Group Therapy by Dope was released on October 21st, 2003. For this week’s Flashback Sunday, I’ll be speaking a bit about this awesome album. And I’ve come with presents. Don’t I always? It’s a gallery update, and this one’s very on theme. It’s screencaps from “Bring it On”, one of the many videos that was released with the enhanced version of the record. But more on that in a bit.
Now let’s Bring it On… It’s Group Therapy by Dope!
VIEW VIDEO / VIEW SCREENCAPS (EDF PHOTO)
Group Therapy was a bit ahead of its time in many respects. One of those ways is something you might not have expected! We hear about artists releasing visual albums from time to time, but did you know Dope was doing this before it was popular?
With the release of Group Therapy, there was a music video that accompanied every song in the enhanced version of the album. I genuinely can’t think of many (if any!) artists that were doing this so early in the industry. Keep in mind, this was 2003. There’s wasn’t much available to promote visual albums back then. There wasn’t any such thing as Youtube or other streaming services – Youtube wasn’t founded until 2005! (By the way, you’ve subbed to Dope’s Youtube channel, right? I hope so…) Netflix didn’t start video on demand till 2007. Trying something new relied largely on word of mouth or hopefully, promotion from your label.
Not Afraid To Be Different
Compared to 2001’s Life, which had a more straight up rock vibe, Group Therapy took things in a new direction. The album has been called a stark departure from Dope’s general tonal aggression, with songs such as “Easier”, “Sing” and “Another Day Goes By” punctuating a more alternative sound. Some say it’s an exception to the rule. I tend to disagree. I always thought the point of Dope is that there’s no hard and fast rules about what a Dope song is. Truth is, Edsel has never been afraid to experiment with his sound! In a landscape where artists have been hesitant about changing their sound too much, he’s always looking to push the envelope and shake things up. Group Therapy is just one such outing. I love when Edsel tries new things, as do so many of his fans!
I hope that this look back at Group Therapy inspires you to give this album another listen! It’s one of my favourite albums, and I hope it’s one of yours as well!
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