DOPE’S ‘GROUP THERAPY’ HITS STORES OCTOBER 21;

FIRST SINGLE AND VIDEO IS ‘I AM’;

CD WILL FEATURE BONUS VIDEOS

FOR ALL 13 TRACKS

With their third album GROUP THERAPY–set for release October 21 on Recon Records/Artemis Records–New York City rockers DOPE have upped the ante by both refining and intensifying their sound.  The end result: the absolute heaviest and the most melodic side of DOPE yet.

GROUP THERAPY is comprised of 13 feverish tracks of the most ferocious and forthright rock ‘n’ roll.  In a unique move, frontman EDSEL DOPE has created a video for every song on the disc which will be included as a bonus enhancement.  EDSEL also produced the album himself–as such, it’s rawer and truer to his vision–and enlisted Jay Baumgardner (Drowning Pool, Evanescence, Papa Roach) to mix it.

With EDSEL joining in the creation of Recon Records, GROUP THERAPY marks DOPE’s return to the independent world.  He sees the new album and the label (derived from the word “reconnaissance”) as a means to retain the band’s fierce and uncompromising independence.

DOPE were originally signed to Flip Records, a label known for its grassroots philosophy, and their debut album, 1999’s FELONS AND REVOLUTIONARIES, was released on Flip/Epic.  It went on to sell more than a quarter-million copies and spawned the hit rock track and MTV video “Everything Sucks.”  The band landed key tours with artists like Kid Rock, Slipknot, Cold, Powerman 5000 and many others.

DOPE–EDSEL (vocals/guitar/programming), VIRUS (guitar/keys), SLOANE “MOSEY” JENTRY (bass), RACCI SHAY (drums/samples)–recently shot a video for “I Am,” the first single from GROUP THERAPY.  The track creates a brash and committed personal manifesto that gets straight to the point with its anthemic shouts of, “Fuck you, I am what I am.” Exemplifying the band’s audacious and inflammatory style, “I Am” transforms from obstinate individual credo to brazen group rallying cry in the song’s video, featuring the band’s dedicated fans.

In other news, DOPE’s music is being used in the conflict in Iraq, according to a report in the September issue of Maxim magazine.  In the story, writer Adam Piore says that “Sergeant Mark Hadsell, a psy-ops specialist in Al Qaim…likes using the terrifying screams of Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman,’ Dope’s ‘Die MF Die’ [from their Life album] and ‘Bodies’ by Drowning Pool” when interrogating Iraqi prisoners.

How does this warped use of aggressive music make EDSEL feel?  “The idea of DOPE music and my voice being used to scare the shit out of some pro-terrorist fucker in Iraq is beyond my wildest dreams,” he says.  “I guess I’m just glad that I could be of some service to my country.” 

Stay tuned for fall tour dates to be announced soon.

Contacts:

Kristine Ashton/Libby Henry/Mitch Schneider at MSO (818 380 0400 ext. 233/224/235) or kashton@msopr.com, lhenry@msopr.com

Carise Yatter at Artemis Records (212 433 1810) or cyatter@artemisrecords.com

Erin Burke at Recon Records (212 760 2515) or Erinburkepr@aol.com

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