CD Review: Dope – “Blood Money, Part 1” (eOne Music)

It’s hard to advocate for an active band to go nearly a decade between studio albums, but the argument can certainly be made that that time off, as it were, was the best thing possible for Dope, who sound the best they have in years on Blood Money Part 1, their 6th studio album and first in 7 years. With the classic configuration of Edsel Dope, Virus, Acey Slade and Racci ‘Sketchy’ Shay in tow, Dope sounds reinvigorated, reenergized and as pissed off as ever on Blood Money Part 1, a triumphant return to form (“Blood Money” is classic agg-metal bliss complete with vitriolic vocals and grinding drop-tuned guitars, “Shoulda Known Better” is oddly bouncy, “Hold On” flirts with Bullet For My Valentine-esque power metal, Edsel is his typical self-deprecating self on “1999,” proclaiming ‘I never thought I'd be alive / After 1999 / I shoulda motherfucking died / Back in 1999 / Everything still sucks / We live, we learn, we die, we burn,’ the hook-driven “A New Low” could be a potential hit for the band). And just for good measure, Dope sends Blood Money Part 1 out on a very high note by taking Hole’s classic 90’s anthem “Violet” and steeping it in heavy metal, the end result being something you need to hear to truly appreciate. Blood Money Part 1 is not a rebirth, it’s a reminder, a reminder that Dope is back and they’re out for blood.

Grade: B+

Go Download: “Hold On”