Otep defies labels, draws on poetry
It seems only fitting that contemporary metal band Otep would cover a song by classic rock icons The Doors.
After all, Otep is led by a charismatic vocalist whose dark poetry plays a significant role in the band's musical equation. In that regard, Otep Shamaya (for whom the group is named) is akin to a 21st-century female version of late Doors frontman Jim Morrison.
In a recent phone interview, Shamaya recalled the first time she heard “American Prayer,” a 1978 album in which the surviving members of The Doors added backing tracks to recordings Morrison had made of his poetry.
“I was really blown away by it,” Shamaya said. “It was something I'd never heard a band doing before, and I really felt a kinship with the spirit of what (Morrison) was doing.”
The final track on Otep's latest album, “Atavist,” is a rendition of The Doors' 1968 song “Not to Touch the Earth.”
“That song just seemed tribal,” Shamaya said. “It seemed ritualistic. It seemed perfect for what we could do with it.”
Shamaya, who has published two books of poetry and illustrations, created the band Otep in 2000.
“The band sort of formed around the idea of putting spoken poetry to music,” Shamaya said. “Music was just what seemed to punctuate and accentuate the message.”
Over the years, the group has released five eclectic albums that defy pure heavy metal categorization.
“I never set out to create music that was part of a particular genre,” Shamaya said. “I just made music that reflected how I felt inside and how I felt about a particular subject. … I'm always writing all different types of songs, I just keep getting signed — to metal labels.”
An outspoken liberal activist, Shamaya often uses her music to express her sociopolitical views.
“It's always been important for me to challenge anything that I find untrue or any sort of injustice I see,” she said.
Who: Otep with Butcher Babies and One Eyed Doll When: 8 p.m. Friday Where: Ground Zero, 3052 Howard St. Tickets: $20 Info: 948-1661 or www.facebook.com/GroundZeroSC