OTEP is a rare nu metal group with a female lead singer that has not been booed off the stage. The group has emerged as a edgy act that has become so accepted in the male-dominated music genre that they have even sold tickets as headliners. The band is based on the lyrics written by lesbian lead singer Otep Shamaya and music composed by bassist “Evil” J. McGuire. The explosive lyrics mix the best of hip-hop, metal, and rock as the group plays songs inspired by the desolate childhood of Shamaya in the ghetto outside Los Angeles.
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The explosive and groundbreaking work of OTEP made it difficult for the group to remain together. Shamaya and McGuire were always around, but the remainder of the lineup has been shifting since the band began in the fall of 2000. The lineup has come into a rare period of stability with Shamaya as the lead singer, McGuire as the bassist and backup vocalist, Aaron Nordstrom as the guitarist, and Brian “Haggis” Wollf as the drummer.
OTEP owes its success in great part to Sharon Osbourne. They were playing a show in Illinois when she was in the audience. He was impressed by the band and immediately gave them a spot on Ozzfest for 2001. The group soon after found a label, Capitol Records, and released their first EP the same year.
Otep herself has gained popularity as a weekly blogger for MTV and the group is known for its social conscious, as they have played benefit shows for tragedies such ass Darfur, Katrina, and Myanmar, as well as causes like Equal Rights, Victims Rights, and PETA. The group continues to push the confines of nu metal, breaking stereotypes and selling tickets and albums all at the same time.
OTEP is about to embark on an eight-city tour called the Circus of Democracy tour. Along with support from Droid and Anew Revolution, the nu metal group will play up and down the West Coast in support of the 2007 release, The Ascension.
The Ticket Specialists will have tickets to all the shows at incredibly affordable prices. So, check out the nu metal thrill ride as they start in Reno, Nevada on July 29 and end up in San Francisco on August 7.