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Dope: No Regrets Hard Rock, Mallcore Koch Records 2009
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Review
Dope is one of those bands that seem to have adorned this cult-like fan base since their first release. Since then, they continued to release more albums with very little promotional effort from the label they happen to be on, and each one as impressive as the last. No Regrets is perhaps the first album to really see any real promotional push from a label, and it contains some of the heaviest tracks the band has recorded in recent time. While No Regrets does feature three random interlude-like tracks ("Flatline", "Interlude" and "Bloodless") that serve no real purpose except for "Flatline" kind of blending in with "6-6-Sick", the album is really focused on quality more then quantity for the standard nine-track set. Right from the heavy, border-line Melodic Death Metal intense track "6-6-Sick" as well as "We Are", you'll be banging your head to these and other heavier tracks, as well as the more catchy, rock-based tracks like "Addiction" (which also features a guest appearance by Zakk Wylde), and the heart-tugging "My Funeral". The music on here varies greatly from song to song, which really helps the album from growing stale for future releases, and it's the more obscure sounding tracks, like "Dirty World" which really relies on some quick, simple guitar riffs that leaves space for the drums to really push the song forward, as well as "Best For Me" which shows off some early Heavy Metal and Punk roots, that really stand out on this release. This release also comes with four bonus tracks, which really aren't anything all that entertaining. "Rebel Yell", a cover of the song made famous by Billy Idol, is your generic cover version that leads you to ask why it is that every heavy band that has roots in Hard Rock, and some Punk bands, need to cover this song in the exact same way. Then, you have "I Don't Give A..." which sounds like something off of American Apathy or Group Therapy, which wouldn't be too bad a thing since it's a song that clearly is meant to make people get some of their anger out verbally instead of through physical violence, but the song quickly gets irritated due to it sounding like someone screwed up the pressing of the CD and put the family friendly censored version on instead of the uncensored version. So, yes, every time one of the five words are to be said, it's blocked out by a sound effect or some sort of faded group chant. These are really the only negative aspects of the release, since the last two are just as good as the rest of the material on here. "Die Boom Band Burn Fuck" is a medley of five of the band's more well known tracks ("Die MF Die", "I'm Back", "Sick", "Burn", "Fuck The Police"), as well as "Nothing For Me Here", which was a song that appeared on the video game Guitar Hero 3: Legends Of Rock. Once again, Dope did a great job at creating a heavy, catchy, and varying album with No Regrets. With the only two songs that really bring the album down being bonus tracks, and this release having some of the heaviest material created by the band, what's there not to like? If you haven't heard of Dope by now, then now is the time to experience one of the more original and enjoyable bands in the Rock and Metal scene today with No Regrets.
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