Customer Reviews

Ascension

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Otep's (r)evolution continues...

Few times have I seen a CD get pushed back as much as Otep's The Ascension has. But, we can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that it was well worth the wait.

One of the best things about Otep is the fact that they evolve with each new release. Sevas Tra was mainly heavy with a few melodic parts. House of Secrets dealt more with the eery side with some standout heavy parts. And now, with The Ascension, the heaviness rules supreme again but the eeriness is always palpable and seems as if it could show up at any time.

Then there's Otep's lyrics. My God. I've heard some intense lyrics but I really doubt many could hold a flame to Otep. There's not a lot of new ground broken, she deals mainly with the same topics (God, religion, self-abuse, etc.) but she does it with such a flare that it evokes as much emotion in us as the previous CDs have. As for the vocals, they saw a major change from Sevas Tra to House of Secrets, and there's more change introduced to us with The Ascension. Maybe it was because I haven't heard anything new from them in so long but I thought her voice had changed significantly. With further listens though, it really hasn't. Her roars are still insane, her rap-ish moments are still tastefully done, and her singing--yeah I said it--is actually pretty good, resembling Poe a little.

As with every Otep CD, the music is always intense, whether it's heavy or just a piano, there's always that feeling of dread and creepiness. Special mention musically goes to Milk of Regret. The simple guitar melody mixed with the tribal drumming works wonders for the song. It begins slow but just completely erupts towards the end, classic Otep.

Every fan of Otep, whether you were around from Sevas Tra--or the Jihad EP--or just discovered them after House of Secrets was released, everyone will find salvation in this CD. The Blood Pig-esque songs are definitely here. See Eet The Children, Crooked Spoons, Noose & Nail, and March of the Martyrs. The Warhead-esque songs are here. See Confrontation and Home Grown. Then there's the slow-to-fast songs like Milk of Regret, Ghostflowers, and Invisible. Heck, we even get a radio-worthy (if only, God knows Otep would bring some much needed originality to it) track in Perfectly Flawed.

Pay special attention to Otep's version of the Nirvana classic, Breed. It has every oportunity to be corny, unneeded, and flat out stupid, but for some reason they really pull it off and pay a great homage to it.

My favorite songs are Crooked Spoons, Perfectly Flawed, Milk of Regret, Noose & Nail, and March of the Martyrs. Otep is finally back and demanding attention. Few will give The Ascension the due it truly deserves but this ranks right up there with the best CDs of 2007 for sure. Each song begs repeated listens and the CD as a whole is easy to listen to fully. There's a little something for every different brand of metalhead out there. Highly recommended.

Let me just start out by saying that I've never seen such a diminutive person take over a stage like Otep Shamaya does....and I've seen Dio. Nobody can ever question the intensity of a woman who has been known to pull out clumps of her own hair onstage: Otep is the real deal; do not doubt this. The band's members -aside from the awesome Evil J on bass- may change, but the passion and the fury remains a constant. Otep -both the band and the woman- is a true artistic chameleon, able to captivate fans with dark poetry and odd, understated soundscapes that explode into a wall of pure sonic chaos that few bands can equal. "Sevas Tra" utilized Miss Shamaya's considerable rapping prowess to create a focused metal album that retained it's thrashing intensity throughout. "House of Secrets" saw the band ditching the tired rap-metal motif and stretching out artistically; concentrating on unique instrumentation and the build-up and release of energy that contributed wonderfully to the band's impressive stage repertoire. And now, after a long wait, here we are.

"Ascension" is an album that finds Otep using everything they've learned and going for broke. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. The music is as brutal as ever and the lyrics cut, bludgeon, torch, and rampage as they should. The intense and disturbing poetry readings that previously served as the band's calling card have been shortened to brief intros except for the "hidden" track which oddly appears on a track of it's own (not so hidden then is it?). This movement away from their more avant garde elements, while certainly a compromise from a band I've always respected for not compromising, actually helps this album keep it's considerable momentum rolling where previous CD's had me skipping to the next track to hear more music. I do enjoy Otep's poetry but like I always tell people who complain about not being able to understand the lyrics in this style of music: if you want words, read a book; metal is about the music. Otep is one of music's great lyricists and I have to say that she manages to make her words comprehensible even when shrieking and roaring like a death metal pro; that is not an easy line to tread.

Now, the bad. My primary beef is with the two songs that stick out like sore thumbs on this record. The first is the made for popular radio "Perfectly Flawed". It is not that it's a bad song; it just doesn't feel like a true Otep song. It sounds like a song written for popular radio and if there is one thing we metal fans hate it is popular radio. Second, there is the cover of Nirvana classic "Breed" that, while well performed (especially by drummer Brian Wolfe who is unbelievable on this whole album), reeks of pandering to the mainstream in an attempt to get a breakout single. That case is not helped by the frequent use of vocal effects and overdubs that dispel the rawness of Shamaya's incredible voice throughout much of the album. This is not a Britney Spears album, guys, I like my music to sound like a real person is singing (or screaming) it.

All that said, this is another fantastic album by one of the most exciting bands in metal right now. The blatant stabs at commercial success are largely offset by the righteous fury of songs like "Confrontation" ("Defy the lies of the tyrant race with a fist in the air and a finger in their face") and the uncomfortable vulnerability of Otep's anthems of self-mutilation and domestic abuse that have remained a constant since they released "Jihad". "Ascension" is an album born of conflict and nothing could suit this band better. I just hope that when and if mainstream success comes they don't abandon their fans and become the next AFI, Korn, or (heaven forbid) Metallica.

My rating: 4 1/2 stars rounded down for tough love.

I had never heard anything by Otep before Ghost Flowers. I was drawn to Oteps intense rage while listening to this cd. If you ever needed something to pump you up this is your music! There are a couple of breaks in the bloodlust, but even these breaks pack their own intense bombshell on the listener. I feel for whatever trauma caused the rage that permeates from Oteps lyrics and is expressed in her awesome vocals. Slayer still reigns tops for me but Otep does a nice job of being near the throne.

Otep is the female version of Marilyn Manson. She has the same perspectives on life as Manson does in most respects. This is my first album by Otep although I know a few people that don't like them. I was suprised to find out this is actually a good cd. The production and sound on it is very good and being a death metal junkie like I have become this was a new and welcomed sound with the same punch I like in metal music. Although I don't agree with the twisted views she portrays this is still a band to pay attention to and was one I didn't waste money on.

Otep finally gives us their new album `The Ascension' after a very long wait and much anticipation. In fact, the wait has been so long that I thought the band had split and the much talked about third studio album had been squashed. Well, the band is still intact and the album is here.

So, the question remains; was it worth the wait?

The answer, for the most part, is yes. When Otep released their debut studio album `Sevas Tra' I was impressed with their fervent aggressive approach to their music, creating an atmosphere that is so commanding and so moving it sends chills down the spine. I had some issues with the album (as far as the whole `rap/rock' thing was concerned) but overall it was a very impressive album. Their sophomore album `House of Secrets' was a huge improvement (I really need to review that album soon), mixing well the power and forcefulness of `Sevas Tra' with the soft-spoken eeriness of a séance. With `The Ascension' Otep drops their signature poetry readings and works hard to keep the blood pressure at an all-time high. This is both a positive and a negative.

The negative is that one of the things I loved about `House of Secrets' was the way many of the tracks subtlety pulverized the listener. You're strung along in this trancelike state while you listen to Otep's fragile vocals and the intricately constructed musical arrangements that sound as though they are about to shatter before the song lets out only to have our trance broken by Otep's harrowing screams and the sudden brutal awakening within the music and everything is so abruptly beautiful I could cry. I miss that here because in `The Ascension' everything is in your face and domineering. They do give us the hidden track `Adrenochrome Dreams' which is a beautiful answer to the spoken-word piece, but one is far from enough for me.

That doesn't mean that the album is a `misstep' in that it fails to deliver because overall the album delivers strongly. They bring on the intensity and it works in many cases, not so much in some others.

Tracks like `Crooked Spoons' bring a fire that ignites within the listener. Sure, it sounds a little conventional in terms of heavy metal (as in it doesn't sound all that original or inspired) but it works a magic that only Otep can work. I enjoy `Eet the Children', a track that covers the tragedy that is media's stronghold on our youth, but it's `Crooked Spoons' that truly jumpstarts the album. `Confrontation' is another track that captures brutality within its simplicity. It's not the most complicated track but it delivers quite a punch and offers a nice chant worthy chorus. `Homegrown' attacks the subject of abuse that is all too common in today's musical world. It ups the ante with crushing vocals but doesn't really deliver quite like it could. It sounds a bit amateurish. `March of the Martyrs' is the first track I heard of the album in rough demo form and the polished studio version lives up to my expectations; flawlessly commanding.

Speaking of flawless, Otep has never, and I want to emphasize the word `NEVER', sounded better than they do on `Ghostflowers', the absolute best track on the album. Everything about the track is orgasmic, from the intricacy of the musical arrangements to the delicacy of Otep's vocals. I just love that guitar work.

We all know that Otep has a thing against religion, and while I am a religious person I can understand and appreciate her loathing of certain facets of organized religion. They way that she rips them apart for their hypocrisy is so relevantly accurate you can't help but contemplate your own faith. On tracks like `Communion' and `Noose & Nail' especially she gives us her two sense of the world of God and neighbor. `Milk of Regret' goes a little tribal but it doesn't really lose me too much, it's just not as great as it could have been.

There are three tracks that do lose me; `Perfectly Flawed', `Invisible' and the Nirvana cover `Breed'. I never thought that I'd ever compare Otep to Hole but on these tracks she sounds so much like Courtney Love it's ridiculous. `Perfectly Flawed' has a few moments where it works, but then I remember that this is Otep and it hurts me deep inside to connect them to such an average at best type track. It's so mellow and uneventful it's almost painful. `Invisible' isn't as retched, but it's not much better. They should have never went anywhere near Nirvana territory, but why `Breed'? I mean if you're going to cover Nirvana go with something like `Heart Shaped Box', something that you could pull off. `Breed' is an utter mess. They just sound like a desperate garage band covering music that fails to inspire them.

In the end `The Ascension' delivers effectively; maybe not `brilliantly' but effectively. It is a step above their debut album but a step behind their sophomore album. If you swap `House of Secrets' and `The Ascension' in the Otep timeline you have a solid progression of musical brilliance. Until their fourth album this will hold us over with very little complaints.

Excellent blend of metal, black metal, death metal (not so much- but great grunts), and even rap-rock! Otep Shamaya is a great writer and has an extremely artistic approach to their songs. When she wants, you really feel her emotions. Otep (the band) are all very talented musicians and provide a fusion that is rare these days! If you like harder, heavier music, Otep is a must have!

After reading some reviews I decided to write my own. Honestly, I can't help but to compare this CD to the band's last two. It's a good CD but as some other fans have said, it doesn't have the same energy and passion as 'Sevas Tra' and 'House of Secrets'. If you're a huge fan of Otep, sure, buy it. If you're new to Otep, I'd suggest Sevas Tra.

i listen to some metal, kittie great band. im new to otep and overall they're different. i like them.

Otep gets better and better with great tracks like Crooked Spoons and Ghostflowers. If you love Nu Metal or any metal really, you will love Otep's The Ascension.

Raw and Hardcore \m/

Of course the singles "Ghost Flowers" and "Crooked Spoons" are great - both spooky and energetic - but the whole album flows pretty well. Would've given it 5 stars, but I'm not a fan of their cover of Nirvana's "breed" which seemed woefully out of place and whose execution was workmanlike at best. Recommended if you like kittie, slipknot, marilyn manson, or mudvayne.