Otep
Sevas Tra

5.0
classic

Review

by Wizzy5 USER (9 Reviews)
July 10th, 2005 | 70 replies

Release Date: 2002 | Tracklist

Their album, Sevas Tra, is a second release by this very young band on the scene. In 2000, Capitol Records discovered them, and they released their first project, an EP called Jihad. After some tour dates in 2001, rumors spread about the cannibalism and mystical arts performed on stage helped push their image through the underground and into the realm of the known. Late in 2001, Terry Date accompanied Otep in producing their first full-length album. With two months to write the music and vocals, they released Sevas Tra in the summer of 2002. The album reached number 2 on the Billboard Heatseekers list, which is a chart of albums that make it just short of the top 100 of the Billboard 200 chart. I have never heard the EP by Otep, but I have to say that I CANNOT get enough of this CD.

With her “in pain” style leading into the most guttural but skilled growling vocals, this is what metal fans crave. Not whiney like many bands today that just sing and bark, but gripping, tooth-grinding riffs and drums that drop the jaw. It starts out with a teaser track with Otep talking about some sadness, and it continues into some ideal chunk and rhythm combined. Track three, called “T.R.I.C.,” which is also the last track on the Jihad EP, starts with a big bang and unleashes the remarkable flow ability of Shamaya. “My Confession” slows it down a bit, but it still hits hard. One thing I really look for on any metal album is a dope riff that makes you want to rewind and play it again like two or three times every time the CD plays. “Menocide,” track eleven, brings it with force deep into the track, so get ready. Some tracks aren't even songs; they are so we can feel the pain and suffering that leads to the web of words she uses to write every song. No simple matter are the lyrics on Sevas Tra, but they are impressive and complex. However, the music behind every poem couldn't be any more talented and ass-kickin’ than what is available to us on this CD. Track six, “Battle Ready,” will hit you like a ton of bricks, pick you up, and hit you again. How will they ever follow that act? According to Otep herself, she says that Sevas Tra is the story of the agony of life and the sweet surrender to ones’ own demons and then victory through self-destruction.

In general, Sevas Tra by Otep in my opinion is one of the absolute best arrivals in metal since the new millennium began. No idea on when another album will surface, but I hope it is soon. I definitely recommend picking up this album if you like to head bang to some bad-ass ***. SICKNESS. PERFECT. LOVE IT.

5/5