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Dope's
debut album 'Felons and Revolutionaries' was released to much critical
acclaim. Their second, entitled 'Life', went completely unnoticed.
This makes Edsel Dope mad.very mad and this outrageous frontman, formerly
forced to sell drugs to fund his band's demo's and touted at one time
as being the next Marilyn Manson, wants to get his own way at last.
And who can blame him? Having seen former band members reach dizzy
heights with their new bands Static-X and Murderdolls, surely it is
now Dope's time to get back some of the respect and fame that was
initially poured on them. So with much needed record company support
and a new album set to be released any day, Dope take the show on
the road - making new fans and appeasing old ones. We caught Edsel's
rage as he neared the end of his 12-Dollar Riot Tour where he screamed
about his record company, yelled at his old members and vented about
how this country really should be run..
BallBuster:
Your sound has been described as 'Industrial', by others as just hard
ass heavy metal. How would you best describe it?
ED: LOUD!!!!!!!
BB: I have read that you feel the American people want to see you
in jail? Why do you think that is? And how have you avoided for so
long now?
ED: I was referring to when we used to sell drugs. I was sick of turning
on the TV and watching all of the politician's claim that drug dealers
are responsible for the demise of our society. I would watch them
bitch and moan about the state of our country and suddenly realized
that they were talking about me. Wait a minute. I'm to blame for all
of this country's problems? It's a joke... the reason that so many
politicians make the war on drugs one of their main focuses is because
they know that they will have the support of the older people in our
country. Most grammas and grampas still think that POT is the devil
and anything drug related leads to certain death. If you haven't noticed
the majority of the people in this country that take the time to vote
are the oldies. So the politicians get behind the things that they
know the older people will back in order to get their votes. Legalize
drugs to those of age. Tax the sh*t out of them and use that tax money
and the billions we spend trying to fight the war on drugs on better
things like education. The problem with our society is everyone is
always looking for someone or something else to blame. Take responsibility
and raise your kids. Stop being so f*cking selfish and listen to them
and everything will be fine.
BB: So, please introduce us to your new band members.
ED: They're not so new anymore. I think most people are aware of my
guitarist Virus and my drummer Racci. My bassist Sloane "Mosey" is
actually my original guitarist who used to sell drugs with my brother
and me when we first started Dope back in the day. Its kind of old
news.
BB: What were the primary qualities you were looking for when choosing
the new guys?
ED: Obviously they had to be able to play great. I needed to find
people that I could hang out with and that I had things in common
with. I don't want you in my band if the only reason you're here is
to play Rock Star. There is a lot more to being in a band then getting
up on stage and looking cool.
BB: Are you still based in NY? If so, what changes, if any, have you
seen in the music scene there since moving there to attend college
in Brooklyn? Any favorite hang outs your fans should visit?
ED: We never got into the NYC music scene. We made our own little
Dope scene and spent all of the rest of our time making music and
selling drugs to support our music. Now we spend all of our time making
music or touring. We are currently kicking it in Chicago while we
finish up the new record.
 BB:
Any classic drug selling stories you would like to share?
ED: Nah, It was a job. There were a few close calls with the pigs
here and there but at the end of the day it was a tool to get us here
where we belong.
BB: So the new record that has been promised for some time now. When
can we expect it to be on the shelves and how different is it to "Felons
and Revolutionaries" (if at all)? Why has it taken so long to make?
ED: Well, you are exactly the kind of person that I use as an example
for how poor of a job our label did on supporting us. We have put
2 albums out. Our follow up to Felons and Revolutionaries called Life
was released last year in the aftermath of 9/11. Only our die-hard
fans knew it came out. I think that record was a huge step for us
in setting the future tone of Dope. We are not a one-dimensional metal
band and we have the desires to push the boundaries of where people
want to pigeonhole us. The new stuff is an expansion of all of that...
BB: How is the new material being received live? And does it feel
strange to be performing without Tripp (Eisen, guitarist - who left
to join Static-X) by your side? Any negative, (or positive), reactions
from the fans?
ED: Dude, its been so long since he was in this band and I never got
along with him anyway. His job was to play my songs that I wrote and
I recorded live and that's what he did. We never worked together or
wrote songs together.
BB: So after you close your current tour, what's next for Dope? Would
you expect your fans to have to wait another 3 years for the next
album or do you have more material waiting to be laid down?
ED: I want this new record - our 3rd record - out this summer. (Editors
note: It's October now Edsel). We have tons of songs and we are better
then ever. The new record is almost done but the focus right now is
on The 12-Dollar Riot Tour. It's our way of giving back to our fans.
We didn't tour enough on the Life record and we've missed our fans.
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