Dope | METALSITES.net

Biography

Dope is a rock band originally from New York City.

The band received some level of success in the late 1990s and early 2000s. To date, the band has released four studio albums, and will release a fifth sometime in 2008.

The band was founded by song-writer and lead singer Edsel Dope in 1997. As a child Edsel and his brother, Simon Dope, were separated when their parents divorced. When the two were adults, they reunited and Simon joined Edsel's band, playing keyboards. The pair then recruited Tripp Eisen as bassist, Preston Nash as drummer, and Sloane Jentry as guitarist.

Unlike many of the popular bands from the 1990s, Dope derived their sound from influences taken from hard rock bands Guns N' Roses, Kiss and Mötley Crüe and fused that with the sound of Industrial rock acts which had made waves earlier in the decade, such as Nine Inch Nails and Ministry, as well as Industrial music act Skinny Puppy.

In their earliest days, the band sold drugs to survive and purchase instruments. Furthermore, the name "Dope" refers to drugs and drug culture, as shown by their early T-shirt designs which prominently displayed hypodermic needles, it as well refers to Edsel and Simon's last name.

The band also had some early connections with fellow Industrial rockers Marilyn Manson; drummer Ginger Fish shared an apartment with Edsel Dope in Las Vegas during the earlier 1990s, before either of them were in their respective bands. Also guitarist Zim Zum allowed the band to claim that they were "currently being produced by Zim Zum" on the cover of their promotional discs to help them gain a record deal. It was originally planned that Zum would produce their debut, however he was busy recording the album Mechanical Animals at the time. Lead singer, Edsel, has obtained a good friendship with ex-Manson guitarist Daisy Berkowitz.

Edsel Dope - vocals, guitar, keyboards, samples
Virus - lead guitar, samples, backing vocals
Angel - drums
Tripp Tribbet - bass, backing vocals