Dope have regrouped from hiatus with a new lineup that features returning drummer Dan “Dubs” Fox alongside guitarist Nikk Dibs and former Dirge Within vocalist Jerms Genske on bass. Guitarist Virus—who now plays with Device—will be back with the band at select performances, as will original bassist Acey Slade.
Dope frontman/mastermind Edsel Dope is still spearheading the group and said of the changes:
“With every Dope album, the lineup shakes up a bit. People grow, visions change and opportunities arise. It’s just part of the process and it has always shaken out to be this way. Everyone has there own passions and we all support each other. Dope has become like a fraternity and I am on great terms with all of the guys who have ever played with me.”
The band have just released a new teaser for their track “Drug Music” (see below,) which is taken from their forthcoming album “Blood Money“. That album is expected to see a release in March of next year. Edsel Dope said of the effort:
“It sounds like Dope. But it’s next level. It’s Dope in 2014. With every record, the chemistry changes, the band changes and the sound expands. I’m really happy with how it’s turning out. It’s heavy, it’s pointed, it’s punk, pissed off, angry, electronic, noisy, melodic and metal. It picks up where ‘No Regrets’ left off and yet somehow has a lot of the punk / industrial energy of the early Felons and Revolutionaries stuff. It’s Dope. And like all Dope, it’s best when played extremely loud and while traveling at dangerously high speeds. We’ll be putting out more of these teaser clips as we get closer to 2014.”
The group also have a number of dates lined up with SOiL for the immediate future, those stops include:
09/27 White Marsh, MD – House of Rock
09/28 Nashua, NH – Evolution Nightclub
09/29 Worcester, MA – The Palladium
10/01 Hartford, CT – Webster Underground
10/02 West Warwick, RI – Manchester 65
10/03 New York, NY – Webster Hall
10/04 Reading, PA – Reverb
10/05 Rochester, NY – Montage Music Hall
10/06 Cleveland, OH – Peabody’s Downunder
10/08 Louisville, KY – Diamond Pub
10/09 Detroit, MI – I Rock
10/10 Battle Creek, MI – Planet Rock
10/11 Columbus, OH – Al Rosa Villa
10/12 Woodstock, VA – Shenendoah Fairgrounds (‘Virginia Chili Cookoff‘)
10/15 Appleton, WI – Luna Lounge
10/16 Des Moines, IA – Warehouse
10/17 Wausau, IA – The Fillmore
10/18 Chicago, IL – Double Door
10/19 Janesville, WI – Back Bar
10/20 Bloomington, IL – Castle Theatre
