Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Dope, an industrial nu metal band, has received their first-ever gold certification in the US, as per theprp. The non-single “Die MF Die” from their 2001 follow-up album “Life” recently met the requirements for that certification. Yesterday, April 20, the RIAA made the announcement. Although the song is undoubtedly a feather in the cap for the band’s long-time vocalist Edsel Dope (now also of Static-X), there is some moral ambiguity because it was written by disgraced guitarist Tripp Eisen (formerly of Static-X). But by the time the song was recorded and published, Eisen had left the group.
Dope is a New York City-based American industrial metal band that was founded in 1997. “Blood Money Part Zer0”, the band’s most recent full-length studio album, was released in February 2023. The band has released seven full-length albums. The current lineup includes lead guitarist Virus, bassist Acey Slade, drummer Daniel Fox, founder member and lead singer Edsel Dope, and rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Edsel Dope. They have sold more than a million albums globally as of 2022. While their parents divorced while Edsel was a child, he and his brother Simon Dope were split up. The two reconnected as adults, and Simon began playing keyboards, sampling, and percussion in Edsel’s band. After that, the two brought on Tripp Eisen as bassist, Preston Nash as drummer, and Sloane Jentry as guitarist.
In contrast to many of the popular bands of the 1990s, Dope combined the sound of industrial rock artists like Ministry and Skinny Puppy who had made waves earlier in the decade with influences from heavy metal bands. When the band first started out, they had to sell narcotics to make ends meet and buy instruments. Additionally, the band name “Dope” alludes to heroin, which Edsel and Simon frequently peddled in the New York City region, as evidenced by their early T-shirt designs that prominently featured hypodermic needles.
The band also had some early ties to fellow rock stars Marilyn Manson; in the early 1990s, Edsel Dope and former drummer Ginger Fish shared an apartment in Las Vegas before any of them joined their respective bands. In order to assist the band land a record deal, guitarist Zim Zum also permitted the band to put the phrase “currently being produced by Zim Zum” on the cover of their promotional discs. Zum was supposed to produce their debut. But at the time, he was occupied with recording the album “Mechanical Animals”. Additionally, lead vocalist Edsel and former Manson guitarist Daisy Berkowitz have remained close pals.
