Artist - Dope
Album - American Apathy
Label - Artemis Records
Reviewer - Dan Hoyt
Six-year veterans of the hard rock scene, Dope has returned with its fourth full-length album entitled American Apathy. Right when you pick this album up, you feel the mood emanating from it. Maybe it’s just the word “fuck” written all over the entire booklet that did it for me, as well as the patriotic zombie flipping me off, the naked space woman with plastic boobs and more zombies pointing guns everywhere. But you make the call. Personally, it sounds like quite the angry CD that just happens to appreciate the ladies at the same time. Is this a bad thing? No way. I very much enjoyed this album as several of the songs were catchy as hell in their own unique fashions.
The album kicks off, following a mockery of our president and a friendly message stating “go home and die” with a simple techno-metal anthem entitled “I’m Back.” It’s very Static-X-esque but it’s a fun little piece and leaves room for the album to build.
And does it ever with the second track, “Survive.” This is my favorite track on the album by far, showcasing Edsel Dope’s half-yelling/singing vocals along with some pounding drums. It’s an awesome angry song and really gets your blood pumping.
“No Way Out” is another angry thrasher that energizes you and features some nice riffing from Virus and drum work from Racci. The only thing that confuses me is the release of the next song, “Always” as the first single. In my opinion this is the worst song on the album and doesn’t really belong. When the verse started it felt like I had slipped into a Linkin Park timewarp. It just feels a little lacking in the raw anger and energy that the rest of the album has.
Dope didn’t put a fake-looking space slut woman on the booklet for nothing though. The two sex-oriented songs on the album, “Sex Machine” and “Let’s Fuck” are soon-to-be stripper anthems and are probably a wise choice to listen to if you want it rough, or something. I think Dope just wants a lot of people to have sex to their music. Not that that’s a bad thing. Both songs are pretty cool, the latter featuring more of a dance/techno beat that blends in with Edsel’s deep voice.
The rest of the songs are more politics-oriented, as if all the altered Bush quotes on the album didn’t let you know of that already. “Fuck the World” and “I Wish I Was the President” are full of rage, the latter a satire on presidential lifestyle. Edsel’s certainly unique with choosing a lot of his lyrical content for the songs.
American Apathy isn’t a technically-astounding album by any means, nor is it incredibly unique. But it doesn’t intend to be. It’s just a fun, angry album that you can get pissed off to or dance to. Or even have sex to. Your choice. It’s catchy and should stick around for a while. Solid new material from Dope.
