OTEP's Final Studio Album Delivers

Check out my review of the new and last studio for OTEP called "Hydra". It's really going to catch some people off guard this time around.

http://www.rockrevoltmagazine.com/album-review-otep-hydra/

Otep Shamaya Shares Her Artistic Vision

Artistic expression comes in many forms. Some channel their inner message and express it on a canvas with paint, while others may choose to put pen to paper. Otep Shamaya is an artist that assaults all of the senses when she expresses herself. Her latest creation is Otep’s thought provoking release Atavist. I had the privilege of catching up with Otep as she prepared for the release of her latest masterpiece.

Music Is My Drug Of Choice: There seems to have been a really good buzz generating about your new CD before its release. It’s been on many “Most Anticipated CDs of 2011” lists. How does that make you feel when you see and hear that?

Otep: It makes me feel very proud. I have had this record inside of me for over a year and couldn’t wait to let it out. We worked on it for a little over two and a half months and now it’s time to see if the people believe like I do.

Did you approach making this album any differently than in the past?

Well, I didn’t have a band for this one. I also worked with some very talented song writers. It’s very exciting for me to be able to write songs that I have always wanted to write. “Drunk (On the Blood of Saints)” has such a powerful groove to it. There is a special musical feel that you just can’t teach when it come to writing music. It was so awesome to work with Tony Campos from Static X. He is a very technical guitar player.

The first video from the CD is for the song “Fists Fall”. How much involvement did you have with it?

The concept of the video was my idea. I worked with Robby Starbuck and he did a great job of bringing my vision to life. It is a song about bullying, but it’s also about fighting for what you believe in. I asked myself who I would like to fight and I also ask the listener. It really doesn’t matter, just as long as you do fight for what is important.

You cover “Not to Touch the Earth” by the Doors. I can see a lot of similarities between yourself and Jim Morrison. How did this cover come about?

I have always been a big fan of Jim and of the Doors. They are one of the most innovative bands of all time. I was asked to record a cover for this album and this song really spoke to me. I wanted it to be as sterile as possible and still be very exciting to the overall album.

Your first album was recorded in 2002. How do you think you have grown since that debut?

Creatively, in the past, I didn’t know much about the industry or about creating records. I was at the mercy of my inner emotions, but I wanted to master them. Over time, I think I have achieved that. I feel that I am closer to those emotions, but the malices are still there. I do feel that I am a stronger writer and performer. We all have to evolve in order to survive.

You are such a creative person that I wanted to pose to you this rather different type of question. If I was deaf and you were given a blank canvas to illustrate your sound to me, how would you create that image?

It would be similar to a Jackson Pollock painting. I would take the canvass and put it over a large speaker. I would press play and start dropping paint on it as the music played. I would do this and let it paint itself.

Are you anxious to get back out on the road?

I love performing for my fans. Everything is being organized right now. The suits and agents are lining everything up. We are looking at the end of May or early June to hit the road. I appreciate all the support from the fans and can’t wait to see them.

Since this went to press, tour plans have been announced with Otep headlining with support from Sister Sin, Destrophy, Blackguard and One-Eyed Doll. This is a show not to be missed!

OTEP Delivers Strong On Atavist

If Otep Shamaya was a box of crayolas, then she would not be the small 8 count box. She would be the massive economy pack of 150. Her visions push the envelope of normalcy and she challenges you to think way outside of the box. She is a poet and a lyricist who is strong, opinionated, outspoken and a breath of fresh air from the divas dominating the radio.

OTEP is Otep Shamaya’s musical baby and one of her outlets for her strong, impressionistic visions. Her latest CD is entitled Atavist and there was a huge buzz growing over the months in anticipation of this release. It was included on numerous “Most Anticipated Releases of 2011”.

The second track, “Atom to Adam” really sets the tone for the CD. The intensity level on this song is off the charts both musically and lyrically. The inclusion of a Moby Dick reference really got me to thinking about the songs meaning of mind games and control. This song is similar in tone to “Warhead”.

“We Dream like Lions” is a slower, acoustic style song that really stands apart from the other tracks. It’s a beautiful song and its symbolism really helps to paint a picture in the listener’s mind. “Drunk on the Blood of Saints” has Otep reciting the verses in spoken form until the chorus on which she unleashes her growls. This song also contains one of the nastiest bass lines that I have ever heard.

“Fists Fall” is an epic track with an epic video to accompany it. An anti-bullying song that also doubles as a fight for what you believe in anthem. It doesn’t matter if you win the fight or if you lose it, just as long as you do fight for it. If this song doesn’t get you fired up and ready to go, then Red Bull just won’t do the trick.

“Baby’s Breath” is a track that is either a hit or miss; it’s not going to be for everyone. It’s one of two spoken word tracks in which Otep really reaches deep into a dark side that exists in some people. It’s a seven minute journey in voyeurism and violence with a twisted smile. Listening to this track in a dimly lit room with headphones on actually was a bit creepy for me.



“I Alone” is a standout track both musically and lyrically. You can almost feel the pain in the lyrics of being an individual and not wanting to fit in too what society deems as the “norm” This will hit home with a lot of Otep fans as she has always been a leader in the right to be who you are and not compromising. The final track is the cover of the Door’s “Not to Touch the Earth”. This is another that is either hit or miss. I really like their take on it and I think that Jim would be proud of it, but I can see where some fans of the original are just not going to get it.

Overall, I think it is a really good CD. There are some songs that are quite diverse from others on it. I like that it mixes things up instead of giving you twelve tracks of monotony. Otep switches back and forth on some tracks with her screams and clean vocals, but her growls are just as intense as ever. I really liked it upon the first listen, but with each subsequent listen, it makes an even deeper impact on me.

I would recommend spending the few extra dollars and getting the deluxe edition. It comes with a DVD that includes music videos, a film called “Baby’s Breath”, a segment where Otep talks about recording the CD and about each song and even more stuff. Otep and Victory Records really went all out on this deluxe version. This is way better than some CD/DVD sets that many established artists have tried to put out and came up short. Either way, this is a solid CD with some of the most intense imagery that I have come across in a very long time. Check it out, give it a couple of listens and expand your mind…..if you dare.