Slaves On Dope serves as proof that when it comes to hard rock, heavier is always better. Formed in 1994, the Montreal band cut its teeth on grunge and alt-rock before pivoting to a seething brand of nu-metal. The move helped land the act a deal with Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne’s Divine Recordings, who unveiled the band’s sophomore effort, Inches From the Mainline, in 2000. The grungy feel is still there, as is an undeniable penchant for melody, but ultimately commanding the spotlight are Jason Rockman’s bitter screams and spitfire rapping and a well-supplied arsenal of downtuned riffs. After a multi-year hiatus in the late 2000s, Slaves On Dope proved just as aggressive on 2012’s Over the Influence, a set of tunes that skillfully keep up with the times by incorporating the pugnaciousness of groove metal and even metalcore.