Got Dope? Nope, but I got Ministry and Marilyn Manson. Dope’s debut album is a crossbreed of the darkly twisted vocals of Ministry and the mechanical firepower of Manson’s first release, Portrait Of An American Family. If you like dark industrial metal you’ll probably dig this album more than I do. I’ve heard what Manson can do but that sound is getting really burned out. As far as new music, Felons And Revolutionaries is nothing that hasn’t been done before.
The first four tracks on the record show great promise for Dope, but after experiencing what those tracks had to offer in comparison to the rest of the record, it’s a bitter pill to swallow. “Pig Society” is just screaming for youngsters to revolt against all authority. As you listen, you’ll ask, “Is this Marilyn Manson?” The distorted vocals, fuzzy guitars, and mechanical drum are just too similar. Still, Manson rip-off or not, “Pig Society” is a mean mother of a song. Built on crashing and banging, it’s pure metal noise. Edsel Dope, lead singer/lyricist, knows what sells a song and proves it with this one, emotional filled and featuring everybody’s favorite vulgar phrase, “Fuck you,” repetitively.
“Everything Sucks” and “Sick” serve as back to back heavy hitters on Felons And Revolutionaries. Edsel’s theme for “Everything Sucks” comes from a time period in the young singer’s life when nothing positive seemed to be happening anywhere he went. At first listen, “Sick” might make you ill, but the more I listen to the number, the more I like it. “Bang, bang in your head fucker, and you’re dead fucker” works well with a crunch of guitars. I’ve seen Dope live, and these songs are definitely the highlight of the performance, by far.
The only other highlight comes from the righteous N.W.A. cover of “Fuck Tha Police”. Dope takes a strong stance on a number of social issues, such as bringing down corrupt authority, Americans living in poverty (they know, they lived the life), equality and protection for humans, and misinterpretation of individuals. The Dope Brothers excavate from the depth of their creative sides, making a kick ass industrial-rap song.
The band has a clever marketing scheme that was spun off of the ever-popular “Got Milk?” billboards, morphing it into “Got Dope?” Their bumper stickers are being pasted everywhere. Anyway, who can forget get a name like Dope? Hardcore Marilyn Manson nuts should give Felons And Revolutionaries some spins.
+ larry sarzyniak
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.