music had been used as the background theme in ECW
, also Rhino
used their song "Debonaire", as his entrance theme.
Around this period, Edsel Dope also had a public rivalry with the band Murderdolls
(particularly vocalist Wednesday 13
). An early version of that group had featured Racci Shay
on drums; and under the name Murderdolls, it featured Tripp Eisen
. Dope guitarist Acey Slade
then left the band to join Murderdolls
in mid-2002.
Disappointed with the label's perceived lack of promotion for the album, the band left Epic and joined Artemis Records, a New York independent record label
. Lead guitarist Virus
, would now act as sole guitarist in Slade's departure, and he would contribute to the songwriting significantly.
Dope's third studio album was titled Group Therapy
. It was innovative in that it also featured a video for each song; meaning in total those who purchased the album received thirteen audio songs and videos. One song from that album, Today is the Day served as the official theme song for WWE
's pay-per-view event No Mercy in October 2003. The songs "Falling Away", "Bitch", "Motivation", "Burn", and "So Low" were featured in the video game; MTX Mototrax
, in both full and instrumental versions.
By 2005 Dope had regrouped once more, the band had a new bassist; Brix Milner. For their new album entitled American Apathy, the band returned to a harder sound similar in some respects to their debut, in an Industrial metal
style. Amongst the 14 tracks present was a cover of Depeche Mode
's "People Are People
".
Although released eight years after the band formed, four albums in and on an independent label, American Apathy performed well in the charts. It was a #1 hit on the Top Heatseekers
chart, for the first time in the band's history and it also saw the band's highest charting on the Billboard chart to date.
Ironically, Ben Graves of the Murderdolls
joined Dope as the live drummer on a tour of Japan
. In fact that wasn't the only inter-group mixing between the two bands; in 2006 Brix Milner filled in for the injured Kid Kid on bass, in Murderdolls front man Wednesday 13
's solo band.
Edsel Dope
and Virus
became involved in an alternative pop rock
side-project with Edsel playing drums, called Makeshift Romeo. This also witnessed Edsel removing his dreadlocks
which he had worn all throughout his time with Dope.
.
Dope has finished their spring tour of the United States
, the tour, which took place over two months, included 22 dates. Tripp Lee played live on bass with the band (although Brix is still listed, and seems doubtful that he will return) and a new drummer named Angel, formerly of Pig
and The Genitorturers has joined.
It was announced on October 15, 2008 that the first single from No Regrets
is called "Violence". The song is currently available to listen on the band's MySpace
. There will be a music video, for "Violence", according the image the band set for album art. One of the tracks for the album was released in late 2007 in the game, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
. Guitar Hero III includes a song by Dope called "Nothing for Me Here" on the bonus list and mentions that it will be on the band's upcoming album.
In concert, Dope has stated that their new album is finished, but they need to make sure they "will get paid for it before releasing it".
Some time in early 2009, Dope updated their official website, which now features promotion for No Regrets, which was released on March 10, 2009. Previews of eight tracks from the new album can be heard via the music player on the site. In addition to this, the full music video for the single Addiction, which features Zakk Wylde
of Black Label Society
and well-known guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne
is available to be viewed on the site. One of the tracks on the new album is a cover of the Billy Idol
single, "Rebel Yell
".
On July 29, 2008, Dope released American Apathy Reloaded—a CD of remixes and alternate versions of songs from American Apathy, plus a live DVD.
Dope has released a video to go along with the second single on the album, "6-6-Sick".
The song "Nothing for Me Here" is featured in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
as a bonus track, therefore making the song's original release date in 2007, 2 years before No Regrets was released.
Virus
, the lead guitarist, teaches guitar/bass at the Paul Green School of Rock, in Fort Washington, PA.
Virus
also produces up-and-coming bands and writes music for TV and video game companies such as Activision, Disney and ESPN.
In 2011, Dope will perform at the Gathering of the Juggalos
.
On August 12 2011 Dope played at Mojoes In Joliet, IL. Here, Edsel announced that Dope has been working on a new album.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from Villa Park
Villa Park, Illinois
Villa Park is a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County, Illinois. The population was 22,075 at the 2000 census. A special census in 2003 set the population at 22,517...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, formed in 1997 in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
To date, the band has released five full-length studio albums, their most recent being No Regrets which was released on March 10, 2009.
History
The band was founded by song writer and lead singer Edsel DopeEdsel Dope
Edsel Dope is the lead singer and main songwriter for nu metal/industrial metal band, Dope, originally from New York City. Dope was founded on December 10, 1997 by Edsel and his brother, Simon Dope .Edsel co-produced all of Dope's albums...
in 1997. As a child Edsel and his brother, Simon Dope, were separated when their parents divorced. When the two were adults, they reunited and Simon joined Edsel's band, playing keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
s. The pair then recruited Tripp Eisen
Tripp Eisen
Tripp Eisen Tripp Eisen Tripp Eisen (born Tod Rex Salvador June 29, 1965, also known "Tripp Rex Eisen" or "Rex Eisen", is an American musician, best known as the former guitarist of the industrial metal band Static-X...
as guitarist, Preston Nash
Preston Nash
Preston Nash is an American musician, drummer, songwriter, music producer, and radio personality. He is best known as the drummer for Dope, Primer 55, and Society 1, as well as producer for The Ralph Bailey Show on 1560 KNZR out of Bakersfield, California.-References:...
as drummer, and Acey Slade
Acey Slade
Acey Slade, , is the lead singer and guitarist of the band Acey Slade & The Dark Party. Previous to this he was the lead vocalist and guitarist in the punk rock band Trashlight Vision, which broke up September 12, 2007...
as bassist.
Unlike many of the popular bands from the 1990s, Dope derived their sound from influences taken from hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
bands and fused that with the sound of industrial rock
Industrial rock
Industrial rock is a musical genre that fuses industrial music and specific rock subgenres. Industrial rock spawned industrial metal, with which it is often confused...
acts which had made waves earlier in the decade, such as Ministry
Ministry (band)
Ministry is an American industrial metal band founded by lead singer Al Jourgensen in 1981. Originally a synthpop outfit, Ministry changed its style to industrial metal in the late 1980s. Ministry found mainstream success in the early 1990s with its most successful album Psalm 69: The Way to...
, as well as industrial music
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
act Skinny Puppy
Skinny Puppy
Skinny Puppy is a Canadian industrial musical group, formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1982. The group is widely considered to be the founders of the electro-industrial genre....
.
In their earliest days, the band sold drugs to survive and purchase instruments. Furthermore, the name "Dope" refers to drugs and drug culture, as shown by their early T-shirt designs which prominently displayed hypodermic needles.
The band also had some early connections with fellow rockers Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
; ex drummer Ginger Fish
Ginger Fish
Kenneth Robert Wilson , better known by his stage name Ginger Fish, is an American drummer primarily known for playing drums for Marilyn Manson 1995-2011...
shared an apartment with Edsel Dope in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
during the earlier 1990s, before either of them were in their respective bands. Also guitarist Zim Zum
Zim Zum
Timothy Michael Linton more commonly known as Zim Zum, is an American rock musician/songwriter and former guitarist for Life, Sex & Death and Marilyn Manson...
allowed the band to claim that they were "currently being produced by Zim Zum" on the cover of their promotional discs to help them gain a record deal. It was originally planned that Zum would produce their debut, however he was busy recording the album Mechanical Animals
Mechanical Animals
Mechanical Animals is the third full-length studio album by American rock band Marilyn Manson. It was released on September 14, 1998, in Australia and on September 15, 1998, in the US, Germany and France through Nothing and Interscope Records and marked the beginning of the band's brief foray into...
at the time. Lead singer, Edsel, has maintained a good friendship with ex-Manson guitarist Daisy Berkowitz.
Felons and Revolutionaries
Felons and RevolutionariesFelons and revolutionaries
Felons and Revolutionaries is the debut album by American band, Dope. The album was released in 1999 on Epic Records and has sold over 236,000 copies in the United States; it was re-released on July 18, 2000, with the single "You Spin Me Round " as a bonus track...
was created after performing on the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
club circuit, and releasing several promotional cassettes the band was signed by Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
. For the album's recording Sloane Jentry had left the band and Tripp Eisen moved to guitar, Acey Slade
Acey Slade
Acey Slade, , is the lead singer and guitarist of the band Acey Slade & The Dark Party. Previous to this he was the lead vocalist and guitarist in the punk rock band Trashlight Vision, which broke up September 12, 2007...
was brought in on bass. The album featured fourteen tracks including two covers, which were; "Fuck tha Police
Fuck tha Police
"Fuck tha Police" is a protest song by the gangsta rap group N.W.A that appears on the album Straight Outta Compton. Despite not being a single, it ranked #425 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time....
" by N.W.A.
N.W.A.
N.W.A was an American hip hop group from Compton, California, widely considered one of the seminal acts of the gangsta rap sub-genre....
and "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)
You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)
"You Spin Me Round " is a song by British band Dead or Alive on their 1985 album Youthquake. The song was the first UK number-one hit by the Stock Aitken Waterman production trio. Released in November 1984, the record reached number one in March 1985, taking seventeen weeks to get there...
" by English new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band Dead or Alive
Dead or Alive (band)
Dead or Alive were a British New Wave band from Wirral, England, United Kingdom, Europe. The band rose to fame in the 1980s with their number one single on the UK Singles Chart, "You Spin Me Round ". They were the first group to have a number one single under the production team Stock Aitken Waterman...
, which featured in the movie American Psycho
American Psycho
American Psycho is a psychological thriller and satirical novel by Bret Easton Ellis, published in 1991. The story is told in the first person by the protagonist, serial killer and Manhattan businessman Patrick Bateman. The book's graphic violence and sexual content generated a great deal of...
. "Debonaire" was also featured on the Scream 3
Scream 3
Scream 3 is a 2000 American slasher film created by Kevin Williamson, directed by Wes Craven and written by Ehren Kruger, starring Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox Arquette and David Arquette, released on February 4, 2000 as the third, and originally, concluding installment in the Scream film series...
movie soundtrack and the first The Fast and the Furious
The Fast and the Furious (2001 film)
The Fast and the Furious is a 2001 street racing action film starring Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster. Directed by Rob Cohen, The Fast and the Furious was the first mainstream film to feature the Asian automotive import scene in North America. It is the first film...
movie during the raid on Johnny Tran's house scene.
Dope toured extensively, taking part in several national tours with various acts ranging from Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
to Kid Rock
Kid Rock
Robert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...
. This helped Felons and Revolutionaries SoundScan more than 250,000 units in total.
A live video for the song "Sick" was recorded to capture the energy of the group's live show. The first single and non-live promotional video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
released by the band from the album was "Everything Sucks", which failed to chart. The second single—a cover of "You Spin Me Round" -- saw the band gaining more attention; it received radio play and reached #37 on the US Mainstream Rock charts.
Life
After the relative success of their debut album, Dope decided to record a follow up entitled LifeLIFE (dope album)
Life is the second studio album by industrial metal band Dope. It was released on November 6, 2001 on Sony Records, and has sold over 73,000 copies in the U.S.-Track listing:All tracks by Edsel Dope except when noted...
. Several band changes had taken place once more; Tripp Eisen
Tripp Eisen
Tripp Eisen Tripp Eisen Tripp Eisen (born Tod Rex Salvador June 29, 1965, also known "Tripp Rex Eisen" or "Rex Eisen", is an American musician, best known as the former guitarist of the industrial metal band Static-X...
was fired from the group and joined Alternative metal
Alternative metal
Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s. Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.-Origins:...
band Static-X
Static-X
Static-X is an American industrial metal band from Los Angeles, California. They were formed in 1994. They are signed to Warner Bros. Records and have released six albums, their most recent being Cult of Static, which was released on March 17, 2009....
, so Virus
Virus (guitarist/musician)
Virus is a singer/songwriter, guitarist, producer, most recognized for playing lead guitar for the American Industrial Metal/Rock band Dope.-Musical career:...
, a guitarist/producer from New York City who was originally hired for bass, replaced him on guitar in 2000. Acey Slade was moved up to the position of guitar, while Sloane Jentry (who had remained friends with the band) rejoined this time on bass. On drums Preston Nash was also replaced by Racci "Sketchy" Shay
Racci Shay
Racci Shay is an American rock drummer. He is most famous for his involvement with the Genitorturers, Dope, Wednesday 13 and is currently the touring drummer for Murderdolls...
.
The two singles from Life; "Now or Never" and "Slipping Away" reached #28 and #29 on the Mainstream Rock charts respectively. The album itself reached #180 on the Billboard charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
and #6 on the Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
, which up until that point was the band's highest charting. After the album's release, Simon Dope left the group to pursue a career as a video game producer.
"Debonaire" from the first album was used in the movie The Fast and the Furious
The Fast and the Furious (2001 film)
The Fast and the Furious is a 2001 street racing action film starring Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster. Directed by Rob Cohen, The Fast and the Furious was the first mainstream film to feature the Asian automotive import scene in North America. It is the first film...
. More soundtrack work was done by Dope in 2002, as the band recorded WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
chairman Vince McMahon
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
's theme song "No Chance (In Hell)" for the WWE Forceable Entry audio release. Previously Dope's music had been used as the background theme in ECW
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
, also Rhino
Terry Gerin
Terrance "Terry" Gerin is an American professional wrestler and actor, better known by the ring name Rhino . He is best known for his career in Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
used their song "Debonaire", as his entrance theme.
Around this period, Edsel Dope also had a public rivalry with the band Murderdolls
Murderdolls
Murderdolls is an American horror punk supergroup, founded during 2002 in Hollywood, California. The band line-up consists of core members Wednesday 13 and Joey Jordison. Former members include Ben Graves, Acey Slade, Eric Griffin & Tripp Eisen....
(particularly vocalist Wednesday 13
Wednesday 13
Joseph Poole, better known as Wednesday 13 , is a rock musician from Charlotte, North Carolina. He is most famous for his role as the frontman of the Murderdolls...
). An early version of that group had featured Racci Shay
Racci Shay
Racci Shay is an American rock drummer. He is most famous for his involvement with the Genitorturers, Dope, Wednesday 13 and is currently the touring drummer for Murderdolls...
on drums; and under the name Murderdolls, it featured Tripp Eisen
Tripp Eisen
Tripp Eisen Tripp Eisen Tripp Eisen (born Tod Rex Salvador June 29, 1965, also known "Tripp Rex Eisen" or "Rex Eisen", is an American musician, best known as the former guitarist of the industrial metal band Static-X...
. Dope guitarist Acey Slade
Acey Slade
Acey Slade, , is the lead singer and guitarist of the band Acey Slade & The Dark Party. Previous to this he was the lead vocalist and guitarist in the punk rock band Trashlight Vision, which broke up September 12, 2007...
then left the band to join Murderdolls
Murderdolls
Murderdolls is an American horror punk supergroup, founded during 2002 in Hollywood, California. The band line-up consists of core members Wednesday 13 and Joey Jordison. Former members include Ben Graves, Acey Slade, Eric Griffin & Tripp Eisen....
in mid-2002.
Group Therapy and American Apathy
- See; Group Therapy (Dope album)Group Therapy (Dope album)Group Therapy is the third studio album by nu metal band Dope. The enhanced portion of the album contains a music video for each song. Group Therapy shows a different side of the band. The album uses a lot more acoustic guitars and generally has a much softer and less industrial sound.In the second...
for more information.
Disappointed with the label's perceived lack of promotion for the album, the band left Epic and joined Artemis Records, a New York independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
. Lead guitarist Virus
Virus (guitarist/musician)
Virus is a singer/songwriter, guitarist, producer, most recognized for playing lead guitar for the American Industrial Metal/Rock band Dope.-Musical career:...
, would now act as sole guitarist in Slade's departure, and he would contribute to the songwriting significantly.
Dope's third studio album was titled Group Therapy
Group Therapy (Dope album)
Group Therapy is the third studio album by nu metal band Dope. The enhanced portion of the album contains a music video for each song. Group Therapy shows a different side of the band. The album uses a lot more acoustic guitars and generally has a much softer and less industrial sound.In the second...
. It was innovative in that it also featured a video for each song; meaning in total those who purchased the album received thirteen audio songs and videos. One song from that album, Today is the Day served as the official theme song for WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
's pay-per-view event No Mercy in October 2003. The songs "Falling Away", "Bitch", "Motivation", "Burn", and "So Low" were featured in the video game; MTX Mototrax
MTX Mototrax
MTX Mototrax is a Motocross videogame made by Left Field Productions and published by Activision for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2004. It was released for the PC later that year. The PC version was developed and published by Aspyr. It was released in 2006 for the PlayStation Portable...
, in both full and instrumental versions.
- See; American ApathyAmerican ApathyAmerican Apathy is the fourth studio album by nu metal band Dope. It was released July 26, 2005 on Artemis Records and managed to sell 9,000 copies in its first week according to Nielsen SoundScan- Track listing :...
for more information.
By 2005 Dope had regrouped once more, the band had a new bassist; Brix Milner. For their new album entitled American Apathy, the band returned to a harder sound similar in some respects to their debut, in an Industrial metal
Industrial metal
Industrial metal is a musical genre that draws from industrial music and many different types of heavy metal, using repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Founding industrial metal acts include Ministry, Godflesh, and KMFDM.Industrial metal's...
style. Amongst the 14 tracks present was a cover of Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
's "People Are People
People Are People
"People Are People" is Depeche Mode's tenth UK single it was their first hit single in the US and the first single for the Some Great Reward album....
".
Although released eight years after the band formed, four albums in and on an independent label, American Apathy performed well in the charts. It was a #1 hit on the Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
chart, for the first time in the band's history and it also saw the band's highest charting on the Billboard chart to date.
Ironically, Ben Graves of the Murderdolls
Murderdolls
Murderdolls is an American horror punk supergroup, founded during 2002 in Hollywood, California. The band line-up consists of core members Wednesday 13 and Joey Jordison. Former members include Ben Graves, Acey Slade, Eric Griffin & Tripp Eisen....
joined Dope as the live drummer on a tour of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. In fact that wasn't the only inter-group mixing between the two bands; in 2006 Brix Milner filled in for the injured Kid Kid on bass, in Murderdolls front man Wednesday 13
Wednesday 13
Joseph Poole, better known as Wednesday 13 , is a rock musician from Charlotte, North Carolina. He is most famous for his role as the frontman of the Murderdolls...
's solo band.
Edsel Dope
Edsel Dope
Edsel Dope is the lead singer and main songwriter for nu metal/industrial metal band, Dope, originally from New York City. Dope was founded on December 10, 1997 by Edsel and his brother, Simon Dope .Edsel co-produced all of Dope's albums...
and Virus
Virus (guitarist/musician)
Virus is a singer/songwriter, guitarist, producer, most recognized for playing lead guitar for the American Industrial Metal/Rock band Dope.-Musical career:...
became involved in an alternative pop rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
side-project with Edsel playing drums, called Makeshift Romeo. This also witnessed Edsel removing his dreadlocks
Dreadlocks
Dreadlocks, also called locks, a ras, dreads, "rasta" or Jata , are matted coils of hair. Dreadlocks are usually intentionally formed; because of the variety of different hair textures, various methods are used to encourage the formation of locks such as backcombing...
which he had worn all throughout his time with Dope.
No Regrets
No Regrets is the band's fifth studio album. The album was released on March 10, 2009. The album debuted at #88 with 6,200 copies sold in its first week, making it the highest-charted album in the band's history. This CD is different from past releases in that the name of the CD is repeated in many of the songs, including "Dirty World," "My Funeral," "We Are," and the CD's title track. "Addiction" is the third single from the album. The song features a guitar solo by the guest musician Zakk WyldeZakk Wylde
Zachary Phillip Wylde , best known by the stage name Zakk Wylde, is an American musician, songwriter, and occasional actor who is best known as the former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and founder of the heavy metal band Black Label Society. He was the lead guitarist and vocalist in Pride & Glory,...
.
Dope has finished their spring tour of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the tour, which took place over two months, included 22 dates. Tripp Lee played live on bass with the band (although Brix is still listed, and seems doubtful that he will return) and a new drummer named Angel, formerly of Pig
PIG (band)
Raymond Watts is the founding and sole member of the post-industrial music project PIG, sometimes written as '....
and The Genitorturers has joined.
It was announced on October 15, 2008 that the first single from No Regrets
No Regrets (Dope album)
No Regrets is the fifth studio album by American rock band Dope. The album was released on March 10, 2009. The album debuted at #88 with 6,200 copies sold in its first week, making it the highest-charted album in the band's history.- Track listing :...
is called "Violence". The song is currently available to listen on the band's MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
. There will be a music video, for "Violence", according the image the band set for album art. One of the tracks for the album was released in late 2007 in the game, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is a music video game, the third main installment in the Guitar Hero series, and the fourth title overall...
. Guitar Hero III includes a song by Dope called "Nothing for Me Here" on the bonus list and mentions that it will be on the band's upcoming album.
In concert, Dope has stated that their new album is finished, but they need to make sure they "will get paid for it before releasing it".
Some time in early 2009, Dope updated their official website, which now features promotion for No Regrets, which was released on March 10, 2009. Previews of eight tracks from the new album can be heard via the music player on the site. In addition to this, the full music video for the single Addiction, which features Zakk Wylde
Zakk Wylde
Zachary Phillip Wylde , best known by the stage name Zakk Wylde, is an American musician, songwriter, and occasional actor who is best known as the former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and founder of the heavy metal band Black Label Society. He was the lead guitarist and vocalist in Pride & Glory,...
of Black Label Society
Black Label Society
Black Label Society is a heavy metal band formed by Zakk Wylde, with nine studio albums, one live album, two compilation albums, one EP, and three video albums released since formation of the band.-Formation and Sonic Brew :...
and well-known guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
is available to be viewed on the site. One of the tracks on the new album is a cover of the Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
single, "Rebel Yell
Rebel yell
The rebel yell was a battle cry used by Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War. Confederate soldiers would use the yell during charges to intimidate the enemy and boost their own morale, although the yell had other uses. The exact sound of the yell is unknown and the subject of much...
".
On July 29, 2008, Dope released American Apathy Reloaded—a CD of remixes and alternate versions of songs from American Apathy, plus a live DVD.
Dope has released a video to go along with the second single on the album, "6-6-Sick".
The song "Nothing for Me Here" is featured in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is a music video game, the third main installment in the Guitar Hero series, and the fourth title overall...
as a bonus track, therefore making the song's original release date in 2007, 2 years before No Regrets was released.
Virus
Virus (guitarist/musician)
Virus is a singer/songwriter, guitarist, producer, most recognized for playing lead guitar for the American Industrial Metal/Rock band Dope.-Musical career:...
, the lead guitarist, teaches guitar/bass at the Paul Green School of Rock, in Fort Washington, PA.
Virus
Virus (guitarist/musician)
Virus is a singer/songwriter, guitarist, producer, most recognized for playing lead guitar for the American Industrial Metal/Rock band Dope.-Musical career:...
also produces up-and-coming bands and writes music for TV and video game companies such as Activision, Disney and ESPN.
In 2011, Dope will perform at the Gathering of the Juggalos
Gathering of the Juggalos
The Gathering of the Juggalos is an annual festival put on by Psychopathic Records, featuring performances by the entire label as well as numerous well-known musical groups and underground artists. It was founded by Robert Bruce, Insane Clown Posse , and their label in 2000...
.
On August 12 2011 Dope played at Mojoes In Joliet, IL. Here, Edsel announced that Dope has been working on a new album.
Band members
- Edsel DopeEdsel DopeEdsel Dope is the lead singer and main songwriter for nu metal/industrial metal band, Dope, originally from New York City. Dope was founded on December 10, 1997 by Edsel and his brother, Simon Dope .Edsel co-produced all of Dope's albums...
– lead vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, samplesSampling (music)In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
(1997–present) - VirusVirus (guitarist/musician)Virus is a singer/songwriter, guitarist, producer, most recognized for playing lead guitar for the American Industrial Metal/Rock band Dope.-Musical career:...
– lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, samples, backing vocals (2000–present) - Angel BartolottaAngel BartolottaAndrew "Angel" Bartolotta is an American drummer. He is best known as the current drummer for American alternative metal band Dope and former drummer of industrial metal band Genitorturers.- Band history :*Dope...
– DrumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
(2006–present) - Derrick "Tripp" TribbettDerrick TribbettDerrick Tribbett is an American musician better known by his stage names Tripp Lee and Sinister. Tribbett is also known for his role on the reality show Daisy of Love starring former Rock of Love 2 contestant Daisy De La Hoya.-Career:Tribbett was a member of the band Twisted Method until it...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals (2006–present)
Discography
Studio albums- Felons and RevolutionariesFelons and revolutionariesFelons and Revolutionaries is the debut album by American band, Dope. The album was released in 1999 on Epic Records and has sold over 236,000 copies in the United States; it was re-released on July 18, 2000, with the single "You Spin Me Round " as a bonus track...
(1999) - LifeLIFE (dope album)Life is the second studio album by industrial metal band Dope. It was released on November 6, 2001 on Sony Records, and has sold over 73,000 copies in the U.S.-Track listing:All tracks by Edsel Dope except when noted...
(2001) - Group TherapyGroup Therapy (Dope album)Group Therapy is the third studio album by nu metal band Dope. The enhanced portion of the album contains a music video for each song. Group Therapy shows a different side of the band. The album uses a lot more acoustic guitars and generally has a much softer and less industrial sound.In the second...
(2003) - American ApathyAmerican ApathyAmerican Apathy is the fourth studio album by nu metal band Dope. It was released July 26, 2005 on Artemis Records and managed to sell 9,000 copies in its first week according to Nielsen SoundScan- Track listing :...
(2005) - No RegretsNo Regrets (Dope album)No Regrets is the fifth studio album by American rock band Dope. The album was released on March 10, 2009. The album debuted at #88 with 6,200 copies sold in its first week, making it the highest-charted album in the band's history.- Track listing :...
(2009)