Dateline: Seattle, April 2016 Written by: Trouble
We recently caught up with Otep on her Generation Doom Tour, and talked to her about her latest album released.
“This album is spiritually lawless in that there are no anchors allowed,” she said. “It goes beyond scripture or religious dogma.”
In typical Otep cadence, she comes alive when talking about her new music. “The album is meant to free people from cultural costumes. Music is spiritual, it’s a new religion. A good piece of music elevates you, it pollinates you, it carbonates you.”
“In your press release you state that your performance onstage is like spiritual intercourse with the audience. So at what point do you feel the spiritual orgasm?” I asked.
Otep smirked, “It’s really whenever the audience is fantastic.”
It was my turn to smirk. Isn’t that the case with all intercourse?
“Spiritual intercourse is this infinite moment that only lasts a second,” she said. “It’s a moment when we just…are.”
It has been a while since her last album. She talked about leaving music entirely in 2013 over concerns with music piracy and how much it was hurting “working class bands” like hers.
But she could not stay away. Like a fire in her bones, the music came back to her. She and band mate Aristotle (guitar) worked last year on something new and fresh that they believe fans will eat up.
“Generation Doom is a complete and total mutiny of the senses,” she said.
After seeing her perform her new single, Zero, in concert, I know exactly what she means. The entire crowd standing with their middle fingers raised screaming, “I DON’T GIVE A FUCK!” takes over your entire body and you are in that moment having a “spiritual orgasm.” Was it as good for her as it was for us? I blush, but am too shy to ask her after.
“I told our label you aren’t gonna put me in a box,” she said when asked about her new relationship with Napalm Records. “I’ve never fit in a one box. People try, but I don’t fit and it pisses them off. I’m metal, I’m nu metal, I’m rap core, I’m everything. I’m proud to be a part of the music revolution that crosses all boundaries. People need labels like nu metal, but labels are for soup cans and shit.”
Labels are for soup cans. Do I sense the nodding of millions of Dark Souls in agreement with that statement, readers?
“I wrote the songs that I thought were important to me,” said Otep. “The one word that sums up the album is, ‘uncompromising.’”
Otep is on tour April 19 to May 28th. Check out their tour dates below and pick up one of her new albums, “Generation Doom!”
