In an interview with Blabbermouth, Dope discussed his choice to go by the name Xer0 and to wear a mask on stage. He also touched on his relationship with the late Static-X frontman Wayne Static and touring with Static when he was going solo in the mid-2010s. American vocalist who began performing with the metal band Dope in 1997. In the beginning of 2017, Dope released tour dates for Spring 2017, touring with co-headliner Combichrist and supporting acts September Mourning and Davey Suicide. They also released more tour dates for Fall 2017, this time touring with Hed PE. In addition to spearheading Dope, Edsel also has his own production company, record label and tech company.
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Of course, it’s not a full-on reunion since Wayne Static passed away in 2014. Nonetheless, this new iteration of the band was embraced by the fans, including the mysterious new masked frontman Xer0. Dope released the official music video for the two-part album’s title track “Blood Money” on July 16, 2016. The band released the second single on the album entitled “Hold On” on August 26, 2016, as well as the official music video. Blood Money part 1 was officially released worldwide on October 28, 2016, via eOne Entertainment. The two singles from Life; “Now or Never” and “Slipping Away” reached No. 28 and No. 29 on the Mainstream Rock charts respectively.
We felt betrayed by our brother all in our unique ways/disagreements. Sadly we all don’t get to mend those broken fences until it’s too late, but that doesn’t mean that’s the way feelings are left. There was no rampant use of prescription drugs during the hay day of Static-X.
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After the release of their first live album, the band announced that they will be releasing their long-awaited album “Blood Money, Part 1” in the fall of 2016, also stating that the second part of “Blood Money” would not see such lengthy delays as Part 1 did. Unlike many of the popular bands from the 1990s, Dope derived their sound from influences taken from heavy metal bands and fused that with the sound of industrial rock acts who had made waves earlier in the decade, such as Ministry and Skinny Puppy. To support the new album, Dope is hitting the road on the “Rise of the Machine” tour featuring Static-X, Fear Factory, Dope, Mushroomhead and Twiztid.
A live video for the song “Sick” was recorded to capture the energy of the group’s live show. The first single and non-live promotional video released by the band from the album was “Everything Sucks”, which failed to chart. The second single, a cover of “You Spin Me Round”, saw the band gaining more attention; it received radio play and reached No. 37 on the US Mainstream Rock charts. Although we’ve seen some seemingly impossible reunions, and \”reunions,\” this year, Static-X did that whole thing back in 2018.
I don’t remember Frankie tearfully calling me to tell me Wayne passed away on the afternoon of Nov 1, 2014 before hit it the internet or press, but I certainly remember Tony + our crew calling me. We were all shattered especially because we didn’t get the chance to mend our relationships because of Tera. As we all know though, you’re not going to come between a guy and his wife if she’s still in the picture. Of course, the question of whether Edsel is the mystery singer touring with Static-X came up. But you know I guess anyone will make shocking claims to use as a pedestal to push their own agenda and his solo project for that “cash grab”. This previous reason is actually the EXACT reason this tribute is happening.
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- The Thermometer would display the overall progress in reaching various fundraiser goals such as the release of the live DVD and making it to United Kingdom and Europe for a tour.
- I don’t remember Frankie tearfully calling me to tell me Wayne passed away on the afternoon of Nov 1, 2014 before hit it the internet or press, but I certainly remember Tony + our crew calling me.
- The two singles from Life; “Now or Never” and “Slipping Away” reached No. 28 and No. 29 on the Mainstream Rock charts respectively.
As a child, Edsel and his brother Simon Dope were separated when their parents divorced. When the two were adults, they reunited and Simon joined Edsel’s band, playing keyboards, samples and percussion. The pair then recruited Sloane Jentry as guitarist, Preston Nash as drummer, and Tripp Eisen as bassist. For credibility purposes I’ll start by stating I met Static-X while I was touring on Ozzfest ‘99. I became friends with the band and started working with them back in 2001 as a videographer for the tour DVD bonus footage.
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With those estranged bandmates having both being involved in the partnership behind the group’s name and rights, a war of words and legalities played out publicly prior to Static‘s November 01st, 2014 death. Static died after mixing Xanax and other powerful prescription drugs with alcohol, according to the coroner’s report. The 48-year-old, whose real name was Wayne Richard Wells, was found dead in his Landers, California home on November 1, 2014. DOPE leader Edsel Dope has shared his thoughts on “Xer0”, the masked frontman of STATIC-X who is widely believed to be him.
None of the actual band members of Static-X got to say goodbye or have any closure. They have every right to do so and I think it’s a great way to celebrate 20 years of Static-X. When those feelings are flipped they generally turn to severe levels of animosity because of how much you cared for that person and your relationship. This isn’t a NIN scenario where Trent Reznor is Nine Inch Nails.
On July 19, 2022, the band announced Blood Money Part Zer0, the prequel to “Blood Money, Part 1” as a free digital download for its release in 2023. The band also shared the songs “No Respect” and “Believe” on the same day.19 On August 22, 2022, a music video for Believe was released to YouTube.20 On September 7, they released a third new single from Blood Money Part Zer0, “Fuck It Up”. New York City industrial metal icons Dope are, track by track, releasing their seventh studio album, “Blood Money Part Zer0.” The full album will drop on Feb. 23, 2023, but fans who sign up for the record on DopeTheBand.com will receive a new track every few weeks, for free, via digital download. In July 2020, STATIC-X released “Project Regeneration Vol. 1”.
- He’s also heavily involved with fellow industrial metal band Static-X.
- In 2015, Dope announced the dates for the “Die Mother Fucker Die” reunion tour, featuring the classic lineup of Edsel Dope, Virus, Acey Slade, and Racci Shay.
- This was something that really didn’t come into play until Tera came into the fold.
- It was noted by his autopsy that chronic prescription drug and alcohol abuse also contributed to his demise.
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I went on to become band assistant, security, merch designer, Assistant TM, and eventually worked my way up to Tour Manager. I even designed the version of the Static-X logo for Wayne’s solo version of the band, as well as the new current Static-X logo. Static died due to a combination of prescription drugs and alcohol in his system, including oxycodone, wife edsel dope hydromorphone and alprazolam. It was noted by his autopsy that chronic prescription drug and alcohol abuse also contributed to his demise. His wife and muse Tera Wray Static took her own life in January of 2016, just over a year after his passing.
Static had been pursuing a solo career at the time of his death. Edsel then discussed the role he’s taken on to ensure Wayne Static’s legacy is handled properly, including the 2020 “Project Regeneration” album that consisted of Wayne’s last recordings. “For me, when coming onboard to help complete the last bit of music that Wayne left behind, which ended up accidentally stumbling into what became a treasure trove of content, which I’m so excited and so blessed to have been the guy who got to uncover it,” he said. “The motive behind it is that I, Edsel Dope, have zero interest in being the frontman, face or being known as the singer of STATIC-X,” he said. After the release of “Blood Money, Part 1”, Dope went to tour Russia and the United Kingdom as the headlining act as well as having toured with the classic lineup featured in the “Die Mother Fucker Die Reunion” tour.
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Static-X was always a partnership and was 50/50 between Wayne + Tony. Sure Wayne was iconic to the band, but it was a collective and a partnership. That is fact and why Wayne needed permission from Tony to use the band name later. Campos went on to say that he “knew there would be some negativity” on the Internet once STATIC-X had announced its comeback. Catch Static-X on tour with Fear Factory and Dope at one of the dates below. In 2019, Dope toured with Static-X, DevilDriver, Wednesday 13, and Raven Black in the US.
In 2023, they are part of the Rise of the Machine tour with Static-X, Fear Factory, Mushroomhead and Twiztid.