Otep got their start in late 2000, when singer/band namesake Otep Shamaya brought her Marilyn Manson-meets-Kim Gordon style of singing to a crew of musicians known only as Rob, Moke, and eViL j. The foursome began gigging around Los Angeles and scored a deal with Capitol solely on the strength of their live show (they'd not yet recorded a demo), releasing the Jihad EP the following year. Rumors of cannibalism and dabbling in the mystical arts helped add to their mysterious image, and they found themselves being complimented by the likes of Marilyn Manson himself for their antics. Their eighth live show ever was at 2001's Ozzfest, and Otep stepped back into the studio with Terry Date at the tail end of the year to record their full-length debut, Sevas Tra, which saw the light of day in the summer of 2002. That summer they again joined up with the Ozzfest tour, gaining a prime spot on the second stage. In 2004 the group released its sophomore effort, House of Secrets. Working with producer Dave Fortman (Evanescence, Mudvayne), Otep followed up three years later with The_Ascension and supported it on spring 2007 dates with Static-X. In 2009 the band signed to Victory Records and released Smash the Control Machine later that year. Two years later, Otep followed up with their fifth full-length album, Atavist.
Bradley Torreano
AllMusic.com
