Very few artists create music that has the tremendous strength to form base for a movement, or I might say has the balls big enough to speak out and attack with their activism focused music. Similarly, groundbreaking art-rock performer, author and spoken word artist OTEP is always at the helm of revolution, social activism and lending a voice for the voiceless and fighting injustice. Clubbing themselves in with revolution inciting artists like Prophets of Rage, Woodie Guthrie, OTEP doesn’t shy away from yelling and making sure their voice is heard, no matter how controversial the topic is. They are currently recording at The Lair in Los Angeles, brewing their new upcoming studio album. She tries to give us a sneak peek about their to be eighth album. She says, that this is undoubtedly the band’s most authentic and honest attempt in creating an album. The as of now untitled, full length album is scheduled to hit stores later this year.
She further adds, concentrating on the lyrics, “No one is safe, no one escapes. It’s powerful, poetic, patriotic protest music. One could say it’s an activist album hoping to incite social change and support those who are at the barricades, who are marching in the streets for justice, who are demanding our government protect our great nation from enemies foreign and domestic – this includes the bloated colostomy bag disgracing the White House, Traitor Trump, and his loafer licking cronies… but I digress.“
OTEP is co-producing the new album, along with the guitarist Aristotle, which she opines, has helped the band create the album “without limitations.” She also goes on to say, “The musicality is stellar and has been elevated to a whole new stratosphere of sound. With Aristotle on guitar, Justin Kier on drums and Drew Barnes on bass, each musician has a powerful voice on this album.“
2016’s ‘Generation Doom‘, released via Napalm Records was the band’s last studio effort and it debuted #10 on the Independent Chart, #7 on the Rock Chart, #4 on the Hard Rock Chart and #109 on the Top 200 Albums Chart. We can expect this year’s new album to definitely cross pass the success the predecessor achieved. OTEP accepts the same and she feels spiritually strong about the number eight, also their upcoming album number.
Explaining the significance of the number eight and it’s many connections to spirituality, she says, “Writing our eighth album is not only a blessing for which we are forever grateful but the number itself is said to have magical properties. In Norse mythology, the horse of the god Odin has eight legs. The Pythagoreans considered the number eight the “little holy number”. The eighth day of the Chinese New Year is the annual gathering of all the gods in Heaven. If you were having a psychic reading using Tarot, eight is the card for Justice which seems appropriate considering the current political climate we are suffering through. The mathematical symbol for infinity is an eight on its side. There are eight festivals observed in the Wicca Wheel of the Year. There were eight gates surrounding the ancient city of Babylon. The eighth gate was named the Gate of Ishtar. Ishtar is the goddess of love and war, the Queen of the Earth and Heaven. She is the morning and evening star. Qualities I certainly relate to. And finally, I’m a Scorpio and Scorpio is the eighth astrological sign in the Zodiac.
A 33rd Degree Freemason and Master Rosicrucian, Manly P. Hall once said, ‘The rites of the Scorpion are the Mysteries of the Apocalypse and the ceremonies of Dionysus.’ Expect the unexpected. Expect to have your brain pushed back.”
So going with that in mind, we can surely expect the new album’s theme, image or title to have some deep connection with the number eight. As it’s the band’s eight studio output and given that number eight stands of quite a significance in her life, there is no harm in ruling out the possibility of the new album’s connection with the number eight. This does leave me intrigued!
Last year OTEP shook up the United States last year with her popular “The Resistance” World Tour performances-potent, engaging exhibitions of activism awareness spreading the vital word on equal rights, social education and political enlightenment. They plan to emulate the same feat at this year’s star studded Rock Fest in Cadott, WI, as they make a return onstage performing live for the fans. The fest will take place from July 12-14, 2018 on the Rock Fest grounds, along with some of rock and metal’s biggest names like, Rise Against, Halestorm, Seether, Black Label Society, Bush and many others.
So, are you excited for OTEP‘s upcoming revolutionary album? Are you ready for winds of change? We sure are!
