ZAKK WYLDE FORFEITS THE ABILITY TO EVER TALK SHIT ABOUT ANOTHER MUSICIAN, EVER
Friday, February 6th, 2009 at 11:19am by Axl Rosenberg
I had the displeasure of seeing Dope live once (don’t ask). They were playing at Don Hill’s, a club here in NYC that holds about 300 people, and, to my surprise, they actually managed to pack the place pretty full. So after the band before them concluded their set, Dope kept the crowd waiting for 45 minutes while their roadies set up elaborate stage dressing fit for an arena show: extra platforms and a new PA system and lighting rig (I guess the house systems weren’t good enough for the band) and giant wooden backdrops and a chain link fence (!) and who the fuck knows what else. This kind of shit really isn’t necessary for a small club gig, but it might have been forgivable had the band come out and rocked the kids’ faces off; instead, they came out and played for… 45 minutes. To repeat: the band played for as long as they kept the crowd waiting for them to play. In hindsight, it seems clear that all the rigmarole was really because without the fancy lights and props, the band knew they didn’t have much to offer.
I’m telling you this story because Dope will be opening for Black Label Society and Sevendust on their upcoming tour, which still strikes me as an odd package – that Zakk Wylde, who once proclaimed “Fred Durst can eat a dick” on his band’s DVD, would share a stage with not one but two nu-metal bands just seems weird.
Weirder still: Wylde has now recorded a track with Dope. Let me type that again, lest you think your eyes are failing you: DOPE HAVE A SONG ON THEIR NEW ALBUM WITH ZAKK WYLDE ON GUITAR.
Seriously: Dope. A band whose guitar player, who calls himself “Virus,” wears a shirt onstage with his name on it (I guess in case he forgets?). A band whose lead singer, who has the equally ridiculous moniker of “Edsel Dope,” has apparently burned more bridges than most musicians will ever even build. A band whose biggest claim to fame is that they were once mistaken for being the dudes from Marilyn Manson. Dope.
SO. The song. It’s called “Addiction,” and it sucks, and sucks hard. Wylde does all his signature squeals and contributes a version of the same guitar solo he’s been playing over and over and over again on every fucking song for the past decade (HOW DID HE BECOME THIS LAZY?!?!). It’s a potent reminder that yet another of our heroes has failed us, but it also means Wylde can really never, ever, under any circumstances criticize “false” metal in the press again (as he’s been prone to do in the past), because, y’know, his last shred of credibility just went out the window.
If you’re a glutton for punishment or wanna know what it would be like if Wylde had taken Wes Borland’s place in Limp Bizkit, the song is currently streaming on the band’s MySpace page, along with two other new tracks, “No Regrets” and “Die Burn Bang Boom Fuck” (Which isn’t actually a new song, just a rehash of their old song “Die Motherfucker Die.” Still, I’d like to suggest to the producers of the James Bond franchise that they name their next adventure Die Burn Bang Boom Fuck. But I digress.).
Dope’s new album, No Regrets, comes out in March. There’s apparently a forthcoming video that was directed by Dale “Rage” Resteghini, who some may remember as the dude who left angry comments on this site after our readers had a negative reaction to a video he directed for Straight Line Stitch.
So at least now we know where he got his nick name from.
-AR
It’s sad… I kinda used to like Dope (although this was back in my baggy pants nu metal phase, aka before I liked real metal). I had no idea they were still around. It sounds like Edsel’s not using the vocal distortion any more, and it looks like his brother got smart and left the band. It’s hilarious that they have another dude named Tripp in the band, though, considering how the last one turned out.
Admittedly, I still dig their cover of ‘You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)’. It’s better than the original.
I have been wondering for years what happened to the Pride and Glory and Ozzy,No More Tears Zakk Wylde. He is one of those people that I always want to be one of my guitar hero guys i look up to as a musician but his lazy un creative playing the last few years really is making it hard for me.
Fuck you, Dope are awesome. And Zack Wylde seems to be a complete dick from what I’ve heard anyway.
I do agree that taking 45 mins to set up the stage and then only playing for that long is fucking gay though.
Can’t find those angry comments you speak of, am I missing something?
Sadly I think I’ve seen Dope 3 times. One of those bands that will play any show they can get. They were always opening and had all that stage dressing bull shit. They got worse every time I saw them as well.
I will say the first 2 Sevendust albums were cool.
Next, Zack is going to go on tour with Cold
I gotta’ say, I still like Dope, and I’m going to buy their new album, and I’m going to like it, and I don’t even have shitty taste in music! I think it’s a bit silly to lump every band from an entire genre of music (nu metal) into the “This Sucks” category. After all, Sevendust (who may no longer really be nu metal) are fucking awesome. And don’t forget that half of your readership got into “real metal” through nu metal.
I am a fan of BLS…..although I must admit their last album, Shot to Hell, was sub-par. I think Zakk is streching himself way too thin these days. Now this!
I was actually going to go the BLS show in town next month until I found out Sevendust and Dope were the opening bands. It’s just not worth sitting through their awful sets to see BLS. I hope they come back with a GOOD album and a GOOD tour next time otherwise they might be on their way out.
As far as I’m concerned Zakk Wylde can do whatever the fuck he wants…
I can’t help but laugh at people calling Dope and especially Sevendust “awful”. Just because they’re not really metal doesn’t mean they suck. The last couple of Sevendust albums are brilliant.
Just checked out the new Dope songs on myspace though and I have to say I’m not really impressed. They seem to have lost their edge.
I have had the (dis)pleasure of seeing Dope on more than one occasion in the 90’s. All I can say is Dope is not that “Dope”. Or maybe it was I who was the real dope, since I bought their first cd even after not liking them live, because a friend recommened it.
@ Everyone: I actually do like Sevendust, as long time readers will know.
Dope sucks.
I’m kinda shocked there are people here who actually like Dope.
Who the fuck are dope?
^^we dope, bitches
forget DOPE..I’m shocked anyone still gives a fuck about Zakk Wylde in 2009 either.
Birds of a feather (hasbeens) flock together.
I really liked BLS when they first came out. But along the way Zakk Wylde turned into this giant macho/Viking/drunkard metal caricature. The dude just tries to hard to be a tough guy. What, just cause you lift weights and are drunk 50-60% of your life you’re a bad ass??
And I agree, his playing has become lazy. He’s reached the point where he’s just recycling his own stuff now.
Zakk is a rich kid from NJ so I don’t know where the whole white trash gimmick comes from?
“What is Dale Resteghini infected with?!?!”
“………Rage.”
/28 Days Later
You were right about the snog sucking.
I love BLS. Always have, always will. I’m going to admit that choosing to tour with Dope has made me feel a little sick, and seeing the big man do a song with them does hit hard, but that doesn’t change my opinion of BLS.
BLS is a great band, and like them or not you can’t deny that Zakk isn’t one of those legendary guitarists that make people pick up the guitar for the first time and realize that it is what they want to do with their life. I am a veteran touring guitar player, and while I understand that Zakk uses a shit load of Pent scales and squeals, I dig his style and respect the mark the man has left on Heavy Metal.
My girlfriend listens to Dope. I absolutely hate them and the style of music they represent (save for Rammstein who I think are pretty cool). The fact that my girlfriend listens to them (and that horrible Deadstar Assembly, MSI, shitty bands like that) makes me even more queasy that they are on tour with one of my favorite bands. Reguardless, I would have been going to the tour had I not been out gigging myself during the NY show dates.
I know I’m going to get slammed here, but I’m just stating my opinion, so if you want to be five and knock it, fuckin’ whatever.
YOUR ANSWER:
Zakk Wylde and Dope have the same manager and they work together very closely. So it was very easy (and from a business standpoint, smart) to have Zakk give Dope some cred for this new album and have him do a few licks.
Don’t get me wrong, Zakk’s last couple albums bombed and Edsel Dope is and ass, but I rather have music like this around than any of this emo/screamo/hardcore/electro garbarge coming out today.
PS – I agree w/ their stage setup, its a little “who do you think you are”
Zakk’s drinking is finally taking a toll on him. He probably doesn’t even remember laying that track down.
Hey Johnny, you should consider breaking up with your girlfriend. Just a thought.
I’m taking down the names of everyone here who even considers Dope good music, you’ve lost the right to bash a variety of other similar bands.
Yeah Carlos, oh how I laughed at the half joking half serious suggestion, that’s a reason to dump someone you otherwise love, their musical tastes. Don’t think from this point on.
Carlos with logic like that it’s a surprise you’re not a Dope fan.
“I’m taking down the names of everyone here who even considers Dope good music, you’ve lost the right to bash a variety of other similar bands.”
…said the Disturbed fan
…said the Nine Inch Nails fan
I know you are but what am I?
I was actually looking up some kind of childish taunt but got completely lost reading something, anyway, sticks and stones, bones, etc.
Dope isn’t nu metal. They’re industrial metal.
what? ya i checked dopes myspace, sounds like nu metal garbage to me, dont know where you get industrial at.
anyway i think dopes problem is they are tryin to hard to be papa roach but without mtv
Felons & revolutions wasn’t all that bad, especially the white boy cover of Fuck da police. Everything else fuckin sucked balls tho. That ” I am” song of theirs comes on the V metal channel, dear christ it makes me want to cut my dick off. Wtf have you done Zakk man, you used to be cool.
Yeah, I know it’s hard to tell the difference, mainly a thick layer of bullshit separates the two at this point, sort of like how podcast and stream are separated only by bullshit.
What a pile of shit. I liked chorus better when QOTSA used it in Feel Good Hit of the Summer.
I like Dope, and I’d say they were nu metal. Only the first album or 2 could be called industrial really, and even then, they’re industrial nu metal.
And trying to be Papa Roach, wtf? They’re nothing like Papa Roach.
Who do you expect Zakk Wylde to go on tour with, Wino? Ulrich Roth? Melvins? He can’t hold a candle, period.
Dude is a piece of Oscar Mayer lunchmeat, like Wayne Static with the hair swiveled down around his chin to look like a beard. He’s a pro wrestler mockery of a rock musician, of course he hangs with the second division Marilyn Mansons.
I havent heard much Zack Wylde tbh so I think that pretty much saved this song for me. It’s not good but.. eh, it’s Dope. Better than expected. I used to like.. what, like 2 songs from Dope. Scars of childhood.
And what the hell is with the 8 and a half minute Die Motherfucker Die rehash thats worse than the first -.- UghDope.
I never really got into dope, but they’re fun to hangout with on occasion. I will agree on some accounts on the singer though. And Wylde has gotten lazy, he was good years ago back when he hadn’t done the same thing over and over again
*He’s a pro wrestler mockery of a rock musician, of course he hangs with the second division Marilyn Mansons.*
Ha…It’s sad considering his contribution to metal, but I can find no fault in your logic.
let the nu metal crowd have Zakk Wylde i never liked a fucking thing that douchebag did he’s a fucking sellout just like Ozzy those two shitheads (and i know i’m going to piss off every person on here) are ruining the metal scene with the crap they keep putting out i’ll stick to the underground at least there’s talent there Zakk Wylde plays the same fucking riff on every song on every album you want real talented musicians to listen to then check out Cynic,Atheist,Martyr and Aghora
AKA horrible shitty anti-jesus tripe.
“Seriously: Dope. A band whose guitar player, who calls himself “Virus,” wears a shirt onstage with his name on it (I guess in case he forgets?). A band whose lead singer, who has the equally ridiculous moniker of “Edsel Dope,” has apparently burned more bridges than most musicians will ever even build. A band whose biggest claim to fame is that they were once mistaken for being the dudes from Marilyn Manson. Dope.”
So TRUE.
I was suprised when I saw on their myspace that they recorded a track with Zakk Wylde.
I just read one interview with Edsel. He seems to be suprised that he have opinion of asshole and have a bad reputation. This guy is total megalomaniac and is more recognized for fighting with ex band members than for making music… He is making from himself a big rockstar when he can’t even act like a proffesional musician.
BLS and Sevendust and Dope dont belong on the same tour .The type of people who listen to BLS will never like bands like Sevendust and Dope.I think Sevendust should be headlining this tour .
Yep. Computer keyboards are metal too.
Zakk Wylde sucks anyway.He should’ve been a pro wrestler he’s more of a personality than a musician.
dude, u got way to much time if what u do is sit on ur computer and write something like this.
Dope kicked ass in Vancouver with Zakk, I don,t think you have a clue Buddy (fucking hearsay bullshit)
BULLSHIT! He hasnt gotten lazy! Im fine with Zakk Helping out an new up-comming band! i liked the song! You people are sticks in the mud. I HATE Nu-Metal, I really do, but soon it will die and will all be laughing about this. Zakk hasn’t gotten lazy at all.