Customer Reviews

Group Therapy

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've liked Dope pretty much from the beginning. I know that a lot of people don't like them, but that's fine with me. In fact, it encourages me to like them even more. I'm always more interested in the bands that get little or no attention, especially if I think they're good. This third effort from the group, "Group Therapy," proves to be a pretty good listen.

If you're not a fan of their last two albums (their second album, in particular), chances are that you will not like this new one. They have a solid industrial sound to their music. A lot of songs are aggressive and heavy while others are more mild and tame. Each song is a living creature of its own; being that no two songs sound the same. I can tell that there's been improvements (as the lead singer pretty much changed the entire line-up in the band).

While I do miss the darkness and aggressive side of the band that was present on their very first album, I still like the new stuff they've been coming out with. That was Dope in the past and this is Dope today. If the sound isn't working for the main guy in the band, then they have no choice but to change it up. This was the case, as it's been expressed in many different magazine interviews with the lead singer. That is why they've taken such a major turn from their first album and do the kind of music they do today.

I pretty much like every song, but my favorites are "falling away," "b----," "I am," "sing," "paranoia," "bring it on," "another day goes by," and "today is the day." A great feature of this CD is that it is enhanced and includes videos for EVERY song. That's right. All of the songs have real videos for them. (There's a great one for "b----," but beware; it's pretty mature/adult and is not recommended for younger audiences.) Just pop the CD into your computer and watch away.

All in all, I'm pretty pleased with Dope's "Group Therapy." It's not the best album in the world, but it's pretty good. If you never liked Dope in the past, I'm sorry to say that this album won't have much on an impact on you and make you change your mind about them. If you've liked Dope from the start and were pleased with their past two albums, then chances are that you will like this one as well.

The people that wrote the reviews above, giving it only 1 star, obviously did not listen to the cd. Don't you hate it when people give CDs a bad review just cause they don't like the band. Dope has come a long way. Dope has never gotten the radio and video support they deserve. This album is worth the money. I saw them live earlier this month, that further proved how awesome they are, true musicians. Most bands that have gone through stuff the Dope has gone through are no longer together. I look forward to seeing them again, and hearing music from them in the future. BUY THIS ALBUM!!!

When Dope announced their third album, Group Therapy, I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt that it would live up to every bit of intensity as their first two records (Felons & Revolutionaries and Life - Both of which are highly suggested as well.)

Then Dope announced that they were giving us something special, a little something extra. After Epic Records retailed Dope's second record, Life, at $18 a pop and refused to promote the recod or let Dope tour to support it, Dope realized that it was time to take matters into their own hands and do what needed to be done to get their music to the kids on the streets . . . without taking every bit of money the kids had in the process.

To do this, Dope started by headlining and producing the $12 Riot Tour. Tickets were $12 and all CDs and t-shirts sold at the shows were $10. And the kids came running. Finally, decent music they could afford.

Then, the next step was Dope and their manager, Chip Quigley, going out on a business venture together that would allow Dope to do things their own way and have total control over their muisc, careers and destiny. That business venture turned into Recon records, the label that Group Therapy was released on.

The last step in dong things the Dope way was to not only record thirteen of the most killer tracks to ever be played by a band, but to also produce thirteen full length videos and include them on the disc along with the audio tracks. So, now you can listen to Group Therapy, or you can pop it into your computer and watch the whole album!!! Dope broke all the rules by doing that . . . no one had ever done it before. One video, each with it's own individualized them and look, for every single track on the album.

And what would something like this retail for? 13 songs and 13 videos? You'd expect to pay an arm and a leg for it, right? No. Dope released Group Therapy with a suggested retail price of only $13!!! (There are a few stores who are adding their mark-ups and charging more, but that is against Dope's will.)

So, even if this was not the most explosive album to hit the music scene in the last 10 years, the sheer value of what you're getting from these guys is worth buying the record for.

And the variety, versatility and pure talent on this record are amazing. Dope can take you from some of the angriest heavy metal on the planet (Burn) to the very next track (Easier) which has got to be the most heart-wrenching song ever written. Songs like Paranoia are driving, hard and brutal and then we go on to songs like Another Day Goes By that are just brutally honest and intense. This record runs the gamut of emotions from hate, anger, lust, pride and more.

This is definately the most fulfilling album released to date, and one that should be required listening for every rock fan on the planet.

Ok now if your wanting group therapy just for the heavy metal, thats all good but, this cd has so much more, Edsel is one of the best Songwriters/Singer/Gutarist. Any dope cd you pick up your going to be happy with. This cd has some more mainstreem (as most put it) songs, but some of my favorites are. Sing, Paranoia,I Am, Motivation. Damn this cd is so good. And as Edsel puts it,"F**K YOU I AM WHAT I AM"

Pop and rap listeners that is. I love this album, and i hold it like a peice of gold. It isn't the hardest or craziest album i've ever heard, of course not, but everything within it is great music. You've got some good nu-metal/rock, plus great vocals and audio ferocity, what more can you ask? Personally i think Felons and Revolutionaries is their best release, but thats not to say this isn't as well. Bitch is just a great song, Burn is a brutal song (equal to the likes of die mf die), and other songs like Sing, or Another Day Goes By are very good slow songs. I think it all fits together like one fancy jigsaw puzzle, all the peices alligned perfectly with a purpose. You should buy this album, because it is great music.

This is Dope's best album by far! It is a great combination of 'Felons' and 'Life'. The group, although w/ new members (w/out a sampler), has really tightened up and is a great 13-track album, worthy of praise. The videos are a plus too. Great songs include "I Am", "Sing", and "Motivation". Pick this album up today if your a fan of industrial, metal, hard rock, or just something to groove too! A solid A-!

Dope's third album "Group Therapy" is an impressive follow-up to their sophomore effort "Life". The two albums differ quite a bit, though - "Life" seems to offer a balanced, heavy sound, with a few songs heavier or lighter than the median. In contrast, "Group Therapy" seems to follow a dichotomy where any given song is either really hard ("Bitch") or (by Dope's standards) relatively soft ("Easier"). The one notable exception is the feature track "I Am", which seems to straddle the middle ground quite neatly.

Some of the highlights of the album, to me:

Track 2: "Bitch" - The music is nothing special, basically your stereotypical, rhythmic heavy metal banging. Definitely some undertones of Kid Rock and Rob Zombie (especially the backup vocals) in this song. But the highlight of the song is definitely the lyrics - I'm sure that most guys can relate, at least in principle, to Edsel Dope's rant "the woman I love, I hate, but the sex is great"!

Track 3: "I Am" - Definitely a highlight of the album, one of the two songs (in my opinion) that nicely fits right in the middle Dope's dialectic of hard and soft in the album. The verses tend to lean softer, with an addictive, harder chorus. The lyrics are pretty good too - I'm sure any angsty teenager, or adult for that matter, could relate to them.

Track 5: "Sing" - Another highlight, this song lies on the soft end of the album. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to hear it on an adult contemporary radio station. The lyrics seem to be just about music, and why we make music. Definitely food for thought. The music video (available if you just pop the CD into your computer's CD-ROM drive) is also impressive, although I felt the video's theme would have fit better with "Another Day Goes By" (see below).

Track 8: "Another Day Goes By" - Another relaxed, softer song. The choruses are a bit harder, but still much softer than what we're used to from Dope. The melody's really addictive; it's a song you'll really want to sing along to. The acoustic guitar really adds a nice touch, and give the song a feel not unlike older classic rock and even newer bands such as Nickelback.

Track 9: "Today is the Day" - Intense and panicky. Personally I relate to the lyrics and intensity behind the song; the drum beats in the verses are addictive and add to the feel of panic and intensity.

Track 11: "Burn" - Unquestionably the hardest track on the album. Just watch out where you play it though; the first time I heard this song I was in my car and the police siren sound at the beginning scared the living s%#@%t out of me. Although some folks on here have said that this song's lyrics refer to Saddam Hussein, I think they apply to any military activity we get ourselves into. In fact, the lyrics seem to suggest an anti-war message, and that we're all brainwashed by the media into a "kill the enemy" mindset. I could be wrong, of course.

Track 12: "Easier" - Another soft track. Behind the morose lyrics lies an easy, bluesy rock beat. In fact, it's not dissimilar to say, the White Stripes or Queens of the Stone Age.

Overall, this album offers great variety. From the hardest track, "Burn", to the softest, "Easier", there's a good variety of both hard and soft to please any listener. "Life" offered tracks that were more similar to each other in terms of intensity (most of which, by the way, I liked), but "Group Therapy" seems to offer a much better variety.

When I first encountered Felons and Revolutionaries I was amazed. I listened to it over and over and each time the music spoke to me, moved me; it made me bang on the steering wheel as I drove to work and picture all the people I owed a beating. Then they put out Life and I thought "Wow, this is a pitiful effort" - listened to it a few times and now I can easily forget that I own it. It just did not have that same spark. Finally along comes Group Therapy...I had high hopes but was concerned. Some songs here have the spark - such as "Motivation" - but much of it seems a strained and unsuccessful attempt to get back to the level of F&R. I wonder what happened...they seem to have lost something along the way.

I have the previous two Dope albums and I eagerly awaited this album. Upon its release today, I scoured several stores to find it, and let me tell you, it is totally worth it. It is the Dope everybody has grown to love. The 13 videos that come with it can only be played on your computer though..no DVD player. Other then that, its a kick ass album and I suggest it to anybody who was or is a fan of felons and revolutionaries or life. Buy it now!

Just picked this album up a few days ago, and I wasn't really sure what to expect from it. As a junior effort, I thought it pretty much fell into the pattern that all group's third albums hit. There are a few new sound styles, a little bit of nostalgia thrown in for good measure...and that's when I decided that it can be related to the "Silence of the Lambs" trilogy. "Red Dragon"-Action, "Silence of the Lambs"-Suspense, "Hannibal"-Horror. The same kind of rule applies here. "Felons and Revolutionaries"-Gothic, "Life"-Heavy, "Group Therapy"- The "GET YOUR NAME KNOWN" type of album. Honestly I was a little disappointed but I guess that's only because I was looking for "Life" Part II, and that just isn't what this is. It's a good album, but don't expect them to redo what they've already done.

One Love