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”
Comments