In today’s world of metal music, bands come and go as fast as contestants on reality television shows. Much like the early castoffs of “Survivor,” some bands get their 15 minutes of fame, perhaps appear on Letterman and then disappear.

For a time, it looked like Dope might be one of those bands to slip through the cracks. After a promising start that saw the New York-based group touring with acts like Slipknot and Powerman 5000, the group was released from its contract with Epic after its second record, 2001’s “Life.”

But where this would have signaled the end for some bands, frontman Edsel Dope claims the band knew the move from the label was coming and, in a way, was actually excited about it.

“We were so unhappy with the way the label went about promoting the second record,” says Edsel, while taking a break from recording the group’s new album. “What it came down to was exactly one year after the second record, our option was up.

They didn’t want to commit to the option. They wanted us to give them an extension and we were like, ‘What’s the point of that, when we can walk away from you scot-free right now and start with no debt at a brand new label, with a new relationship, with someone who is going to get behind us the way you said you would.’ “

Besides parting ways with its label, the Dope camp also went through several member changes. Following its tour for 1999’s “Felons and Revolutionaries,” drummer Preston Nash left the band to join Primer 55, and guitarist Tripp Eisen was released and later hooked up with Static-X.

While Edsel and Nash remain friends (Dope and Primer 55 recently toured together as part of the Jagermeister $12 Riot Tour), Eisen has made his feelings about his time in Dope well known. Eisen has been seen wearing shirts that read “Slaves in Dope,” and in an interview with the Daily last summer, Eisen compared his move from Dope to Static-X to the exodus of the Jews from Germany.

In Edsel’s mind, Eisen’s complaints about not having the opportunity to play on the record and not receiving enough money for his work don’t hold water.

“Dude, I took all the … money! I should, it’s my band,” Edsel says. “Dope is tattooed on my knuckles — I got a record deal before that guy was in my band.

He got another gig — he got people to know who he was. He wouldn’t have the gig he has if it wasn’t for me. He didn’t get paid enough? ‘Fuck you dude, you were on tour with Kid Rock in front of 20,000 people a night.’ “

Last summer, guitarist Acey Slade left Dope to join Joey Jordison’s band Murderdolls, where he coincidentally replaced Tripp Eisen. Slade’s departure did not bother Edsel, except he thought Slade and Eisen were still carrying on the Dope image Dope had created.

Edsel says the similarities between Murderdolls and his band, as well as the attention paid to the feud between the bands, were blown out of proportion.

“I spoke my mind in a way that I thought was 100 percent warranted, based on the way things went down,” Edsel says. “For that, some people wanted to go out and ask very provoking questions to both me and Acey’s new band to try and get some shit slingin’.”

With arguments from former members now in the past, Edsel is looking toward the future and believes his current line-up, which also features guitarist Virus, bassist Mosey and drummer Racci, is finally the concrete roster he has been looking for.

Edsel strongly believes the band can reach a new level now, since his band is composed of friends as opposed to “hired guns.”

“That’s one thing I love about this band right now is that I get to do what I want to do, with my friends,” Edsel says. “That’s a part of this that I always forgot in the beginning — we just went out and got guys that looked the part. I am just very, very thankful that the band, as it stands right now, are a bunch of guys that just like each other.”

The big question is whether or not Dope will be able to rebound and come back stronger than ever.

The band’s lanky frontman has no doubt in his mind that, if the “$12 Riot Tour” serves as any evidence, the fans are “Dope fiends.” The tour was a huge success for the band — some shows even had to be cancelled due to oversold venues.

“I think that if anyone had any doubts or questions about his band and what we are doing and what’s gone on with us … I think that all of that stuff is going to come to an end,” Edsel says. “I think people are going to see that ‘Wow, not only are they still around but they never went anywhere. They are continuing to make records and it’s still Dope as it has ever been.’ “

Who: Dope, Slitheryn, Albino Spiders

Where: House of Bricks, 3839 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines

When: 5 p.m. Sunday

Cost: $10