“Dope, now that’s a band I haven’t heard from in awhile. I didn’t think they would ever come back.” After a 7 year absence, I was beginning to think that. Boy, was I wrong. Picking up where they left off on the No Regrets album in 2009, Dope is back to set the world on fire with their highly anticipated 6th album Blood Money Part 1 (eOne music).
The album was originally announced on Facebook back in 2013, but not much came from it besides a video for the single ‘Selfish’ released in August, 2014 Then this July the realization hit when the video for ‘Hold On’ was released. It’s actually happening!
The 14 track album is founder/front man Edsel Dope‘s magnum opus, written, recorded, and produced by the many himself. Keeping true to the aggressive Nu-metal sound and the melodic and industrial style rhythms the band is known for, Edsel has added a bit more to the mix this time, bringing the band to a whole new level. Though he uses a bit more clean vocals then usual and doing away with the vocal distortion Edsel has dug deep inside, bringing out more of himself, making this one of the fastest paced, raw, technical, and personal albums they have ever released. Tracks like ‘Blood Money’, ‘Should Have Know Better’, and ‘Selfish’ bring you back to the beginning and tracks like ‘Razorblade Butterfly’, ‘New Low’, and ‘Numb’ bring you a new side of Dope.
Later this year Dope plans on releasing another video for ‘1999’ the sixth track of the album. If you are dying for the in your face classic sound of 90s Nu-metal then this song is for you. It transports you back to 1999 with strong break downs, mind-blowing guitars, heavy riffs, and an anthem like hook that is sure to get you moving. Edsel Dope told Ghost cult in a recent interview that Blood Money Part 2 isn’t far behind. In the meantime you can catch the band on tour with the Die Mother Fucker Die line-up of Racci Shay keeping the beat on drums, Acey Slade killing it on bass, Virus shredding it on lead guitar, and Edsel at the center of it all.
From instruments bought with drug money, all the way up to the heavy metal monsters, Dope is back and are not going away anytime soon.
8.0/10
TIM STEBBINS