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 their 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. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide
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