Otep Shamaya is the lead singer and lyricist and basically leader of the group that shares her first name. While there was a self-released EP that same year, their first label release was the debut album a couple years later. Marilyn Manson has been quoted as saying of Shamaya, "That girl scares me."
Sevas Tra
The title of 2002's "Sevas Tra" might seem like it's in some foreign language. It isn't, really. It is backwards, though. Reverse the letters and you get "Art Saves."
The music was powerful and heavy. While many would lump it into "goth metal," that isn't really comprehensive enough. It had some hip hop in the mix at times, and plenty of art. In many ways it was almost like extreme art rock.
House of Secrets
If there was art on display with "Sevas Tra," "House of Secrets" took it even further. Shamaya seemed to channel Jim Morrison at times with the poetry readings almost seeming like the kind of music that would have come from him had he grown up in the 1980's instead of the 1960's.
Beyond the artsy edge, the group continued their ultra heavy take on modern metal and goth metal sounds. It was an album that really managed to pummel the listener while still demonstrating a sense of artistic relevance. In that aspect it might be thought of like having Slayer provide the music for a ballet.
The Ascension
"The Ascension" was released in 2007. Some critics, like All Music Guide's Thom Jurek, complained that the disc was too much of a rehash without enough progression.
Another way of looking at it might be that Otep was trying to perfect and expand on the concepts they had laid down with "House of Secrets." Either way, it's more an extension of the sound than a real revision or progression.
Smash the Control Machine
By the time Otep released "Smash the Control Machine" (2009), original drummer Make and guitarist Rob Patterson had returned to the band. They had left after the debut "Sevas Tra." As one might guess, this album seemed closer to the sound of that release than to the ones that followed. Although, the lessons learned with those still got some play.
Where Otep will head in the future is up for debate. As of September 2010, "Smash the Control Machine" remains the latest release. Only time will show us what happens next, but Otep have created four discs that show both a propensity for extreme metal and a sense of the artistic.
