Slaves On Dope

Slaves on Dope is a Canadian alternative metal band formed in Montreal, Quebec in 1993 by vocalist Jason Rockman and guitarist Kevin Jardine. Starting in a basement on Montreal's West Island, the band booked over 60 shows in their first year and released an independent EP that sold more than 3,000 copies on its own. Citing Faith No More as their biggest heroes and drawing from Tool, Korn, and Fear Factory, their sound blended heavy riffs, rap-infused vocals, and aggressive percussion into something that resisted easy categorization. With the Canadian music scene slow to embrace heavier music, two members famously rode a Greyhound bus for six days from Montreal to Los Angeles in 1999 to break into the US market. Their hustle paid off when a demo caught the attention of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, who signed them to their Divine Recordings label - making Slaves on Dope the first act ever signed to Ozzy's imprint. Their major label debut Inches from the Mainline arrived in 2000, produced by Thom Panunzio of Black Sabbath and Iggy Pop fame, and launched the band onto Ozzfest 2000 alongside major tours with Pantera, Godsmack, and Linkin Park. Metafour followed in 2003 before vocalist Rockman's departure in 2004 led to a temporary disbanding. Rockman and Jardine reunited in 2009 and have continued releasing music, including Over the Influence (2012) and Horse (2016), which featured guest appearances from DMC of Run-DMC, Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher, and HR of Bad Brains.