NEW YORK, NY. (Top40 Charts/ KOCH Records) - KOCH Records has announced the signing of
Chicago rockers Dope to a long-term agreement. The band's forthcoming release, titled "No Regrets," is set for release on June 10, 2008.
Scott Givens, KOCH's VP of Metal, said of the signing, "Announcing Dope as an addition to the KOCH roster of artists is the perfect way to start 2008, as I've been a huge fan of this band for their entire career." And it's been an illustrious career at that - digging deep into, as well as bordering the fringes of, all that progressive hard rock has had to offer over the last decade.
Dope has released four albums since their debut, "Felons and Revolutionaries," on Epic Records in 1999. Since that groundbreaking release, Dope have sold nearly a million albums, and have essentially broke the mold from the scene from which they were born. Their most recent opus, 2005's "American Apathy," debuted at No 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and peaked at No 1 on Billboard's Independent Album chart.
Givens adds, "I've seen trends in music come and go through the years, all the while Dope has stood steady and developed their own sense of musical maturity. Most importantly, Dope's dedicated fanbase has continued to establish them as an undeniable force in rock music. Now, with the completion of 'No Regrets,' this is just the beginning for Dope."
Vocalist and guitarist Edsel Dope, alongside long-time lead guitarist Virus, has revitalized Dope's line-up on "No Regrets." Joining them on bass and backing vocals is Tripp Tribbet, formerly frontman of Twisted Method, who also happens to be the younger brother of Mudvayne/ Hellyeah guitarist Greg Tribbet. On drums, Dope recruited former Genitorturers drummer Angel Bartolotta.
"Adding Tripp Tribbet and Angel to the fold has really made this incarnation of Dope the strongest yet," says Edsel. "Our commitment to deliver a fresh approach on 'No Regrets' has been our focus all winter long in the studio. Virus and I know where we came from and those roots are strong, so this record will also appeal to our core group of fans that has been with us since the beginning." As for the relationship with KOCH, Edsel says, "Scott Givens was a key member of the Roadrunner Records staff in the early days, and he is taking an old-school approach to developing his new roster at KOCH. I am super excited about our new partnership with KOCH Records."
Prior to entering the studio, Dope hit the road last fall on a headlining tour that served as a perfect introduction for the new members to meet the fans, while enabling the band to showcase some new tracks from "No Regrets." "The fan reaction was overwhelming and the tour was an affirmation that all these off-season moves that were falling in place were the right ones," adds Edsel. But it was the band's stint as openers for the west coast leg of Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society "Last Call" tour that proved to be a musical turning point for Dope. "Opening for Zakk was amazing, as he's more than a guitar hero, he's a legend. It served as perfect inspiration for us to further develop our sound," adds Edsel. And what better way to do that? "We asked Zakk to play on a track called 'Addiction,'" Edsel offers up with gleam in his eye, adding, "It's vintage Wylde with a heavy dose of Dope."
In addition to "Addiction," other confirmed songs on the new album are the title track, "No Regrets," "Violence," "Dirty World," "6 6 Sick," "My Funeral," "Scorn," "We Are," and "Nothing For Me Here," which is already a featured track on the "Guitar Hero 3" video game. A video for "Addiction" is currently in development, and the final tracklisting will be available shortly.
Dope is currently in Chicago mixing "No Regrets" with producer/engineer Tadpole, who is fresh off a stint tracking Disturbed's new album.
Dope is managed by Bob Ringe at Survival Management and is booked by Dave Kirby / Andrew Goodfriend at TKO.
For additional information and to preview music and videos go to:
https://www.myspace.com/dope
https://www.dopearmy.com
